Hi Guys,
In line with a few recent posts I have an old Dell Inspiron I6400 Laptop running XP. The support for this disappears next year so I thought now might be the right time to consider and try out alternatives. I am not totally new to LInux as I am running the latest LTS Ubuntu on a Desktop I built up myself and am quite happy with this, though my knowledge is very limited. Back to the laptop, I notice a lot of talk about Peppermint and wonder if you think this is worth a shot. Can I install this alongside XP (at least initially), where and how do I get the download. If this helps my laptop has Intel Core 2CPU TS300 1.73GHz with 1.49GB Ram. The hard drive has 43GB of free space.
Please dont forget you are dealing with an “owd git” of limited comprehension so please make the answer as simple as possible, the less syllables per word the better,
Many thanks in advance of your co-operation and help.
Degsy
Peppermint would fly on that
Yes it can be installed alongside Windows
Here’s their website:
http://peppermintos.com
Download the ISO image, and I’ll post instructions fro creating a LiveCD/LiveUSB if you need them ?
Any other questions ?
Thanks Mark, please post the instructions for the live CD.
Presumably I can run from the live CD for a while whilst testing the OS. If I then decide to install (which is very likely) can I then run them side by side and then in the future get rid of the XP when I decide it is safe to do so?
Hope these are not too simplistic but I do like to keep it simple.
Degsy
Hi Degsy
I have Peppermint 3 running on an old Dell Latitude with a bit less horsepower than yours and Mark’s right it flies
Good luck
Graeme
Use ImgBurn to burn the ISO image to disk (CD or DVD):
http://download.imgburn.com/SetupImgBurn_2.5.8.0.exe
Tutorial for burning an ISO image to CD/DVD with ImgBurn here:
http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/G/Burning+ISO+Images+with+ImgBurn
Hint - On the second picture, where it says
Write Speed: MAX
Change it to
Write Speed: X4
Be aware, running from a LiveCD won’t allow you to save any system settings etc. … so you’ll have to enter your wireless key each time you boot.
Thanks again Mark, also thanks Graeme for the confirmation about the speed of performance, I will get on and burn the ISO image and then try it from the Live CD. Will come back if I encounter any problems.
Thanks again for your always prompt and easily understood answers.
Degsy
Quick question, should I be trying Peppermint 4, will this go on my machine, I noticed that some had problems with it (for reasons I don’t understand), I have started the download but can always go to Peppermint 3 if necessary.
Quick question, should I be trying Peppermint 4, will this go on my machine, I noticed that some had problems with it (for reasons I don't understand), I have started the download but can always go to Peppermint 3 if necessary.
There’s no reason not to try Peppermint 4, I couldn’t install Peppermint 4 to my old Dell because of PAE issues, (you may have already read that thread), if your Laptop is the same you will know as soon as you try to load the live CD, you’ll get an error message informing you that your CPU doesn’t support PAE, if that turns out to be the case, you’ll likely have to turn to Peppermint 3 which should install without any problems.
Peppermint 3 is a very good distro based on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS so is good for a few years yet
Once again Good luck
Graeme
Thank you Graeme, will try out the Version 4. Yes I had read the other thread, even though as I said a fair bit of it went over my head but I got the gist there was a problem on certain machines. Will let you know if I encounter any problems.
Degsy
Sorry, got called away
No you’re CPU has PAE support, so Peppermint 4 will be fine 
Indeed you should probably be getting the 64bit version, then you won’t be using PAE anyway … but if you have already downloaded the 32bit version, that’s fine on your hardware too
Explanation -
PAE = Physical Address Extensions
32bit OS’s can only access 4GB (really more like 3.7) of RAM … PAE overcomes this limitation of 32bit memory addressing … but it requires the CPU to support PAE, and the 32bit OS to have a PAE enabled kernel
64bit OS’s don’t have the limitation in the first place … but obviously need a 64bit CPU
just a few old 32bit CPU’s are still being used in old hardware that don’t support PAE, and Peppermint 4 no longer has a NON-PAE kernel … so anyone with one of these is stuck.
Your Core2 CPU is fully 64bit, but still has 32bit PAE support … so can run either 64bit, 32bit with PAE or 32bit non-pae kernels, so it doesn’t matter which you get
Still clear as mud ? … read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_Address_Extension
–
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your advice, I have been having some problems with my internet connection so not done the download yet. Will give the 64 bit version a try and see how it goes, if I can sort out the problem with my connection.
Once again, many thanks for your prompt replies.
Degsy
You’re welcome
Just a quick update, downloaded and burned a live DVD using 64 bit Peppermint 4 and it booted up fine on the Inspiron 6400, so now its just a question of having the time to sort out the internet connection for it and then evaluate the system. All being well looks like there is plenty of life left in my Dell Laptop!
Yippee
Degsy
Remember, Pepperminthas very few apps INSTALLED by default, it uses shortcuts to web apps, but there is NOTHING stopping you from installing local applications as well or instead of the web apps.
That’s one of the things I love about Peppermint … it doesn’t start you off with a load of apps installed that suited someone else, I’m not a huge fan of web apps, but I view Peppermint as a fully working “starting point” where I install just the apps “I” want.
Excuse me for butting in. Whats PAE ?
Hi Bill
Excuse me for butting in. Whats PAE ?
Mark gave a fairly in depth description on a previous post on this thread but here it is again
Explanation -PAE = Physical Address Extensions
32bit OS’s can only access 4GB (really more like 3.7) of RAM … PAE overcomes this limitation of 32bit memory addressing … but it requires the CPU to support PAE, and the 32bit OS to have a PAE enabled kernel
64bit OS’s don’t have the limitation in the first place … but obviously need a 64bit CPU
just a few old 32bit CPU’s are still being used in old hardware that don’t support PAE, and Peppermint 4 no longer has a NON-PAE kernel … so anyone with one of these is stuck.
Your Core2 CPU is fully 64bit, but still has 32bit PAE support … so can run either 64bit, 32bit with PAE or 32bit non-pae kernels, so it doesn’t matter which you get
Still clear as mud ? … read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_Address_Extension
Hi Guys,
Just to let you know that the Live DVD is working fine, this is being sent using the Dell Laptop and Peppermint 4. If and when I decide to actually install Peppermint 4 I think I may go dual boot initially, is there an idiots guide to actually doing dual boot, as all this business of Partitions is new to me. Anything I can read up on would be a great help.
Many thanks, as always.
Degsy
Hi Degsy
Running the installer for dual boot is really quite straightforward, believe me if this idiot can do it you can do it, during the install process you’ll be asked if you want to use the entire disk or install alongside Windows, select “Install alongside Windows” then there’s a very simple partition size slide tool and the rest is really quite self explanatory
That said I would definitely backup any important data/files you have to a cd or usb drive first just to be on the safe side
Here’s a simple easy to understand step by step guide for Ubuntu, Peppermint uses the same installer
http://thetechjournal.com/how-to/ubuntu-12-10-how-to-install-alongside-with-windows.xhtml
Good luck
Graeme
Thanks Graeme, will have a study of the link provided and then as you say will back up all that I think is necessary, then onward with the dual boot.
Can you please advise on the size of partition I should allow for Peppermint 4, I have 40GB free space on my hard drive. Does the installation automatically carry out the partitioning?