A friend asked me to select and load Linux operating systems onto his 64-bit desktop and 32-bit Dell laptop. Ubuntu Desktop version 10.04LTS nicely looked after his desktop, and Ubuntu Desktop version 8.04LTS handles all the features on his laptop.
While we were loading the software from the repositories, he produced this ancient laptop with a Pentium II processor and a 20 gigabyte hard-drive. 256MB of RAM. Currently poking away hesitantly on Windoze 2000 Pro, and in no way capable of managing the requirements of a modern operating system.
I had a look through the specifications of several 32-bit "legacy" Linux distributions, downloaded the most likely candidates, and proceeded to test them on the old laptop. Puppy Linux loaded according to their detailed instructions, and runs the ancient hardware flawlessly. And fast.
Puppy took that machine and transformed it from the dinosaur it had become into a useful computing tool, once again.
http://puppylinux.org/main/index.php?file=Overview%20and%20Getting%20Started.htm
