Changing from XP to Linux - worth it?

stuey77 · Post by **stuey77** » Sat Nov 09, 2013 7:30 pm

Hi all

With the upcoming 'obsolescence' of XP next year I've been thinking about changing my old backup PC over to Linux to extend it's life. All it's used for nowadays is BOINC, and only occasionally at that. Its a an old P4 3.4ghz with a Radeon HD4670 in it. Currently the graphics card only works with an old version of CCC (11.6 I think). Anything later than that and it stops working.

I don't think its worth running the machine anymore if I can't get the graphics card to work, it's not really worth an upgrade, and the processor doesn't put out much work on it's own. However if I can keep it working I'd like too, else it's just going to end up getting ditched.

I don't have much experience of Linux, played with it a bit but never really stuck with it. Does anyone know if I put it on will 1) My graphics card stop working with the latest drivers on Linux, and 2) Is there an older driver it's possible to put on that will make the card run?

Post by **UBT - Timbo** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 10:23 pm

Hi Stuey,

Firstly, what's wrong with hanging onto XP - if it's only going to be BOINCing, then there's not much point changing to Linux.

OK, so I guess there's the joy of wiping off the M$ OS and putting on any one of multiple flavours of Linux and then getting it to work with your hardware.

But otherwise, you could just keep it going - my old PC, is a 3.2GHz dual core P4 ruuning XP Pro, and it crunches a few projects, mostly 24/7 - it's been "doing" fight malaria at home recently....so I can get myself upto 100k's worth of credit....and it's done a few other projects too...and I'm not even using the GPU, as the video card is an old ATI 9500-Pro....

So, it's not "cutting edge" but it still works and for now, it's good for many more WU's...

regards
Tim

stuey77 · Post by **stuey77** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 6:24 pm

Hi Tim

Cheers, it was just an idea I'd started to think about. However, yesterday it started powering off randomly, so it's a decision I might not even need to take, depending on what's up with it.

Shame if it goes though it made a lovely heater last winter

Post by **UBT - Timbo** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 3:47 pm

stuey77 wrote:Hi Tim

Cheers, it was just an idea I'd started to think about. However, yesterday it started powering off randomly, so it's a decision I might not even need to take, depending on what's up with it.

Shame if it goes though it made a lovely heater last winter

Hi Stuey,

It might just need a little hoovering out, to get rid of some dust, or just a reseating of memory SIMM's and/or connector leads....

Hope it can be pressed back into service - if not, whaddya want for the 3.4GHz CPU ???? (as I've got some P4 mobo's without CPU's....and a bit of heating won't go amiss up 'ere

)

regards
Tim

stuey77 · Post by **stuey77** » Sun Nov 17, 2013 9:12 pm

Tried the hoovering out but no joy. This morning I swapped in an old PSU I had lying around. Its still on 12 hours later, which wasn't happening with the other one, so touch wood it's sorted. :)

Thanks for the advice, be happy to keep it running. If I get rid of it in future I'll be sure to mention it!

Post by **UBT - Timbo** » Tue Nov 19, 2013 5:26 pm

stuey77 wrote:...This morning I swapped in an old PSU I had lying around. Its still on 12 hours later, which wasn't happening with the other one, so touch wood it's sorted. :)

Yup - PSU's going "bad" has happened to me in the past, maybe 4 or 5 times now....but for me, it was always a question of not powering up at boot time....

Glad it's working again - it'll be handy now the weather has become a bit colder

regards
Tim