We closed this forum 18 June 2010. It has served us well since 2005 as the ALPHA forum did before it from 2002 to 2005. New discussions are ongoing at the new URL http://forum.processing.org. You'll need to sign up and get a new user account. We're sorry about that inconvenience, but we think it's better in the long run. The content on this forum will remain online.
Index › Programming Questions & Help › Integration › Windows 98 vs. Linux
‹ Previous Topic | Next Topic ›
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1
Windows 98 vs. Linux? (Read 790 times)
DoctorLes
Windows 98 vs. Linux?
Dec 2nd, 2008, 5:39am  
Hello All,
I have an old Compaq Presario laptop I salvaged from a computer recycling store. I got it to work again; it still has Win '98 on it.  

I prefer to wipe the HD and install Puppy, or DSL, or some other low demand Linux distro, in order to make most efficient use of the laptop.  

I plan to dedicate the contraption to a Processing-based application I'm working on that will run a piece of peripheral hardware that utilizes sensors.  

My question is this: is it better to retain Win '98 for this purpose, or to install Linux?  In other words, am I likely to find it harder to use Processing in Linux vs. Windows '98?  Note: I'm approximately an intermediate-level Linux user and an intermediate to advanced hardware/electronics geek.  

Thanks
Back to top
 
There is no such thing as "Free Will"
 
PhiLho 
Re: Windows 98 vs. Linux?
Reply #1 - Dec 2nd, 2008, 10:38am  
I have no experience of Processing on Linux, but I can tell Win98 is really outdated now, and no longer supported by most modern softwares. I don't know if Java 1.6 is still running on it!

Now, perhaps you can use a Linux utility to resize the partition in which it is, and create a new one for Linux, if you have enough free space on disk (my previous computer, running Win98 too, has 6GB, it was really small by modern standards...).
Back to top
 
WWW  
mots
Re: Windows 98 vs. Linux?
Reply #2 - Dec 2nd, 2008, 10:42am  
i would also forget about 98. you will have mmore problems than anything.

i would go for linux Smiley
Back to top
 
WWW  
fry
Re: Windows 98 vs. Linux?
Reply #3 - Dec 2nd, 2008, 1:29pm  
I'm fairly certain that the version of Java required by Processing (Java 1.5, though we include 1.6 with the download) will not run on Windows 98, so you may be forced to use Linux regardless.
Back to top
 
WWW  
DoctorLes
Re: Windows 98 vs. Linux?
Reply #4 - Dec 3rd, 2008, 3:26am  
Thanks all.

I agree, I just wanted to check in case there was some issue that favored Win '98 on an old laptop trying to run Processing.  

Regards, and Happy Holidays (whatever that may mean to you)

Les
Back to top
 
There is no such thing as "Free Will"
 
jibberia
Re: Windows 98 vs. Linux?
Reply #5 - Dec 3rd, 2008, 5:54am  
FWIW, I hear that Arch Linux runs like a champ on ancient hardware. Good luck!
Back to top
 
WWW  
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1
‹ Previous Topic | Next Topic ›