I was just given an old nettop from I think around 2010 - An old Acer one nettop intel atom CPU N270 @ 1.60GHz 2GB ram, it has Windows XP on it and it seems fairly smooth/quick, but I haven’t done anything other than boot it up and check the spec. I was wondering what would be best to install on it and found that choices are very limited. Linux Lite nor Lubuntu seem to be an option anymore, and almost all of the options I tried under x86_x64 on Distrowatch no longer provide an x86 or 32 bit version. These are the main ones I have seen:

Damn Small Linux (DSL) - https://www.damnsmalllinux.org/

Puppy Linux - https://puppylinux-woof-ce.github.io/

AntiX Linux - https://antixlinux.com/

CachyOS - https://cachyos.org/

Tiny Core Linux - http://www.tinycorelinux.net/

Maybe a couple of others, but could anyone recommend the best option or maybe a couple that would be best and any ideas as to what may be the best use for it? Practicing coding? Just browsing? Etc. I think it may be between DSL and Puppy, but I am hoping to hear any others and will happily try them all. Linux Mint and Debian keep coming up in searches but unless I am missing something, I don’t see anything about x86/32bit versions in the latest versions.

  • micvil@beehaw.org
    1·
    1 day ago

    I have a few such netbooks. I’m currently running debian oldstable (bookworm) on them. GuixSD also provides x32, but I still have to try that on slow computers. (Sidenote: maybe old Mesa versions work better for GUI). Ofc, it’s ok for trying BSDs (or maybe experimental stuff like Hurd and 9front).

    About usage: you can put it into your garage, workshop, storage room, whereever you wouldn’t want your regular laptop (gets dirty, dusty).

    For “desktop” purposes:

    • emacs (editing text, taking notes, developing some software, reading email, rss client)
    • reading books: epub and especially pdf were made for MUCH slower devices (you should avoid scanned books)
    • IRC and matrix (in emacs, for example)
    • discord client (yeah, I know, you shouldn’t do it)
    • can play 360p H.264-encoded videos (you could use a smartphone for that, but I don’t)
    • play mp3, act as a radio and play music or podcasts from the internet
    • SSH and other remote access stuff
    • testing whether software you write could run on slow hardware.
    • it is a terrible experience to run a browser, but it works. I could browse the catalogue of a local library from it
    • if something was doable in the 90s, the machine can handle it (mine came with diablo 1 installed)

    As others already wrote, it’s also good for homeservers (web/gemini/gopher, git, mumble, irc bouncer).

    If it is an actual nettop, and not a netbook, it probably has a mini-itx board with PCI on it, which makes it able to test/use old PCI cards. I used it for that purpose a little bit (there are better options, PCIe->PCI bridges). The atom D525 nettop board I have also has a mini pcie slot, which I converted into a full-sized one. Now it has a similarly slow Radeon HD 6450 in it, which helps it play videos. Should work up to 1080p, but now I realize I haven’t actually tried that.