Which Linux version

[dbannon]

Hansbv, did you look at the wiki page on Installing Lazarus ?

https://wiki.freepascal.org/Installing_Lazarus_on_Linux

Lists dependencies and how to install from source. I just added a line or two about building a Qt version.  On the other hand, having got Lazarus 3.8 gtk2 version working, you now have the appropriate gtk2 installed, so that will work with any version of Lazarus too.

GTK3 is looking promising but I have not tried to build Lazarus with it yet.

Davo

[Hansvb]

@Davo, thanks, I hadn't seen that one yet. It has it all but I need to get used to the "Linux language." I'm a spoiled Windows user who clicks on an EXE or MSI, clicks "next, next," and done  .


But I'm now running Lazarus 4.2 on Ubuntu and added two packages using the package manager.

[Thaddy]

Aptitude, click, done...

[JuhaManninen]

PCLinuxOS - Easy, stable, newest software but still conservative(rolling release)
...
You should really give it a go...

Incidentally I am resurrecting an old HP Compaq 6730s laptop with Intel 575 CPU and 3GB RAM. I decided to give PCLinuxOS a go after a long time. The live image booted from USB stick fine. Then I started the "Install Me". It shows a list of countries with flags and then freezes. It does not react to mouse or keyboard. The desktop otherwise works.
This was a KDE darkstar edition. Then I decided to try the XFCE edition. I started with the new image and the same thing happened. The exact same "Install Me" window was there and it froze. It was not related to KDE. I will try installing it in my main computer under VirtualBox later and I believe it will work there. PCLinuxOS devels should test old hardware. This HP is not even very old, only some 17 years.

Then I installed MxLinux XFCE edition and it works OK.
I experienced this problem :
 https://www.reddit.com/r/MXLinux/comments/uynll4/problem_with_blank_screen_when_idle/
meaning it is not perfect either but quite close.

I am now writing this using the HP laptop. Its Wifi circuit doesn't work but I have ordered a Linux compatible USB Wifi adapter.
I was able to login to Gitlab unlike when using my eMachines mini-laptop. The mini-laptop becoming obsolete is super annoying. It also has MxLinux and is otherwise usable but super-heavy internet pages with tons of Javascript are too much. Its 1GB RAM is enough for Lazarus development, compiling and linking and all, but not for internet any more.

[Thaddy]

Increase the swap size. (although 3 GB seems more than enough)

[JuhaManninen]

Increase the swap size. (although 3 GB seems more than enough)

This HP Compaq 6730s works perfectly well with its 3GB mem.
The eMachines mini-laptop with 1GB has a problem. It has a swap partition but cannot process data fast enough as it starts to swap with heavy internet pages. I guess its Intel Atom CPU is also slower than the Intel 575. They were made around the same time.

The Gitlab page is the most annoying. It is for software development including FOSS projects. I would assume they had interest in high quality optimized code but no, their pages are made with some interpreted language and are very heavy for a browser. The mini-laptop does not get past the "I am a human" checkbox. An animated circle just rolls there eternally...
On the other hand this HP Compaq 6730s is quite usable for anything.

[cdbc]

Hi
@Juha: I think 17 years is a bit too old for PCLinuxOS... I suspect it is a 32bit machine?!? ...and you tried to install the latest PCLinuxOS on it -- Alas PCLinuxOS' only come in 64 bit versions nowadays    I'll bet, that's the reason for the freeze...
I have an old Lenovo spare lappy from 2010 32 bit 2Gb ram and it runs the last 32 bit version PCLinuxOS-LXDE. (Hasn't had an update in many years)
I had to buy new lappies when we stopped supporting 32 bit 
They're getting old now too, but still going strong \o/
Regards Benny

[JuhaManninen]

@Juha: I think 17 years is a bit too old for PCLinuxOS... I suspect it is a 32bit machine?!?

No, it is 64bit! You can check Intel 575 CPU specs from the net. I installed the 64bit version of MxLinux there and it works well.

The minilaptop's Atom CPU is 32bit. Fortunately Debian and MxLinux still support 32bit systems. Most other distros have dropped the support.

[Dzandaa]

Hi,

For info:

I installed Linux mint LDME 6 Faye 32 bits on two notebooks with 2Gb ram from 2008  (MSI Wind 100 and Toshiba) and it's working.
They are not "lightning bolts of war" but they work.


B->

[Thaddy]

Fortunately Debian and MxLinux still support 32bit systems. Most other distros have dropped the support.

Debian dropped native i386 support for lack of a supported kernel (kernel.org dropped it)  in trixie (latest release). multi-arch from x86_64 is still supported.
For native i386, stick to bookworm.

[JuhaManninen]

So Linux Mint restored 32bit support but Debian dropped it?
Amazing!

[Dzandaa]

Hi,

Yes I was also surprised.

B->

https://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=308

[JuhaManninen]

Yes, PCLinuxOS works OK under VirtualBox. I wonder what GUI lib is used for the "Install Me" window. It clearly does not use QTx / GTKx which are used by KDE / XFCE.

[dbannon]

So Linux Mint restored 32bit support but Debian dropped it?
Amazing!

That surprises me. I was told less than a year ago (?) that my project needed to compile and work on 32bit x86 hardware .

Anyway, Juha, I'd suggest Debian Bookworm, it has LTS until mid 2028. Mate or XFCe desktop.

You will find dates a problem by 2038 

Davo

[cdbc]

Hi
@Juha: The PCLinuxOS uses "MyLive-Install" since 2023
MyLive-Install = 17g is (also called ggggggggggggggggg) written Python and Gtk. It is better for gtk based desktop environments.
Which is a bit funny since PCLinuxOS' main DE is KDE 
IIUC Arch-Linux uses it too...

Anyway, I'm glad you got it to work, it's been my OS of choice since 2009 and "I'm as happy as a piglet playing in slurry" 
Regards Benny