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Using Mandriva on older computers


nokheat
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theYinYeti: the only problem with [Netscape Communicator 4.8] is that it hasn't had security updates for several years, so is likely subject to all sorts of vulns. Dillo is in the same state, but has only been so since Feb 2007, so probably less of a problem. links is actively maintained.

You're right adamw. Still, I don't hesitate an instant before using it on my "nomade" laptop.

 

Netscape has a lot more features than Dillo or Links. As for vulnerabilities, they would come from: a carefully crafted mail or news item, or a web site I visit that has been compromized in a way that makes the browser vulnerable. So:

- What web site author/cracker, or what spammer, these days, would care enough to target an attack at such an old program?

- What part of those hypothetical few attackers would target a bug from the Linux version?

- What part of those hypothetical few attackers would target a bug on a system where root access is denied?

- Last but not least: all important files on "nomade" (2GB hard drive!, 1.5GB of which are the OS+apps) are backed-up.

 

Yves.

Edited by theYinYeti
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I agree with Yves, there going to attack the most commonly used browsers at this current moment in time. They'll give up supporting the old browsers because practically nobody will be using them now.

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The PIII, 128 MB system can be used for e.g. XFCE, Windowmaker, FLuxbox, Enlightenment or another lightweight solution.

 

Not to mention a 10 1/2 year old P1 system running Mandriva 2008.1 using XFCE as the default desktop. :D

Edited by edwardp
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Yep, that's a fair point. I just tend to try and use currently maintained software out of principle.

 

Most people do, hence why they don't bother to attack older software after a while ;)

 

Of course, if you tried running some of todays software on old Pentium computers it would be quite hard.

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I'm not just talking about the OS. Try OpenOffice 2.4 or some of the later software, and it will run slow. I have an old Pentium 133MHz dual processor system with 128MB of ram, I doubt very much it would even run OpenOffice 2.4 well enough.

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OpenOffice.org isn't something I've tried on the Pentium yet.

 

As long as I use a parallel printer on it, printing is adequate as long as the system isn't doing anything else at the same time. If web browsing and printing at the same time, the browsing takes priority and will briefly stop and start the printing. I've also noticed this on 500 MHz AMD system.

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I guess I'm going to have to take a picture of my 10 1/2 year old Pentium 1 system running Mandriva 2008 Spring, in order to quiet the skeptics. :D

My 6-year-old son does fine on both Mandriva and Debian (of course, he's not aware of the difference). I don't see any reason for people to be skeptical.

 

I have an old Pentium 133MHz dual processor system with 128MB of ram, I doubt very much it would even run OpenOffice 2.4 well enough.

For the record, back when my "nomade" laptop was running Mandrake 9.1, OpenOffice could load, but it required some 15 minutes to do so! However, once loaded, it ran fine. Anyway, Abiword is obviously a better choice for such hardware.

 

Yves.

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Ah, that a K6-2 500MHz? I remember my old K6-2 450! :)

 

Yes. Desktop 2 in the sig below. :)

 

Launching OpenOffice.org Writer 2.4.0 on the Pentium 1 (Desktop 1 in sig): The splash screen appeared after 12 seconds and after another 38 seconds (50 seconds total), the Writer screen appeared. Note that this is the first time OpenOffice.org was launched on the Pentium, so it was probably doing some first-time-only initializing of some things in the background. Taking 50 seconds, was faster than I had expected.

 

On a subsequent launch, it took 8 seconds for the splash screen to appear and 35 seconds total, before the Writer screen appeared.

Edited by edwardp
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