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Which Puppy for Acer Aspire 1 laptop with 32-bit Intel Atom?

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 2:01 pm
by Tsla
Hi guys :thumbup2: , im new to forum and basically new to puppy as its my second time installing it, just got new acer aspire one GZ5 which had win xp 2002 on default and it was dead slow with no internet, so i installed Linux mint in order to make it usable and im not satisfied with it, i cant even browse internet properly, so i decided to install puppy since its a cure for old gen laptops :D
I was wondering which puppy should i install? which will be fastest and lightest? which will be most comfortable?

i will use this laptop for following purposes:
Browsing internet
Gmail & google drive
Watching movies online
Basic front end programming (handling html and css documents along with sublime text text editor)




Here are my PC specs:

CPU~Single core Intel Atom N270 (-HT-) speed/max~1333/1600 MHz Kernel~4.10.0-38-generic i686 Up~5 min Mem~237.4/986.0MB HDD~120.0GB(5.6% used) Procs~166 Client~Shell inxi~2.2.35

1 GB DDR2 ram 533 Mhz


Thanks :thumbup:

Re: Version dilema

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 2:39 pm
by Wiz57
Hi Tsla,
Welcome! I have virtually the same netbook, in the US it was marketed as the AO150...
I multiboot WinXP SP3 Home and Puppy...usually ScPup 32 (we're limited to 32 bit due
to the N270 Atom CPU only supporting 32 bit). I use "frugal install" to the NTFS formatted
HD, booted via grub4dos and choosing which Puppy (currently 4 slightly differing ScPup 32,
2 versions of Slacko, and ArchPup 32).
I already had a grub install from previous Slax installation, so it is just a matter of editing
menu.lst to include Puppy, each is "installed" by extracting to a directory (folder) on my C
drive (ie. C:\ScPup, C:\ScPupLXQt, C:\ArchPup, etc), just edit the menu.lst file to point to
each Puppies vmlinuz and init.rd.

ScPup 32 is here viewtopic.php?f=122&t=168
ArchPup 32 is here viewtopic.php?p=2612#p2612

I use either an adrv.sfs to load LXDE, LXQT, or in some cases I rename the adrv.sfs to
say lxde.sfs and use sfs load/unload.

I have also setup a swapfile on the HD, 512 meg, but even with 6 or 8 tabs open in
Palemoon, swap is rarely utilized...but handy just in case.

Wiz :thumbup2:

Re: Version dilema

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 2:59 pm
by Tsla
Thanks for a detailed answer, do you happen to know why my terminal says i have 512 mb ram meanwhile task manager says i'm using 200/900MB?
And would you rate this machine? have you ever had any problem? i like everything besides its getting super hot :(

Re: Version dilema

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 3:19 pm
by mikewalsh
@Wiz57 :-

Wiz, what d'you think of jrb's 'Precise-lite' for Tsla's netbook? Either that, or 'vanilla' 571?

I'm only suggesting it because it's been recognised for a while now as THE 'go-to' Puppy for resource-starved, older hardware. And PipzDex has shown what it's still capable of if you upgrade the glibc and kernel, plus a few other bits'n'bobs here & there; dbus, libcrypto/libssl, the NSS stuff, f'rinstance....

Runs a treat on my old Dell lappie, with a P4 and a gig-and-a-half of DDR1.

Merely a thought.


Mike. ;)

Re: Version dilema

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 3:27 pm
by Wiz57
Tsla wrote: Tue Sep 29, 2020 2:59 pm Thanks for a detailed answer, do you happen to know why my terminal says i have 512 mb ram meanwhile task manager says i'm using 200/900MB?
And would you rate this machine? have you ever had any problem? i like everything besides its getting super hot :(
I rate this little netbook "very good" considering what I paid for it, I bought each of my 3 younger children
one some 13 years ago, the 2 boys either have theirs, or the youngest boy had his stolen. Youngest
daughter "handed up" this one to me when she graduated high school (2012) and I've used it daily since.
As for the memory reporting, is this in linux? Linux reports memory differently depending on which tool
is being used...I prefer to use the command "free" when in terminal. It kind of breaks down where the
memory is being used. If memory serves, the system uses about 100 meg for video, might be why it
only reports 900mb. The heating...sometimes mine does get warm, make sure the air vents on bottom
have not gotten clogged (I find a vacuum cleaner helps). Which brings to mind something I've noticed
for some 9 years or so, no matter which linux...this netbook seems to run warmer than WinXP...I really
hate to admit that, but it is my observation. I can leave XP running for a week or more, and it doesn't
seem to warm up as much as when I leave even Slax 6.1.2 running overnight. Not excessive heat,
just something I've noticed. Comes in handy on chilly days though, lol! :lol: Lap warmer when wife
says go away!! :shock:

Re: Version dilema

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 3:32 pm
by Wiz57
mikewalsh wrote: Tue Sep 29, 2020 3:19 pm @Wiz57 :-

Wiz, what d'you think of jrb's 'Precise-lite' for Tsla's netbook? Either that, or 'vanilla' 571?

I'm only suggesting it because it's been recognised for a while now as THE 'go-to' Puppy for resource-starved, older hardware. And PipzDex has shown what it's still capable of if you upgrade the glibc and kernel, plus a few other bits'n'bobs here & there; dbus, libcrypto/libssl, the NSS stuff, f'rinstance....

Runs a treat on my old Dell lappie, with a P4 and a gig-and-a-half of DDR1.

Merely a thought.


Mike. ;)
Hi Mike...I haven't tried either of those, maybe I should?? The ScPups I use have not needed any
of the glibc updates, although I use Palemoon to browse, Firefox fell out of favor with me a bit
over a year now, so at least til November 2020 the 32 bit version will be updated (Palemoon that
is), after that...who knows! :roll:

Re: Which Puppy for Acer Aspire 1 laptop with 32-bit Intel Atom?

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 9:18 pm
by bigpup
The different RAM usage info is no two programs are going to show the info the same way.
menu->System->Pup-Sysinfo->Devices->Memory
This will give you the best info on what is being done with memory.

Re: Version dilema

Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:07 pm
by Tsla
Wiz57 wrote: Tue Sep 29, 2020 2:39 pm Hi Tsla,
Welcome! I have virtually the same netbook, in the US it was marketed as the AO150...
I multiboot WinXP SP3 Home and Puppy...usually ScPup 32 (we're limited to 32 bit due
to the N270 Atom CPU only supporting 32 bit). I use "frugal install" to the NTFS formatted
HD, booted via grub4dos and choosing which Puppy (currently 4 slightly differing ScPup 32,
2 versions of Slacko, and ArchPup 32).
I already had a grub install from previous Slax installation, so it is just a matter of editing
menu.lst to include Puppy, each is "installed" by extracting to a directory (folder) on my C
drive (ie. C:\ScPup, C:\ScPupLXQt, C:\ArchPup, etc), just edit the menu.lst file to point to
each Puppies vmlinuz and init.rd.

ScPup 32 is here viewtopic.php?f=122&t=168
ArchPup 32 is here viewtopic.php?p=2612#p2612

I use either an adrv.sfs to load LXDE, LXQT, or in some cases I rename the adrv.sfs to
say lxde.sfs and use sfs load/unload.

I have also setup a swapfile on the HD, 512 meg, but even with 6 or 8 tabs open in
Palemoon, swap is rarely utilized...but handy just in case.

Wiz :thumbup2:
Sup wiz, do you happen to know why my laptop doesnt have sound? i opened YT played some random vid and no sound :( since me and you share same machine, maybe you got some piece of advice for me. it works with headphones btw, if i adjust it from settings

Re: Which Puppy for Acer Aspire 1 laptop with 32-bit Intel Atom?

Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:01 pm
by Wiz57
Sup wiz, do you happen to know why my laptop doesnt have sound? i opened YT played some random vid and no sound :( since me and you share same machine, maybe you got some piece of advice for me. it works with headphones btw, if i adjust it from settings
That and the built in camera are the only problems I've noticed. I don't worry about the webcam,
the sound I don't have a solution, I can hear like Youtube videos pretty well, but if it is something
I really want to listen to I use my little earphones, which work quite well. The sound volume is not
as noticeable in WinXP, but...sometimes I get a bit of stuttering in Win. If I find something for the
Linux issues, I'll post!
Wiz ;)

Re: Which Puppy for Acer Aspire 1 laptop with 32-bit Intel Atom?

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2020 12:17 am
by DixieDog
I have a 64 bit Acer it did not work well with Tahr Pup, I switched to Bionic Pup,,, seems good, volume control could be smoother.

Re: Which Puppy for Acer Aspire 1 laptop with 32-bit Intel Atom?

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2020 8:05 am
by Tsla
Wiz57 wrote: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:01 pm
Sup wiz, do you happen to know why my laptop doesnt have sound? i opened YT played some random vid and no sound :( since me and you share same machine, maybe you got some piece of advice for me. it works with headphones btw, if i adjust it from settings
That and the built in camera are the only problems I've noticed. I don't worry about the webcam,
the sound I don't have a solution, I can hear like Youtube videos pretty well, but if it is something
I really want to listen to I use my little earphones, which work quite well. The sound volume is not
as noticeable in WinXP, but...sometimes I get a bit of stuttering in Win. If I find something for the
Linux issues, I'll post!
Wiz ;)
Camera works fine, but i cant hear anything without headphones

Re: Which Puppy for Acer Aspire 1 laptop with 32-bit Intel Atom?

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2020 10:31 am
by bigpup
Right click on the speaker icon on the right side of the desktop tray.
Select mixer
Uncheck headphone and make sure others, that would have anything to do with speakers, are checked and turned up.

Usually you do not need to.
But if the computer has a switch to turn speakers on/off.
Try using it to do that.

Re: Which Puppy for Acer Aspire 1 laptop with 32-bit Intel Atom?

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2020 12:14 pm
by Lekium
I've been running LxPup 32bit version in an Asus EEE901 for number of years. I'd recommended it in terms of functionality and looks.



https://sourceforge.net/projects/lxpup/

:thumbup2:

Re: Which Puppy for Acer Aspire 1 laptop with 32-bit Intel Atom?

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2020 12:59 pm
by mikewalsh
Lekium wrote: Thu Oct 01, 2020 12:14 pm I've been running LxPup 32bit version in an Asus EEE901 for number of years. I'd recommended it in terms of functionality and looks.



https://sourceforge.net/projects/lxpup/

:thumbup2:
@Lekium :-

In general, I'd agree with you. I like peebee's Pups; Peter puts a lot of effort into getting everything just so. But I have ONE big "issue" with LXPup.....and that's the LX desktop itself..!!

I am NOT a fan.....

Whether it marks me out as a "fossil" - or just a stick-in-the-mud - I couldn't say.....but having used ROX/JWM & the "pinboard" for a number of years, I've got so I really like the combo. It just works for me.


Mike. ;)

Re: Which Puppy for Acer Aspire 1 laptop with 32-bit Intel Atom?

Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2022 6:55 am
by Aspire1

Hello, I'm new to forum and new to puppy, just have old acer aspire one D257-1854 which had windows7starter on default.
I appreciate your interesting topic.
I installed BionicPup32 19.03 in order to make it usable and I'm satisfied with it.

I use this netbook for following purposes:
Browsing internet just for getting information of puppy
Studying programming (handling html etc.)

Here are my PC specs:
CPU~Intel Atom N570 /1666 MHz
Kernel~4.9.163-lxpup-32-pae i686
HDD~250GB
1 GB DDR3 ram

Thanks.