Trying to test then install LL 3.4 on old Dell Latitude D800

[JanetBiggar]

Well I’ve learned to ask before getting into trouble!

I wish to put LL 3.4 on an old Dell D800 whose specs are: Intel® Pentium® M processor 2.00 GHz, 799 MHz, RAM 768 MB, HD of 40 GB

This time I did fire it up and can see that Win XP loaded fine, WiFi works and connects. I then did a temporary boot order change when I turned it on again and had my LL 3.4 USB in the slot. It brought up the initial screen where you can choose to run or install etc. I clicked on run as I wanted to make sure it would work and this is the message I got:

WARNING: PAE disabled. Use parameter ‘forcepae’ to enable at your own risk! This kernel requires the following features not present on the CPU: pae
Unable to boot - please use a kernel appropriate for your CPU

I’m not sure what to do, if I can do anything. I’d love to run Linux Lite on this machine. Or at least some type of Linux OS (Puppy Linux..? But likely won’t I run into the same thing?

Thanks I advance.

[trinidad]

Non-PAE Debian will work all the way back to i486 but the problem is you would need a minimal install to start and add packages after the base system install. It does run decently but is limited by available RAM. Other than that SLAX will run on just about anything from a wristwatch up and it was recently updated to use Deb repos, but again packages would have to be added carefully.

https://packages.debian.org/stretch/linu....9.0-5-686

TC

[rokytnji]

Here is a thread that might help.

https://www.freecinema2022.gq/forums/insta...m)-system/

I run  32 bit I486 AntiX 17 full iso  on my IBM T23 P3 1200Hz 1 gig of ram laptop using Palemoon nonsse2 and Qupzilla as browsers. No adobe flash player plugin allowed. Browsers will crash on a P3. You might be OK on a P4 though.  But.  I am a AntiX team member. So I am familiar being the beta tester on old gear.

Debian net and Slax will work like suggested above also. Salix Fluxbox edition. Based on Slackware. Will probably work also.
https://www.howtoforge.com/tutorial/debi...al-server/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFWlej2...5uE9opXukQ
https://www.slax.org/
http://guide.salixos.org/files/SalixStartupGuide.pdf

Just in case you wanna try BSD instead of Linux on that kit. Here is a BSD how to.

http://trihexagonal.org/

[rokytnji]

For Puppy. I suggest the below with your specs.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/anitaos/

Last Update:  2017-10-11

Oh yeah. Another alternative not using systemd.

https://www.bunsenlabs.org/installation.html

[JanetBiggar]

So I followed the link that rokythji gave about using forcepae -- forcepae and it worked!

Initially I got a very distorted solitary linux feather with some horizontal lines across the bottom of the screen (sort of pixelated) then it booted into LL 3.4 and albeit slow it "appears" to work fine and the WiFi works.

I then shut it down and re-started and despite putting in the double forcepae I am brought to the original screen whereby I'd need to hit tab then put in the forcepae -- forcepae again. 

My main questions are -
1) now that LL 3.4 does show to work "live" am I ok to install? 

2) BEFORE I hit install should I be doing what GoldFinger suggested in the PAE thread from 2015:
(here it is below - I don't know how to do the quotes that I see in other posts (in a greenish box):
__________________
From Gold Finger -

I was unaware of this change until now with your post.  My take on it is the same as yours.  It sounds like if you do "forcepae -- forcepae" during bootup of live DVD, that will ensure that the install will automatically have the forcepae boot parameter active and you shouldn't need to do anything more.  If that's true, then that certainly makes life easier.  I can't confirm that for you though, because I don't have any computers that need forcepae.


If that doesn't work, then you'd need to use forcepae on first bootup of the installed system.  Once in, you'd then open the grub file under /etc/default directory and add the option there.  Open it with your text editor as root with this command:
Code: [Select]
gksu leafpad /etc/default/grub

In the text file that opens up, find the line
Code: [Select]
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

And change it to this
Code: [Select]
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash forcepae"

Save the file, close text editor.

Enter this in terminal to update grub
Code: [Select]
sudo update-grub

Change should now be permanent on reboots.
__________


3) IF I do erase and load LL 3.4 having done the forcepae -- forcepae will this computer then act normally and update normally like other older computers that have had LL 3.4 loaded? I'm asking as once I wipe Win XP off this computer I really don't want to have to go through the blood, sweat and tears of re-loading Win XP and all the drivers 

[rokytnji]

2) BEFORE I hit install should I be doing what GoldFinger suggested in the PAE thread from 2015:
(here it is below - I don't know how to do the quotes that I see in other posts (in a greenish box):

You do that after the install. You reboot again using your install disc,usb, whatever.  Do them changes after a live session. You access the partition of your install. Find that folder and file.  Then make your changes to make your install permanently changed.

Doing it before won't accomplish anything. Defaults during install won't allow it.

[JanetBiggar]

Rokytnji can you confirm that I’m understanding the steps correctly:
1) boot up with my LL usb. When I get that message about the pae I do the steps that allow me to do the forcepae — forcepae.
2) that should get me into a live LL session.
3) I then click on install LL.
4) now here’s where I’m unsure. Do I shut down right after installing then reboot and do the forcepae — forcepae again THEN find the folder and file and make the changes per Goldfinger’s directions
OR
Do I make the file changes right after installing LL WITHOUT shutting down and rebooting?

Thanks for your time.

[rokytnji]

4) now here’s where I’m unsure. Do I shut down right after installing then reboot and do the forcepae — forcepae again THEN find the folder and file and make the changes per Goldfinger’s directions

Yes. That will work also. Instead of using a live session like I mentioned earlier.
Just a mention. If you know how to make backup text files in /.
Like I do. Backup the file you wanna edit before making changes

Example off of my AntiX install

Code:

$ sudo -i
[sudo] password for harry:
root@biker:~# cd /etc/default/
root@biker:/etc/default# ls
acpid          bsdmainutils   devpts    hdparm       locale      numlockx  smartmontools    unclutter
acpi-support  console-setup  extlinux  hwclock       networking  rcS     spamassassin    useradd
aufs          cron         gdomap    ifplugd       nfs-common  rsync     ssh        wicd
avahi-daemon  cryptdisks     grub      irqbalance  nss           rsyslog     tmpfs
bluetooth     dbus         halt      keyboard    ntpdate     saned     ufw
root@biker:/etc/default# cp grub grub.backup
root@biker:/etc/default# ls
acpid          console-setup  gdomap      ifplugd     nss    saned           unclutter
acpi-support  cron         grub      irqbalance  ntpdate    smartmontools  useradd
aufs          cryptdisks     grub.backup  keyboard    numlockx    spamassassin   wicd
avahi-daemon  dbus         halt      locale      rcS    ssh
bluetooth     devpts         hdparm      networking  rsync    tmpfs
bsdmainutils  extlinux         hwclock      nfs-common  rsyslog    ufw
root@biker:/etc/default#
root@biker:/etc/default# exit
logout
harry@biker:~
exit

Notice the new copied file grub.backup in my readout above. What I did was copy my old grub text file with the cp < copy > command using terminal.
Named the new copy grub.backup. This now gives me a original backup file in case I mess up something and cannot boot. I can delete my edited file and rename my backup file back to just grub to start over again. I hope you get the idea of what I am suggesting. Good Luck.

[JanetBiggar]

Thanks R.

I think I get what you’re saying and can try making a backup. In reality there is nothing on this computer yet other than when I go to install LL 3.4 so is there really any benefit to making a backup?

If all goes well with the install and the forcepae thing will this computer update ok in future just like computers that have the right processor and DID NOT need the forcepae thing done?

[rokytnji]

If all goes well with the install and the forcepae thing will this computer update ok in future just like computers that have the right processor and DID NOT need the forcepae thing done?

That should be no problemo. You should be good to go. Don't over think  it.

I think I get what you’re saying and can try making a backup. In reality there is nothing on this computer yet other than when I go to install LL 3.4 so is there really any benefit to making a backup?

My backup post just deals with not doing rei-nstalls. You roll like you wish. I am just giving lessons in case you did not know how.