Linux on Older Hardware

sparrow_hawk writes: "One of Linux's strengths has always been the wide variety of older/obsolete hardware it supports. However, most modern distributions seem to assume that the user has a brand-new machine with processor and RAM to spare. Linux Journal reports on the RULE project (Run Up2Date Linux Everywhere). They are trying to come up with a low-resource-requirement, easy-to-use Linux installation for use on older hardware, intended as an option when you install Red Hat Linux. The FAQ has more information."

Comments

Linux isn't "Free as in Cheap"

[Mr. Uptime]

There is much confusion in the Linux community over the fact that the Linux architecture is well-suited to run on older hardware. Many (such as the submitter) seem to think it is a design decision that is fundamental to the very concept of Linux. However, as Linus and other have stated many times in the past, good performance on older machines is only a side effect of the Linux community having developed a modular, streamlined system based on the proven UNIX paradigm. It is purely incidental that Linux performs well regardless of the hardware it is run on.

And that brings us to my point: making software compatible with older hardware shouldn't be a goal in and of itself. Why? One need only to venture over to Pricewatch to see that an AMD 1800+ mobo/CPU combo sells for under $300. Systems faster than what anyone could ever need are commodities now. The only people who need Linux to run on old hardware are the Luddites who refuse to part with their old equipment, and they are nothing but an albatross around the neck of the Linux community. Let's face it - we all need to grow up, evolve, and keep up with new developments. We can't let our programming skills atrophy for 2-3 years and expect to pick up where we left off, so why should we all be bending over backwards to support machines that were made in 1996? The industry changes and it's time for us all to realize that our skills, our paradigms and mindsets, and yes, our hardware too must change.

Mr. Uptime