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I have an old PC

Specs:

CPU:733 MHZ
RAM:128 MB
VGA :32 MB

I tried to run Ubuntu 8.0 on it, but when the PC tries to log in to the Ubuntu it stops and doesn't do anything.

I think that the RAM becomes full.

So what version of Ubuntu should I run on my PC?

It needs support for Java because I want to run a Java program on it that only prints hello world on the screen.

Braiam
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user132362
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    If you plan to actually use the computer, you want to use a current version of Ubuntu. Anything older than 12.04 LTS is not sensible since it will have too many security and compatibility issues. You probably want to pick a lightweight derivative (variant?) of Ubuntu such as Lubuntu or Xubuntu. If this doesn't work out for you, look for a modern Linux distribution optimized for old/slow computers. – Jan Feb 15 '13 at 23:18

4 Answers4

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You could install Lubuntu, which is a "lightweight variant of Ubuntu". The requirements are 128 MB RAM and a Pentium II processor.

http://lubuntu.net/

R110
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Bodhi linux is a minimalist Ubuntu based distro that only requires a 300Mhz cpu and 128 MB of RAM - and it is based on Ubuntu 12.04. Looks great too. I use it even on my i5 laptop.

Drake Clarris
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you can also install Ubuntu 12.04, you met the System Requirements, which are

Ubuntu Desktop Edition

700 MHz processor (about Intel Celeron or better)
512 MiB RAM (minimum 64mb though)
5 GB of hard-drive space (or USB stick, memory card or external drive but see LiveCD for an alternative approach)
VGA capable of 1024x768 screen resolution
Either a CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media

i also recommend to use Xubuntu or Lubuntu, because of their small desktops. This will be only enough to actually install and run Xubuntu/Lubuntu, running actually anything on it will be difficult because of the lack of RAM.

on the Xubuntu Site you can find that:

To install or try Xubuntu within the Desktop/Live CD, you need 256 MB of memory. Installing with the Alternative CD requires only 64 MB. Once installed, it is strongly recommended to have at least 512 MB of memory.

so with 64MB of ram there is no real hope for an usable Operating System, al least no Ubuntu.

Stefan
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Seems that you will have to go down to version 4.1 (Warty Warthog). Minimum requirements are 64 MBs so you might have some memory left for your tasks. There is detailed info about this version on a dedicated page on Ubuntu.com.

Agmenor
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Mariyan
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    I am sorry but I would advice against installing this version. It it so old that it has a lot of security issues that have been patched in later versions. It would be better to use a lightweight but up-to-date Lubuntu. – Agmenor Feb 15 '13 at 20:32
  • Well for his "Hello world" purpose i think it's kind of alright. The thing is he needs additional RAM so version with min. requirements of 128 MBs won't do the job IMO. – Mariyan Feb 15 '13 at 20:34
  • Minimum ram does not mean the OS takes up 100% of that... – BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft Feb 15 '13 at 22:25