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I have a pretty old computer, and I also have a (much) better laptop. I'm just testing linux right now, and I was wondering if the following specs were OK to run on Gentoo... I already have the LiveCD AMD64 ISO

Currently:
> Dual 4.6 GB (WOW) HD's, one running Win98, one running Redhat 9 (I would get rid of Redhat 9)
> 256 MB RAM
> 333MHz Processor (AMD64)
> ATI Rage Graphics Card (4MB)
> ??? Sound Card
If you need any other specs I'll find them and then post 'em.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by sn4rf3r

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Gentoo will run on very old boxes, but successful results depend on a few upfront checks and the install strategy. As noted, the source-based model keeps installs small but shifts work into long builds; ’s cross-build approach (build on a faster host and move binaries) is a reliable way to avoid painfully slow compiles.

First, confirm the processor and devices so the correct install media and kernel drivers are chosen. Useful commands:

lscpu
cat /proc/cpuinfo
free -m
lspci -nn

Look for an x86_64 architecture (or the presence of the “lm” flag) before using AMD64 media; use lspci output to identify the GPU and sound chipset so driver choices are known in advance.

Choose a conservative, low-memory-friendly install path: use a minimal stage, keep CFLAGS simple (for example -O2 -pipe) and avoid aggressive -march optimizations if binaries will be moved between machines. Ensure swap is available and set MAKEOPTS to limit parallel jobs on low-RAM systems. To avoid local long builds, use a binary package workflow, distcc/ccache, or cross-compile on a faster host (as described); when using binaries built elsewhere, keep CHOST/CFLAGS compatible to prevent runtime failures.

Graphics and audio on very old cards may lack modern accelerated drivers; fall back to vesa/fbdev or pick a lightweight desktop/window manager. Identify device IDs via lspci and match them to driver names before installing X.

For installation steps and recommended workflows, consult the Gentoo Handbook and the Gentoo pages on distributed/build caching tools:

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Member Avatar for John A

Should be. Gentoo eliminates a lot of code bloat by compiling everything on-the-fly. The only disadvantages of this method is that you need a constant broadband connection to download all the files, and the compilation process takes many hours, depending on your processor speed and available RAM. (My 1.86 Ghz Intel Core Duo took about 8 hours or so to compile a Genkernel kernel configuration, although custom configurations might be faster.)

Member Avatar for sn4rf3r

I'm running gentoo on a PII w/256Mg ram, and dual 4G SCSI drives. Compilation does take a while thats why I cross compile on my faster machine and move the binaries over to this one. I use this box for my firewall, squid, and email machine, been up for almost a year now =]

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