How To Revive An Old PC With Linux

By Ivan Schneider

March 26, 2007

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What do you do with an old computer? Say, a 386-generation PC running Windows 98 that hadn't been patched in years, with a 20-Gbyte hard drive most likely infected with all manner of viruses, spyware, and other maladjusted programs?

Sure, it could go to the landfill, or you might be able to get a tax deduction from donating it to a local school. Or, using a Linux-based operating system, you could turn it into a functional desktop, browser, and e-mail client, and put it back to work.

I started with an old computer that had only been used for Web browsing and instant messaging, and which hadn't been updated since it was purchased in 1999. My thinking was that if it didn't work, the PC would go to the landfill. But if it did work, I'd have a second computer for various science projects.

The first step in switching to Linux is picking a Linux distribution. A popular site called Linux Distribution Chooser can help you decide. I found this site while writing this article, and the first distro I had selected, Ubuntu, landed near the top of the list.

Ubuntu markets itself as "Linux for human beings," which begs the question of who exactly the other versions of Linux were written for, and whether the Finnish embassy has lodged a formal complaint.

Here's what I did to install Ubuntu:

• Downloaded the Ubuntu installation disk image and burned it onto a CD
• Moved photos and MP3s to a separate hard drive, and formatted the hard drive on the PC. By now, I was past the point of no return.
• Configured the PC (using the pre-boot "BIOS" menu) to boot from the CD
• Booted from the CD
• Selected the "Install Ubuntu" link
• Waited
• Waited some more
• After 10-20 minutes, saw that there was nothing but a brownish-red screen and a glowing cursor
• Checked the instructions, which said, "Once Ubuntu has finished booting (this can take some time) you will be presented with an Ubuntu system running from the CD"
• Rebooted several times, tried various install options, and just let it cook for a while
• Gave up

The problem was that I couldn't see what was going on behind the scenes.

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