Reviving Old Computers: My Journey with Linux Mint and Other Distros
If you’re like me, you hate the idea of throwing away perfectly good electronics just because they’re a bit outdated. That’s why I’ve been experimenting with various Linux distributions over the years to get the most out of my old machines. I’ve tried everything from Ubuntu to Puppy Linux, but the one that’s stuck with me the longest is Linux Mint.
As my daily driver, Linux Mint has proven to be…
So, I continue to learning computers. And I am installing soft already. With my old computer. This is Iru. And Acer Extensa. I start with Iru Combo. It has Windows 2000 and Free Dos.
And I start with Free Dos. I check that it is launching. It is written as unknown system with windows 200 boot loader. By the way, platform like NT, Windows 200 has excellent starting loader. You can edit it as a text file. Once, I, already, make it. It is simple.
I have disk, it is, already, a second disk with Free Dos. Bonus CD. It has a soft. And, it has a command with Free Dos. Which starts something like packet manager. And, it shows, what you have installed. And what you can find with these Cds with Free Dos. Now, I have two Cd with Free Dos. It is Live Cd with install and Bonus Cd with soft.
So, I selected some different soft there. And install it. It looks like Linux. But with interface MS DOS. And it is loading not fast interface. From compact disk. Like with freeze. As a thing, they are zip files. And you can do it manually if you know how. But I use this environment. Like packet manager. Comfortable. I select all I want. And install.
I have selected most different compilers and some else soft. I do it for the very first time. So I do not remember. Packet with name DN or similar. This is Dos Navigator. It is there. I install it. And even launch it. So, it is more comfortable. Graphic interface. But work with Dos it is also some fun. Commands Dir /w. Cd, C:.
So, for now, I used this commands. And, also, it is with packet - popular thing - Free Doom. I launch it. It works. It is with pixels.
And next it is my Linux computer. Acer Extensa. With Q4OS. It is such a cool Linux. It has good interface. Screen welcome. And with it you can do lots of things. It is load as soon as system starts. And next it has packet manager. And categories with soft. Lots of soft. I select for a long time. Well about one hour or hour and a half, thats for sure. So for the first time, I have seen so many packets. First, I read carefully. And next, so so, just to scroll a big list.
I have installed Gambas. Something like Visual Basic. Lazarus 2.2. It is like Delphi and Turbo Pascal. Free Pascal. Some games I install. And different soft. In a menu start - accessories. So, there it is all the soft. I try games. They work. There are shooters. Strategy Warzone 2100. And Wesnoth. And shooter three dimensional Alien Arena. But with my machine it freeze. And other stuff works well, as I get it. Maybe with a shooter to setup graphics lower.
It is funny, when you do not use OS, it is top appear some round clock with line. it is made very funny. And packets, by the way, was long time with loads and installation. But, it is good, that with packet manager it is all automatically process. Also, I think, I wait for an hour.
There are music players there, and midi some tool for make music with beautiful name RosenGarden. Beautiful startup screen for this soft. I remember this a lot. And lots of things, I see for the first time.
So, I try to learn computers. And to make a situation to be in use all the computers. And it will be with something unique and interesting. So, here some game. Here some soft. So, this is office soft, so, and that is programming soft. To have skill to use all this useful stuff.
iron (hardware) and programs. From time to time i restore computers, retro computers. Try retro soft. Check some programs. And write about all of these.
Dima Link is making retro videogames, apps, a little of music, write stories, and some retro more.
During several months, I try to install Windows 2000 and Free Dos. One feature to take into account, that computer was old and cannot load from flash. But, it can see flash with small size in OS. For example, with Windows 2000. Files sometimes, copying wrong with big size. But, with small size like 2gb. Everything works good. Computer is old. This is one core 1.5ghz.
So, with compact disc all the installation. It takes time. And. Later. one more feature. I have installed windows 2000. Later. create partition for MS DOS format. All the hard drive is about 40gb. 32 I set for Windows and 8 gb for Free Dos.
So after, I insert install disk with Free Dos. You can download it from authors website. And, if I am right, it was updated recently. And, I make install from disk. Installation is simple and easy to understand. Beautiful MS DOS theme. They good for the eyes if you like MS DOS.
And, something interesting. How it was with me. Disc D – this is MS DOS format partition. And disc C Windows 2000 partition. And, what make Free Dos compact disc? It exchanges with places! How clever it is! I was surprised. It was funny! He finds this by himself – this MS DOS partition. And set it with letter C. And I have read that Free Dos can only be written with disc C, and what place to be booted from. And all like this is works. But he makes it by himself! So, this is Free Dos now!
And, I again, do install with Windows 2000 at the windows 2000 partition. So, it was broken there. Well, to install windows 2000 – it is easy thing. I think that for those OS users. As Windows 95,98,2000, they do it often. So, set it to second partition. Disc D. Which is, already, we format with once again to Windows 2000. And that’s all! We have two operating systems!
This is funny. For those, who likes to dig with system. So, I want to learn it a little. So that’s why, I have installed these systems. First step is done. But, it was lots of problems on my way. But, now I have a nostalgic themes. Free Dos it is modern version for MS DOS. Windows 2000 – beautiful visual OS. For retro users. So, it is cool to have all windows versions installed. And even to try exotic like OS/2, OSR2. Windows Memphis. Main - it is to have all these with usage! So now, I have retro comp with Free Dos and Windows 200! Cool thing!
iron (hardware) and programs. From time to time i restore computers, retro computers. Try retro soft. Check some programs. And write about all of these.
Dima Link is making retro videogames, apps, a little of music, write stories, and some retro more.
