Dell Inspirion 530

[4dandl4 (Daniel Phillips)]

I installed Slackware15 on my Dell Inspiron 530 today!! Why Slackware15? This Dell PC is running a Nvidia GeForce 8500 GT and Slackware will still install the 5.15.193 kernel, that works well with the default Nouveau driver!! It is running KDE Plasma and Firefox well!!

[Manuel_Jordan]

This Dell PC is running a Nvidia GeForce 8500 GT

Just being curious

• What software you are using where is mandatory to use the Nvidia card?

Some video game? Photo, video editor tool?

I am doing this question because I have a Lenovo with a Nvidia card and I am not sure if its drivers where installed or not by default. The point is, if was not installed, the normal use in the OS is normal as other laptops with integrated video card

[nevj (Neville Jackson)]

@4dandl4

I installed Slackware15

Does Slackware have a reasonable repository? I dont imagine it is as large as Debian or Gentoo, but is it adequate?

[4dandl4 (Daniel Phillips)]

@nevj

Does Slackware have a reasonable repository? I dont imagine it is as large as Debian or Gentoo, but is it adequate?

More than adequate for what I need !! This Dell just will not run any linux kernel over 5.15 and Slackware has the LTS 5.15 and Slackware does not update kernels, like other Distros!! So it is perfect for this old Dell Inspiron 530!! May install Waterfox later on!!

[4dandl4 (Daniel Phillips)]

@Manuel_Jordan

Just being curious

• What software you are using where is mandatory to use the Nvidia card?

I dual boot with XP, which has no issue with the Nvidia GeForce 8500 GT and XP is for playing games, that I bought, years ago!!

[Manuel_Jordan]

I dual boot with XP, which has no issue with the Nvidia GeForce 8500 GT and XP is for playing games, that I bought, years ago!!

I did do the same around 2008 to 2012 with Windows XP to play something … I remember had installed (perhaps configured) drivers for a ATI video card to play Quake 4 in Linux … it run faster than Windows LOL

My point was: I thought you had installed specific drivers in Linux to take full capacity of your video card. But if is OK the default drivers for the common use of video in the OS … ok is fine

[4dandl4 (Daniel Phillips)]

@Manuel_Jordan

My point was: I thought you had installed specific drivers in Linux to take full capacity of your video card. But if is OK the default drivers for the common use of video in the OS … ok is fine

I have been down that road, all I really need from Slackware15 is a 5.15.19 kernel that will run the nouveau graphics driver and Firefox for internet access!! No, game playing with Linux!!

[Manuel_Jordan]

So if you do a kind of upgrade (even by mistake) of the kernel you would get a problem … Am I correct?

[4dandl4 (Daniel Phillips)]

@Manuel_Jordan

So if you do a kind of upgrade (even by mistake) of the kernel you would get a problem … Am I correct?

@Manuel_Jordan

So if you do a kind of upgrade (even by mistake) of the kernel you would get a problem … Am I correct?

There are no linux kernel updates, for this old Dell Inspirion 530 machine!! Like I said, XP has no issues with the Nvidia GeForce 8500 GT, the linux kernel is the issue!! It is getting, next to impossible to get some of these old machines online, Slackware is a jewel in disguise!!!