Installed Ubuntu On Desktop, Slow As Molasses In January, Pentium III, 600 MHZ, 512 MB RAM Options

[Jon_J]

This desktop has these specs: Pentium III, 600 MHZ, 512 MB RAM, 20GB HDD, onboard video (sis chip)
Windows 98SE is pretty fast on this computer, so I installed ubuntu 5.10 onto it and the entire install took about 4 hours (huh?)
I've installed a fresh copy of windows on this machine in about an hour in the past.
Ubuntu installed a dualboot scheme, I don't remember the name now, it wasn't lilo. (OK, now I remember, it was Grub).
I had to search the ubuntu forums to get my serial mouse working, (the PS/2 port is bad).
When I finally got to the desktop with a working mouse, it was as slow as molasses.
It took 10 seconds just to open a help window and a file browser window took about as long.
(And I thought some Zaurus apps were slow).
Last year I was going to try Debian, but got lost in the confusing amount of CD-ROMs required to be downloaded and gave that up.
I'm thinking of installing damn small linux on that box, but I thought I would ask here:
What is a good starting linux distro for a beginner that will install on an older PC?
Do all linux distros support cross compiling for the Zaurus? (I would rather muck about on an old desktop, than mess up my Z).

I have since removed it, deleted the extra partitions it set up, and fixed the master boot record, using win XP recovery disc.
It was so slow that it was un usable.

[desertrat]

This desktop has these specs: Pentium III, 600 MHZ, 512 MB RAM, 20GB HDD, onboard video (sis chip)

That should be powerful enough a system to not run as "slow as molasses in January" (is that in the Northern hemisphere or Southern??). Up to about 3 years ago my main desktop was running on a 500MHz/256MB machine and performance was acceptable.

Windows 98SE is pretty fast on this computer, so I installed ubuntu 5.10 onto it and the entire install took about 4 hours (huh?)

Have you checked whether DMA for the disks is enabled?

When I finally got to the desktop with a working mouse, it was as slow as molasses.
It took 10 seconds just to open a help window and a file browser window took about as long.

But what was it like after the app has loaded?

Last year I was going to try Debian, but got lost in the confusing amount of CD-ROMs required to be downloaded and gave that up.

It does get slightly confusing but essentially you only need to download 1 disc - the "net install" disc or whatever it's called. Debian also has another option these days, you can download a single disc which will auto install KDE for you (I think there are gnome & xfce flavoured discs as well).

I'm thinking of installing damn small linux on that box, but I thought I would ask here:
What is a good starting linux distro for a beginner that will install on an older PC?
Do all linux distros support cross compiling for the Zaurus? (I would rather muck about on an old desktop, than mess up my Z).

If it is only for cross-compiling purposes you probably should install pdaXrom itself. There is also a package, which you can install on practically any linux distro, that sets up a cross-compile environment for you.