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What Linux Distribution Will Work on a Presario 1200?

What Linux Distribution Will Work on a Presario 1200? thumbnail
Expect to spend a lot of time experimenting to find a solid system.

The Presario 1200 is an old laptop. The series was in production by Compaq from the late 1990s until 2000. What was once a laptop worthy of a four-digit price tag offers system resources that are cringe-worthy to the modern eye. If you have a Presario 1200 model that's in good working condition, it's not impossible to install a low-resource Linux distribution on your laptop, but there are no guarantees of what will work and what won't.

  1. Presario 1200 System Resources

    • The exact resources for your Presario 1200 depend on your model. The higher your system resources, the more likely you'll get Linux to run successfully. Your model likely has at least 64MB of RAM; some systems are upgradeable to 192MB, others even up to 320MB. The largest hard drive to ship out in the Presario 1200 series was 10GB; other models may have only had 3GB or 6GB. Higher-end models offered an 8X DVD-ROM drive in place of a CD-ROM. The 1200 series has both AMD and Intel processors, ranging anywhere from 533 MHz to 900 MHz.

    DSL

    • Your best bet for a functional Linux distribution on your Presario 1200 is Damn Small Linux or Damn Small Linux Not. As it's name suggests, it's an extremely lightweight distribution. The recommended system requirements for DSL include 64MB of RAM and a 200 MHz Pentium processor. DSL-N, which isn't an upgrade to DSL but rather an offshoot, is slightly more intensive; the minimum requirements match the recommended ones for DSL.

    Peppermint OS

    • A lightweight Ubuntu-based distribution designed for netbooks, Peppermint's lowest system requirements may be compatible with the Presario 1200 series. The rock bottom of system requirements for Peppermint Two are 192MB of RAM and 2GB of hard drive space. The administrators don't specify a processor requirement, other than one using the x86 architecture. Generally they would prefer 512MB of RAM and 4GB of hard drive space, so even with this low-resource distribution, there's no guarantee it will work.

    Puppy Linux

    • Puppy Linux is designed to run from Live CD or USB and use very little resources along the way. While the system requirements aren't explicitly stated on its website, testing the system on a CD or USB drive is a commitment-free way to try it out on your Presario. If you want to install it to the hard drive proper, you can do a quick frugal installation to your hard drive.

    Joli OS

    • While the system requirements are slightly more than your Presario can deliver, the Joli OS site claims that it can renew old, worn-out computers. This cloud-based system, based on Ubuntu and designed with Jolicloud in mind, is worth trying. The distribution should work with the Presario's processor, but it requires a minimum of 386MB of RAM. Tread cautiously, and test it out via Live USB/CD before committing to installation. You'll also need at least 4GB of free hard drive space.

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