Software: Damn Small Linux

I've finally found a compelling reason to learn about linux. I've been given an ancient IBM Thinkpad running Windows 95. I hate getting rid of old gear when I'm sure it can be used. I need something bigger than my Archos for browsing the internet and for instant messaging when I'm away from my pc. So I did a little research and discovered Damn Small Linux which comes as a tiny file and is specifically designed for older hardware. I did have a look at Slitaz but couldn't follow the instructions to make an ISO of the lowram version.

It's a very long and laborious process to re-learn everything. It took me a good hour to create a drive partition this afternoon but I'm getting there. I'm enjoying the challenge so far...

The next job is to find a compatible wireless card and download some sort of office software.

It's got a Pentium II 366 and 64megs of RAM! It's almost 10 years old. Obviously the battery is shot, I won't buy a new one till I'm happy it's going to be worth it.

I was trying to get rid of Windows and format the disk. I had to use cfdisk and a lot of googling in the end. I don't think I've given myself the right permissions or something so I had to prefix everything with sudo or sudo -s. I'm still not quite sure what's going on. I can't even find the hard disk in the file browser now. To a long term Windows user the whole thing is clear as mud. I will beat it though!