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PsychOS Linux – 32-bit distro for older computers

psychoslinux.gitlab.io

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Re: PsychOS Linux – 32-bit distro for older computers

#24
post #17

There's some argument for using a 32-bit distro on systems with 4GB of RAM or less - https://www.sevarg.net/2021/12/18/raspberry-pi-32-bit-vs-64-... (It's not likely worth it for most cases, but in theory half-size pointers can help.)

I can recall it being important in the past.

Used to do a lot of work with the "cheap" Digital Ocean instances, which were 512M RAM at the time (like 2015-2017). You could get more usefulness out of them running 32-bit OS builds.

Re: PsychOS Linux – 32-bit distro for older computers

#26
post #18

Gentoo still builds i486 versions: https://www.gentoo.org/downloads/ Get going! By the time X finishes compiling we'll probably be at 128 bit.

Can't you cross compile it on your 16 core machine?

I’m sure it’s possible but I’ve never gotten it to work even trying https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Distcc/Cross-Compiling

I forget exactly what I was trying to crosscompile but I think it was arm on x64.

Re: PsychOS Linux – 32-bit distro for older computers

#27
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's been abandoned, right? The last "News Milestone" is May 3, 2004, and I can't find any other timestamps or dates on the website. It'd be OK for a project like that to have old, frozen software versions as long as it receives security updates, but the website makes it damn near impossible to assess whether any maintenance is taking place at all.

To be fair, "old hardware" is kind of frozen in time by definition. DSL is what it is. If you want to play with hardware with 32mb of ram, it does what it does. It isn't really an OS you want to "use" or "expand upon". I would not suggest to connect it to the Internet or expect any kind of updates, security or otherwise. The main case for it at this point is retro computing. Most retro computing enthusiasts run era c…

Haiku has 3D support on some AMD GPUs.

Re: PsychOS Linux – 32-bit distro for older computers

#28

I like bunsenlabs on old hardware. It's Debian based with openbox, some bits from xfce, and some custom config utilities. It's a continuation of Crunchbang Linux which was discontinued. Openbox is very nice and light, but the default configuration on Debian is not really usable. Xfce or Mate on Debian can be good choices as well.

Bunsen Labs is pretty good, but IMHO the Crunchbang++ team took the ideas rather further and made something better.

I wish they would just settle their differences and work together.

Or, if that would involve swallowing too much humble pie, make them more different -- for example, move Bunsen Labs onto a Devuan or MX or antiX basis, and take it systemd-free.

Re: PsychOS Linux – 32-bit distro for older computers

#29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

there's an x86 version specially for old computers: https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/raspberry-pi-desktop/

Well, you learn something every day! That's fascinating; I'll have to take a look. Thanks:)

I've written about it on the Register, and tried to bring it to HN's attention, too.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32074871

Re: PsychOS Linux – 32-bit distro for older computers

#30
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's been abandoned, right? The last "News Milestone" is May 3, 2004, and I can't find any other timestamps or dates on the website. It'd be OK for a project like that to have old, frozen software versions as long as it receives security updates, but the website makes it damn near impossible to assess whether any maintenance is taking place at all.

Delicate Linux would be preferable. Or better, just plain NetBSD.

Hasn't been updated in 7 years, from what I see. I suspect that makes it rather unsafe to use online, pretty comparable to, say, WinXP.
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