Successful Hardware install on a 14-year-old Thinkpad A31p from 2003:

System: Host: AntiX17a2-ThinkpadA31p Kernel: 4.10.1-antix.1-486-smp i686 (32 bit gcc: 6.3.0)
Desktop: IceWM 1.3.8+mod+20161220 dm: slim Distro: antiX-17.a2_386-full keerfa 19 March 2017

Machine: Device: laptop System: IBM product: 2653R4U Chassis: type: 10
Mobo: IBM model: 2653R4U BIOS: IBM v: 1NET16WW (1.10 ) date: 10/19/2006

Battery BAT0: charge: 17.7 Wh 99.7% condition: 17.8/43.2 Wh (41%) volts: 12.4/10.8
model: SANYO IBM-02K6898 Li-ion serial: 9 status: N/A cycles: 0

CPU: Single core Mobile Intel Pentium 4 - M (-UP-) cache: 512 KB
flags: (pae sse sse2) bmips: 2398 speed/min/max: 1200/1200/2000 MHz

Graphics: Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] RV200/M7 GL [Mobility FireGL 7800]
bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 1002:4c58
Display Server: X.Org 1.19.2 drivers: ati,radeon (unloaded: modesetting,fbdev,vesa)
Resolution: 1600x1200@60.00hz
GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI R100 (RV200 4C58) x86/MMX/SSE2 DRI2
GLX Version: 1.3 Mesa 13.0.5 Direct Rendering: Yes

Audio: Card Intel 82801CA/CAM AC'97 Audio Controller
driver: snd_intel8x0 ports: 1c00 18c0 bus-ID: 00:1f.5 chip-ID: 8086:2485
Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.10.1-antix.1-486-smp

Network: Card-1: Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG [Calexico2] Network Connection
driver: ipw2200 v: 1.2.2kmprq bus-ID: 02:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:4220
IF: eth1 state: down mac: <filter>
Card-2: Intel 82801CAM (ICH3) PRO/100 VE (LOM) Ethernet Controller
driver: e100 v: 3.5.24-k2-NAPI port: 8000 bus-ID: 02:08.0 chip-ID: 8086:1031
IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>

Drives: HDD Total Size: 160.0GB (3.7% used)
ID-1: /dev/sda model: SAMSUNG_HM160HC size: 160.0GB serial: S12TJF0S971068

Partition: ID-1: / size: 143G used: 2.7G (2%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
ID-2: swap-1 size: 3.22GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda2

Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 36.0C mobo: 25.0C
Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 3392

Info: Processes: 137 Uptime: 2 min Memory: 113.1/2016.5MB
Init: SysVinit v: 2.88 runlevel: 5 default: 5 Gcc sys: 6.3.0
Client: Shell (bash 4.4.111 running in lxterminal) inxi: 2.3.8

OK, now I'm getting to the more practically useable Linux computer -- 2002-era Pentium-IV, 2GHz, 2GB RAM this really RUNS Linux (compared to the 1998-era Pentium-II 266MHz with 192MB RAM that crawls, and the 2000-era Pentium-III 850MHz with 576MB RAM that nicely jogs). Having a built-in Gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi option. Really happy with how AntiX (and MX) run on this computer!

FWIW, IMHO, I can see the 192MB RAM P-ii being a bare minimum system requirement (and I'm even twistedly tempted to try a cli only interface on my good old Thinkpad 701c Butterfly! just to see if it can be done), and ~20-year-old seems like a possible minimum system requirement, but really a ~17-year-old 512mb RAM P-iii seems a more reasonable recommended minimum, I'm probably pretty extreme in actually using older computers but ~15 years old like this A31p P-iv 2GHz/2GB seems comfortably usable and easily recommendable level for moderate use, once you get to the ~10-year-old dual-core cpu computers things really start to take off.

Anyway, more generally, I guess I'm curious as to what the target window of requirements is that the AntiX developers tailor the system to and how that evolves over the years... What sort of hardware do you guys expect/hope people are going to be running AntiX 17 and 18 Stretch on? How far back can our linux computers go? Just curious, I think it's amazing what is being done, just trying to understand more context for it.

Oh yeah, before I forget, it would be great if there was an AntiX tool for easily mapping extra keys -- e.g., this A31p has some specific buttons for e-mail, homepage, search, etc., and with Raspberry Pi game emulators (which are also based on Debian) they have things that let you map out the keys, buttons, joysticks, etc. for a wide-variety of gaming consoles, so this should be do-able.

Also, for Tablet computers using Linux isn't near as good as Windows because the screen rotation and special buttons don't work properly, not sure if there could be an AntiX (or MX) Tablet Tool.

3rd additional Tool recommendation: a Font Manager (like good old Adobe Type Manager) Tool would be a nice addition to AntiX, I haven't seen a Linux distro do this yet.

tool for easily mapping extra keys

check out the manpage for `xev`
then visit the"keys" config file for each of the window managers for which you wish to modify the global keybinds.
leafpad ~/.fluxbox/keys
leafpad ~/.icewm/keys
leafpad ~/.jwm/keys

anticapitalista, the recent changes to files pathed under etc/skel begs a fresh release.
Although testers are probably"apt updating", folks won't see (be affected by) the newer
desktop-defaults and whatnot unless they create and use a new user account following the apt update(s).

skidoo wrote:

tool for easily mapping extra keys

check out the manpage for `xev`
then visit the"keys" config file for each of the window managers for which you wish to modify the global keybinds.
leafpad ~/.fluxbox/keys
leafpad ~/.icewm/keys
leafpad ~/.jwm/keys

THANKS, skidoo! I'll take a look at this after I'm done with checking how the basic hardware installs go, possibly when AntiX-17 gets to Beta or RC level...

So, for using old Windows computers (laptops in my case) with Linux, roughly speaking, it seems like:

• DOS-era (-1995) computers are too old/slow for AntiX (and definitely for MX!) = not worth it for Linux;
• Win9x-era (1995-1999) * computers will work OK with AntiX (albeit slightly slowly) (but too slow with MX) = better off running Win98se for responsive performance except for internet stuff, AntiX great with lighter browsers but sometimes struggles with FireFox due to the limited RAM;
• Win2K-era (2000-2003) ** ones work comfortably well with AntiX = Windows has an edge for offline apps but Linux has a huge advantage online, so great for dual-booting (or drive swapping) if have old Windows programs need to run, otherwise Linux is very viable for full use;
• WinXP early-era (2001-2006) *** ones work pretty well with both AntiX (and to a lesser degree with MX) = Windows still better for most offline apps;
• WinXP Late-era (2006-2008) **** ones work very well with both AntiX and MX = Linux about the same for Windows as the Dual-Core CPUs make a very noticeable difference with Linux, Linux gets a slight edge for some offline apps, still it's often worth dual-booting or drive-swapping for those Windows only apps, sometimes Linux better sometimes Windows depends on the apps;
• Win7-era ones (2009+) ***** work extremely well and fast with both AntiX and MX, with the later dual-core and the quad-core cpus Linux doesn't feel hampered like the earlier single-core cpus, fully and comfortably useable, Windows use seems merely preference- not performance-based.

So, I'd say that for my uses the AntiX era of computers is around 2000-2006 with the late 32-bit Pentium-iii and Pentium-iv single-core CPUs, early dual-core CPUs, and 576mb-4gb of RAM.

Although AntiX is even better on the later (2006+) 32-bit and 64-bit dual- and quad-core CPUs and 8-32gb of RAM, I find myself using MX more and more and AntiX less and less as the computers get newer, MX is like AntiX on steroids and it works as well and can just do more for me in these later computers. AntiX works faster and smoother on the earlier (-2005-ish) 32-bit computers than MX. So generally, AntiX seem more useful for 32-bit era and MX for the 64-bit era; now, sure that's a bit of sterotyping, and there is some major overlap, as AntiX is absolutely wonderful on the newer computers, and MX does run pretty damn well on the later 32-bit ones too.

I really do hope that, as more and more other distros are dropping 32-bit support, AntiX and MX continues to stand strong and remains to defend legacy 32-bit computing well into the future!

All-in-all, having both AntiX and MX as a family of Linux allows for different solutions to using a wide range of older computers, they are both so good it's sometimes hard to know which to choose and I am eternally grateful for having the choice to choose the right 'distro' for each computer -- THANK YOU!

Just some general thoughts, I'm still going through updating the hardware installs to test 17...

While testing antiX-17-a2, I'm noticing a bug with spacefm that I've never seen in previous systems, ever.

right-click a directory object, choose copy.
right-click, choose"Paste'.
Popup dialog (correctly) advises that a same-named item exists & prompts to Rename.
Specify a new"Folder Name:" and click Rename button to close the dialog.

The bug: the newly-created item (directory) is not displayed.
Not displayed until you browse to a different directory, then return (or press F5 to"refresh" the view).

Related bug:
When you delete any object in spacefm, onscreen it is not removed from view
(until you browse to a different directory then return, or press F5 to"refresh" the view).
Confused user who attempts to repeat the operation receives a popup error dialog"no such file or directory".

(stumped) this bugginess has been hit-n-miss throughout tonight's session. It isn't consistently repeatable.

For each package, synaptic package manager exposes a clickable (or, right click and"Copy URL")"visit hompage" link.

(buggy) behavior new to the synaptic in antiX-17-a2:
clicking that"visit hompage" link opens rox-filer file://// (filesystem root directory)

fluke, or some detail"new, in debian stretch"?

Fresh from the iso (prior to performing apt update), while using synaptic I noticed a /etc/desktop-session/
directory listed among the"installed files" for desktop-session-antix package...

nope, although that package is preinstalled, no such directory exists.
Following apt update, yes, now an empty /etc/desktop-session/ exists.
Is this path now needed, in addition to same-named etc/skel/.desktop-session ?

"Manage Users" is now absent from ControlCenter
...AND is currently absent from the desktop menu, due to"NoDisplay=true" line in its .desktop file

not new to this build, and I consider it to be a serious"bug"

`leafpad ~/.fluxbox/keys` and read
Contol Mod1 Backspace :Minimize

Now, go ahead and press Ctrl+Alt+Backspace.
What is the result?

On multiple systems I've tested, that (preconfigured) keybind serves to BOOM! kill the session,
returning me to the SLiM login screen.

View ~/.desktop-session/log (find"backspace") and you'll see logged entries mentioning
the"Contol Mod1 Backspace :Minimize", as well as others, being reported as"invalid".

I've tried researching the issue. MIGHT be due to whether or not a given keyboard emits
"BackSpace" (vs"Backspace" or"backspace") but, in any event...

I'm suggesting this"footgun waiting to go off" keybind should be outcommented in the default configuration.

ps:
Not just fluxbox, in my testing the same BOOM! result also occurs from within icewm or jwm session.

/usr/local/bin/user-management

create a new user"bob".
Login as bob.
Launch spacefm.
It opens to working directory"/home/demo"

Successful hardware install on an 11-year-old Thinkpad T43p (SATA modified) 2006:

System: Host: AntiX-17a2-ThinkpadT43pS Kernel: 4.10.1-antix.1-486-smp i686 (32 bit gcc: 6.3.0)
Desktop: IceWM 1.3.8+mod+20161220 dm: slim Distro: antiX-17.a2_386-full keerfa 19 March 2017

Machine: Device: laptop System: IBM product: 2668Q6U v: ThinkPad T43p Chassis: type: 10
Mobo: IBM model: 2668Q6U BIOS: IBM v: 1YET65WW (1.29 ) date: 08/21/2006

Battery BAT0: charge: 57.8 Wh 91.2% condition: 63.4/77.8 Wh (82%) volts: 12.3/10.8
model: Panasonic IBM-92P1068 Li-ion serial: 2153 status: Charging cycles: 0

CPU: Single core Intel Pentium M (-UP-) cache: 2048 KB
flags: (pae sse sse2) bmips: 1874 speed/min/max: 1333/800/2266 MHz

Graphics: Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] RV380/M24 GL [Mobility FireGL V3200]
bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 1002:3154
Display Server: X.Org 1.19.2 drivers: ati,radeon (unloaded: modesetting,fbdev,vesa)
Resolution: 1600x1200@60.00hz
GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on ATI RV380 GLX Version: 2.1 Mesa 13.0.5 Direct Rendering: Yes

Audio: Card Intel 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) AC'97 Audio Controller
driver: snd_intel8x0 ports: 1c00 1880 bus-ID: 00:1e.2 chip-ID: 8086:266e
Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.10.1-antix.1-486-smp

Network: Card-1: Broadcom Limited NetXtreme BCM5751M Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express
driver: tg3 v: 3.137 bus-ID: 02:00.0 chip-ID: 14e4:167d
IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>

Card-2: Qualcomm Atheros AR922X Wireless Network Adapter
driver: ath9k bus-ID: 0b:02.0 chip-ID: 168c:0029
IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter>

Drives: HDD Total Size: 100.0GB (5.1% used)
ID-1: /dev/sda model: P300 size: 100.0GB serial: 000000001250035A4036

Partition: ID-1: / size: 90G used: 2.9G (4%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
ID-2: swap-1 size: 2.15GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda2

Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 69.0C mobo: 54.0C
Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 3857

Info: Processes: 134 Uptime: 0 min Memory: 108.1/2015.9MB
Init: SysVinit v: 2.88 runlevel: 5 default: 5 Gcc sys: 6.3.0
Client: Shell (bash 4.4.111 running in lxterminal) inxi: 2.3.8

Now (with a late second generation Pentium-M single core 2.26GHz CPU, 2GB of RAM, 128MB of VRAM, 1600x1200 UXGA screen, Gigabit Ethernet, and an SLC SATA SSD) this is the era where AntiX really shines running completely speedily and smoothly! Slightly over a Decade old laptop and, for single-tasks, with AntiX this is pretty much as responsive as many modern computers! I hear people talk about using Linux to get new life for old computers in terms of a Decade-old, AntiX nicely proves this true!

Before I forget:

Theme- and Wallpaper-wise I'd like to see an option for something Purple with Tentacles (curling Debian like) for Stretch.

Also, NeoFetch should be included by default and get it customized like you did for MX-16.

FAILED I just ran into my first problem with Hardware install: __{{emoticon}}__

Thinkpad x60t Tablet from 2007. Install looked like it went well but then upon rebooting it got to"setting up console font and keymap..." (or something very close to that) and then some really fast blurb of text that went by too fast for me to read and then the screen was blank except for a cursor in the top left corner. I re-installed and it happened again.

So, I installed AntiX 16.1 (i386 Full) instead, FYI, here's the inxi on it:
This should run really great with Antix17 but something with the installation just isn't quite right. Not sure what else to tell you to help diagnose the problem. If there is anything let me know, otherwise I'll just stay with 16.1 and then try to reinstall again with Alpha 3 or Beta 1...