Looking for Linux for test labtop

[Member Sykar]

Hello!
I have just recently signed up to this board because I am looking for some pointers for my first dive into the Linux world. A little of background on me, I am just your average Windows user with no experience in Linux. I am going to read some of the threads here but the inofmration load is a bit overwhelming.

That being said, the reason I want to dip my toes here comes from my voluntary work with the red cross. I am working in a second hand store where we sell all manners of used goods. Until recently I had to discard a lot of computer hardware because I had absolutely no way of testing them there, but this week we got in an ancient Labtop. All I know at the moment is that it is an old Intel Celeron CPU and it is completely blank, nothing installed on it. I want to avoid using any money from our small funds so opting for Linux seems to be a sensible choice for me. Also I would like to get some actual Linux experience.

What I want to use this labtop for is being able to test all manner of computer hardware, monitors, keyboards, mice, printers both old but also newer stuff. Nothing internal, just external hardware, so no RAM or stuff like that. After DuckGoing for leightweigt distribibutions I got interested in this Linux version.

Now I hope I was clear enough, if not just ask for further clarification. My current idea is to have a bootable USB stick, since I have nothing to burn a CD with, and install a basic lightweight version that can handle old but also newer hardware and that I can do so as easily as possible.

Any help appreciated, even if it is just telling me to read a particular thread.

• This topic was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by Sykar.

[Member ModdIt]

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Hallo Sykar,
welcome to the global village of antiXia.
To get you started probably the most useful and compact howto is to read
in recent posts or search:
What is antiX and how to try it out or install it a very useful post by forum member PPC.

Anything unclear please ask, we are mostly helpful :-). Sometimes just as lost
as a questioner, especialy when questions are unclearly formulated..

Quote: I had to discard a lot of computer hardware because I had absolutely no way of testing them.

You can run most hardware setups with antiX live booted from a USB stick, no need for installed drives
in the hardware. This method allows you to find out what you have, in many situations without even looking
in to a case. Installing on the laptop you have a matter of choice but for testing printers I suggest live
as the better option. Reason is no old installation files left after a reboot, that is when you run without
persistent saving options set.

For testing printers you may run in to issues with some models. Same goes for scanners.
For printers open printing org is often the best adress, antiX uses an in the Linuxworld pretty much standard
system called cups so the setup is usualy easy.

Semi OT: fixing blocked canon Printheads can be worthwhile. Mostly blockup due lack of usage or bacteria slime
in ink, yellow usualy turns blue then.. Some better Brother devices can be reset and can work
for a long time afterwards, If you want some info or help pls just ask giving model detail.
Printhead cleaning does not need any expensive or dangerous chemicals.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by ModdIt.

[Member ezno]

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I think antiX is a good choice for your needs. I use it specifically because I run old/ancient hardware, including a twenty-year-old laptop. On newer hardware, it’s blazing fast. Aside from that, community is a very necessary feature if you’re starting out with Linux and just learning, and the participants in this forum are helpful and knowledgable.

[Member melodie]

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You can test hardware very easily with the Linux distributions. antiX is also wonderful because easy to use out of the box, light and provides the application having for name “Snapshot” which allows you to rebuild your own version.

In order to put up a USB stick you can install Ventoy on a usb stick then add iso images of live distributions. https://ventoy.net is quite easy to get the hang on it, and antiX is among the distributions known to boot from it.

What you might want to do is do one post per question, and solve one question at a time, to ease the learning curve. This is how I started, almost 20 years ago (once I passed the period of overwhelming and someone told me I needed to take it one problem at a time).

Then you will be able to diagnostic hardware using free software, to know what the best course of action is with a given machine, know which distribution will fit it best, how to help users, how to teach them how to use their computer with a Linux distribution and how to maintain it. 
Linux in pictures:
http://www.delafond.org/roman_photos/index_en.html

😀

[Member PPC]

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I’m not a “grammar nazi”, but I learned a lot thanks to this post’s title – when I shearched on-line for the word “labtop” – https://strategiesforparents.com/labtop-or-laptop-which-one-is-correct/

Just as advised above I would, at least skim these threads, in order:

https://www.antixforum.com/forums/topic/what-is-antix-and-how-to-try-it-out-or-install-it/#post-79735

https://www.antixforum.com/forums/topic/short-essential-how-to-list-for-the-complete-linux-newbie/#post-37202

https://www.antixforum.com/forums/topic/how-to-install-applications-2020-version/#post-32908

https://www.antixforum.com/forums/topic/how-to-search-for-a-solution-when-you-have-a-antix-problem/

You can also have a notion of what antiX is capable of on old devices here:
https://www.antixforum.com/forums/topic/antix-12-64bits-on-a-netbook-single-core-atom-cpu-1gb-of-ram/

Because just reading about a subject is hard, first try watching some videos about the subject:
search for “antiX 21” to get a feel for how it handles…

If you think you would be more confortable on something that looks more like Windows, please install the ft10-transformation pack and enable it – you can make antiX look more familiar that way…

P.

[Member marcelocripe]

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Hello Sykar.

Welcome to antiX Linux and the forum.

I don’t know how to write in English and I send my texts translated by the internet translator. I hope you can understand everything, if your native language is not English, please translate my original Brazilian Portuguese text directly into your language with the help of internet translators.

To get a good introduction to GNU/Linux, I recommend you to read these excellent tutorials created by @PPC:

What is antiX and how to try it out or install it.
Short essential how-to list for the complete Linux newbie.
and
How-to install applications – 2020 version.

About the USB Device:
How to Create Bootable USB Stick Using Ventoy. (On this topic only, you will need to translate my original Brazilian Portuguese text into your language with the help of internet translators).

The implementation of antiX in the computers of the Associação Mutirão – CCA Jd. Fontális could serve as an example for their social work.

When you start any topic or participate with any post, remember to check the option “Notify me of follow-up replies via email”, by checking this option you will receive a message in your email inbox whenever there are replies to the topic in question.

These are the tips I can give you so you don’t get lost among so much information about GNU/Linux.

marcelocripe
(Original text in Brazilian Portuguese language)

– – – – –

Olá Sykar.

Seja bem-vindo(a) ao antiX Linux e ao fórum.

Eu não sei escrever em idioma Inglês e envio os meus textos traduzidos pelo tradutor da internet. Eu espero que você consiga compreender tudo, caso o seu idioma nativo não seja o Inglês, por favor, traduza o meu texto original em idioma Português do Brasil diretamente para o seu idioma com a ajuda dos tradutores da internet.

Para você poder ter uma boa introdução sobre o GNU/Linux, eu recomendo você ler estes excelentes tutoriais criados pelo @PPC:

What is antiX and how to try it out or install it.
Short essential how-to list for the complete Linux newbie.
e
How-to install applications – 2020 version.

Sobre o Dispositivo USB:
Como Criar Pendrive Inicializável Usando o Ventoy. (Apenas neste tópico, você precisará traduzir o meu texto original em idioma Português do Brasil para o seu idioma com a ajuda dos tradutores da internet.)

A implementação do antiX nos computadores da Associação Mutirão – CCA Jd. Fontális poderá servir de exemplo para o seu trabalho social.

Quando você iniciar algum tópico ou participar com alguma postagem, lembre-se de marcar a opção “Notify me of follow-up replies via email”, marcando esta opção, você receberá uma mensagem na sua caixa de e-mail sempre que houver respostas do tópico em questão.

Estas são as dicas que eu posso te dar para você não ficar perdido em meio a tantas informações sobre o GNU/Linux.

marcelocripe
(Texto original em idioma Português do Brasil)

[Member Sykar]

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That is a lot of helpful advice so far. Thank you all. 🙂

[Moderator Brian Masinick]

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@Sykar: Welcome to the antiX Forum. You’ve already seen one or two notes from people in this note thread.
PPC has written a number of articles (a few of them updated or newly added in the past week) about using antiX.

The good news is that you don’t have to learn everything at once. For a surprising number of things, people can simply open a Web browser these days and perform useful work. I’d recommend that you start there, and maybe read an article here and there, note where they can be found, soak it in for a while, then read them again when you are trying to do something and want to figure out which application or tool to use.

By reading a little at a time and trying things bit by bit, you’ll be surprised what you can almost accidentally learn, simply by using and trying things out, reading and rereading to learn more, and as you learn and absorb, read and learn a little more. It won’t all magically come in one attempt, but before you know it, you’ll be a functional user, and possibly much more. Best wishes; many of us are happy to help along the way!

--
Brian Masinick

[Member Sykar]

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So I was rather busy this week so I was only done some reading so far and I feel I have to read those articles which were suggested to me multiple times since they are pretty extensive and some of the terminology is somewhat unfamiliar to me though not overly difficult to understand I think. I have finally seen the laptop in question this week at least and can give some specifics.
It is an Acer TravelMate 260. According to the sickers on it and my inspection of it, it houses these components:

Intel Celeron 1.8 GhZ
512 MB DDR RAM (DDR 1 I presume)
40 GB IDE HDD
DvD/CD drive (no specifics)
Floppy disk drive
USB port
VGA port
And that long, ancient printer port, you know with like 25+? pins? I forgot the name of it.

I got a question. Is it in principle possible to use my Android smartphone as the boot device?

• This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by Sykar.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by Sykar.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by Sykar.

[Member ModdIt]

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skylar you ask, Is it in principle possible to use my Android smartphone as the boot device?

Unless you have a very unusual device no, the phone needs confirmation before it will allow data transfer,
that is an android feature present on all versions I have come across.

You can use the phone to prepare a bootable fully featured antiX live USB stick using an application
available on F Droid called ISO to USB, to do so you will need an OTG adapter of some kind or a double
plug usb stick. I use an application called Hash Droid, also from FDroid store to do a sha256 sum
test for downloaded ISO.

Information on device, travelmate exists in variations, should you need help Exact Model number
and BIOS version gives any helper more to work with. If able you will get better performance with maximum
memory, two 512MB modules, one in each slot. Unless I am mistaken below link will take you to a service manual
for your specific device.
https://www.elhvb.com/mobokive/edwin/laptops/Acer/TM220SG.PDF`
`

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