Best Linux lazarus / 1-Linux ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pcurtis · 2020-09-11 05:08 Hi All, I know that this is much down to personal taste but can anyone recommend a good distro of Linux for Lazarus? I need something Debian / Ubuntu based without the unneeded software bloat, basically the OS + desktop. Lubuntu promised a small install footprint but that turned out to be 8Gb (a total joke). I think my needs should fit into under 1 Gb. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ccrause · 2020-09-11 05:25 I'm using Linux Mint Mate, not sure what the size of a minimal install is though. Running on a lightweight notebook without hickups. You seem to use Mint, does it not fit your needs? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pcurtis · 2020-09-11 05:42 No Mint is a good system, I've used it for years, but I'm looking for an OS without the preinstalled bloat (Libre Office, ...) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- trev · 2020-09-11 05:46 Quote from: pcurtis on September 11, 2020, 07:42:14 amI'm looking for an OS without the preinstalled bloat (Libre Office, ...) FreeBSD: No pre-installed bloat, just the OS. A FreeBSD installation requires a minimum of 96 MB of RAM and 1.5 GB of free hard drive space. However, such small amounts of memory and disk space are really only suitable for custom applications like embedded appliances. General-purpose desktop systems need more resources. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pcurtis · 2020-09-11 05:50 I'll have a look. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- dbannon · 2020-09-11 06:50 You can install any of the mainstream Ubuntu versions in 'basic' mode, just the desktop and a browser from memory.  However, you do get the silly Snaps they insist are a good idea. Plenty of advice on how to remove them available.  But even then, you will be a long way from "under 1 Gb." Unless you are willing to skip a reasonable Desktop GUI, you will struggle to get under a Gig. I install a number of distros onto VMs for testing. I personally recommend Mate as a Desktop and think the Ubuntu version (in a LTS) of that is about the best.  Debian Testing with XFce is not too bad (and free of snaps).    Davo ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PascalDragon · 2020-09-11 07:11 I personally use Arch Linux, however it's a more hands-on distribution. It does however have a nice installation guide. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pcurtis · 2020-09-11 07:28 @dbannon - Whats a "snap"? Before I download a version of Ubuntu how do I do a "basic" install? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- gour · 2020-09-11 08:00 Quote from: pcurtis on September 11, 2020, 07:08:58 amI know that this is much down to personal taste but can anyone recommend a good distro of Linux for Lazarus? I need something Debian / Ubuntu based without the unneeded software bloat, basically the OS + desktop. Although it's not Debian/Ubuntu based, but I must say that I'm using Linux since 1999 and am very happy with Fedora/Xfce. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MarkMLl · 2020-09-11 08:19 Quote from: dbannon on September 11, 2020, 08:50:42 amYou can install any of the mainstream Ubuntu versions in 'basic' mode, just the desktop and a browser from memory. You can at a pinch install Debian with no desktop etc., then add a minimal desktop environment and whatever packages you want. However there's some truly weird interdependencies which could probably be removed if the maintainers stopped and thought for a few moments, although I suspec that in these days of systemd, Network Manager, Modem Manager and so on that's rapidly getting more difficult. TBH, if I were looking for something minimal and robust I probably wouldn't choose any of the mainstream OSes. But I'm not sure what I would choose, and I suspect that software support- i.e. with a bank- approved browser etc.- would be non-existent. MarkMLl ---------------------------------------------------------------------- marcov · 2020-09-11 08:31 Get a larger harddisk/ssd. Talking about bloat is so nineties. People routinely throw multi terabyte HDDs in the trash, and even 128GB SSDs are recycled with RPIs. It shouldn't be your first selection criterium wrt a *nix distro ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pcurtis · 2020-09-11 08:39 F**ck you. I am disabled and in a hospice. Do you want to buy me a disk? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pcurtis · 2020-09-11 08:41 @gour - I started out with RedHat. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Zvoni · 2020-09-11 09:06 Was on Ubuntu/Debian for some years now. Changed to Manjaro-Cinnamon and never looked back. For Manjaro there are some community-driven flavours in "Minimal"-configuration. And IIRC there was one such "minimal" for Ubuntu, too, but i would have to look it up at home (@work right now). OH, and i agree with trev: FreeBSD base-OS install is in about 5 minutes. Depending if you want to use binaries or build your own packages from ports (poudriere recommended) it's another 1 hour (binaries) or days (ports) depending on the "power" your machine has. Note: FreeBSD is very "picky" regarding WiFi-Adapters --> check Hardware-compatibility first if it's a Laptop the most common Desktop/WM's are MATE, Awesome, i3wm ....but you asked for Linux, so...... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MarkMLl · 2020-09-11 09:10 Paul /please/... that wasn't necessary. You should have said something at the start of the thread about not having the wherewithal to upgrade your systems (and that you were in such-and-such an area and that any donations would be gratefully accepted :-) I think my comment about cautious installation of Debian etc. still stands, but otherwise there are distreaux like Lubuntu which are specifically for the resource-constrained. MarkMLl ---------------------------------------------------------------------- mdalacu · 2020-09-11 09:24 Hi. The way i always do: Install ubuntu server (could me ubuntu minimal also) and the install xfce4 (sudo apt install xfce4). That's it ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pcurtis · 2020-09-11 09:25 @MarkMLI - As I explained in my opening post "Lubuntu is a joke at 8 Gb", also even if my position is as it is I do not expect or require any donations.  Throwing a larger HDD at the issue is not a solution, it only hides the problem. Phil. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pcurtis · 2020-09-11 09:28 @mdalacu - What install footprint does it require? Thanks. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MarkMLl · 2020-09-11 09:44 Quote from: pcurtis on September 11, 2020, 11:25:59 am@MarkMLI - As I explained in my opening post "Lubuntu is a joke at 8 Gb", also even if my position is as it is I do not expect or require any donations.  Throwing a larger HDD at the issue is not a solution, it only hides the problem. With respect, you expressed a preference and a belief: you didn't say that you had an absolute constraint. My apologies however that I'd missed the fact that you'd explicitly mentioned Lubuntu. MarkMLl ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Zvoni · 2020-09-11 09:57 IIRC my Manjaro-Cinnamon Minimal Vanilla Install took about 4GB Diskspace But i might be wrong.....it's been some months since... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ccrause · 2020-09-11 10:10 If you want full control then consider Linux from scratch.  Not a distribution, rather instructions on building a Linux installation from source.  I've thought about this route a while ago but never felt like committing the time to configure and build LFS. Edit: Gentoo is also source based, may be a bit easier to configure and build (I haven't tried it either). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Thaddy · 2020-09-11 10:27 I mostly use Debian - and derivatives like Ubuntu -, but I have a sweet spot for Puppy Linux. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puppy_Linux. I use that for my vintage intel hardware collection. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MarkMLl · 2020-09-11 10:40 Quote from: ccrause on September 11, 2020, 12:10:46 pmEdit: Gentoo is also source based, may be a bit easier to configure and build (I haven't tried it either). I believe Arch is as well, and the quality of its support wiki and community puts every other OS to shame. But I'd not like to say whether a source-based distro is realistic for somebody using resource-contrained hardware. MarkMLl ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PascalDragon · 2020-09-11 11:08 Quote from: ccrause on September 11, 2020, 12:10:46 pmIf you want full control then consider Linux from scratch.  Not a distribution, rather instructions on building a Linux installation from source.  I've thought about this route a while ago but never felt like committing the time to configure and build LFS. Edit: Gentoo is also source based, may be a bit easier to configure and build (I haven't tried it either). Gentoo is easy to configure and build, but really frustrating if you don't know what you're doing, cause you can easily create an installation that doesn't work (and that's probably also true for LFS as well). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Scoops · 2020-09-11 13:15 A while i used puppy linux and installed and boots from usb stick, small and fast, installed lazarus aswell. Cant remember the version but at the time it used ubuntu repositories.  Its not got all the eye candy stuff. But if you want fast, and small footprint its the best choice in my opinion. Can load to ram which speeds things up aswell, changes can be saved to a persistant file. No problems setting up wifi which at the time other distros had problems, Broadcom if i remember correctly. http://puppylinux.com/ https://easyos.org/ from the same bloke. Take a peep at distrowatch.com To see a good choice of distros and their home pages and downloads ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pcurtis · 2020-09-11 23:52 @scoops - As you said no eye candy, but seems OK. How did you install Lazarus? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Handoko · 2020-09-12 02:57 The smallest Linux I ever tried is DSL. Damn Small Linux website: http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/ Unfortunately it's too small, the UI does not look good in my eyes. So I don't use it. Maybe it is suitable for you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pcurtis · 2020-09-12 05:13 @Handoko - If I could get Laz on to it it would be perfect. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Scoops · 2020-09-12 05:39 pcurtis i will have to take a look, it was maybe 2 years ago when i last used puppy. Other small distos i found quite good were Slax, Porteus and Slitaz. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pcurtis · 2020-09-12 05:47 I've looked at Slax and it didn't suit me. I'll look at the others. Thanks. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PierceNg · 2020-09-12 07:44 I've heard good things about Tiny Core Linux http://www.tinycorelinux.net/. My ancient Core 2 Duo laptop with 2GB RAM is now too slow for Xubuntu 20.04 and I'll be trying Tiny Core on it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- dbannon · 2020-09-14 23:49 Quote from: pcurtis on September 11, 2020, 09:28:21 am@dbannon - Whats a "snap"? Before I download a version of Ubuntu how do I do a "basic" install? Snap, Ubuntu's answer to Flatpak, one of several newish models that that have popped up to make installing apps easier. The idea is that instead of distributing a binary (and a desktopfile, icon etc) and listing its dependencies, you bundle your app and everything its might need in terms or libraries etc into Snap, it then depends on a small set of higher level Snaps, maybe a GTK one, maybe a KDS etc. Your app, when it runs, does run, somehow, in a sandbox, its isolated from other apps.  I consider the whole idea to be just a disk and memory eating scheme. Basic Install. When you run one of the Ubuntu install tools, one of the first things it asks you is "do you want the full install or just the basic one".  You still have to download the full Ubuntu ISO however. And I think you response to marcov was quite inappropriate. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pcurtis · 2020-09-29 15:23 And the winner is (IMHO) - Sparkylinux