older ubuntu on newer hardware
hi List, does anyone have experience putting older linux distros (specifically Ubuntu 10.04 LTS) on newer hardware? I have a VM running 10.04 that has a large amount of installed packages and tweaked installation details and I need it to be running natively on hardware. I'd just install it on an older laptop, but I want a hardware platform that has some kind of warranty and the ability to be replaced by just re-imaging. Ideally, I'd like to go out and buy a cheap netbook and image my VM onto it. What are the chances of this actually Just Working (TM)? All I need is basic video and USB. Don't even actually need networking. thanks, etc. Cory
On Tuesday, 6 June 2017 6:37:29 PM AEST cory seligman via luv-main wrote:
does anyone have experience putting older linux distros (specifically Ubuntu 10.04 LTS) on newer hardware?
I have a VM running 10.04 that has a large amount of installed packages and tweaked installation details and I need it to be running natively on hardware.
Why do you need it running natively? A VM is usually much easier for such things. If you are worried about performance then keep in mind that a VM on new hardware will often outperform running natively on old hardware.
I'd just install it on an older laptop, but I want a hardware platform that has some kind of warranty and the ability to be replaced by just re-imaging.
Laptops are particularly difficult in regard to such things as their hardware changes faster than desktops and servers. Why does this have to be a laptop?
Ideally, I'd like to go out and buy a cheap netbook and image my VM onto it. What are the chances of this actually Just Working (TM)?
Not too bad as long as you don't need fast video. If you just want 2D video most things should just work.
All I need is basic video and USB. Don't even actually need networking.
There's a good chance that it will just do what you want then. Why not try it? If it fails try a kernel from a later release. Generally the aim in Debian seems to be to make each kernel work with the previous release. So taking a kernel one release above the userspace shouldn't be a problem. If you need to take it 2 releases above then you might need to take a newer userspace or boot the kernel with compatability options. But we can cross that bridge if we come to it. Just give it a go and see what happens. -- My Main Blog http://etbe.coker.com.au/ My Documents Blog http://doc.coker.com.au/
On Wed, Jun 7, 2017 at 12:13 AM, Russell Coker <russell@coker.com.au> wrote:
On Tuesday, 6 June 2017 6:37:29 PM AEST cory seligman via luv-main wrote:
does anyone have experience putting older linux distros (specifically Ubuntu 10.04 LTS) on newer hardware?
I have a VM running 10.04 that has a large amount of installed packages and tweaked installation details and I need it to be running natively on hardware.
Why do you need it running natively? A VM is usually much easier for such things. If you are worried about performance then keep in mind that a VM on new hardware will often outperform running natively on old hardware.
I've considered that. It runs fine in a VM except the required USB devices aren't always picked up by the VM and passed through. It also needs to be managed remotely (China) with no network (phone/email instructions) or be sent back for debugging. It's a microcontroller mass production programming system that previously ran on 2009 era hardware and has been put into a VM when the hardware went missing.
I'd just install it on an older laptop, but I want a hardware platform that has some kind of warranty and the ability to be replaced by just re-imaging.
Laptops are particularly difficult in regard to such things as their hardware changes faster than desktops and servers. Why does this have to be a laptop?
It's easier to send a laptop to the production house in China. They don't need to provide a screen or keyboard
Ideally, I'd like to go out and buy a cheap netbook and image my VM onto it. What are the chances of this actually Just Working (TM)?
Not too bad as long as you don't need fast video. If you just want 2D video most things should just work.
Good answer - the one I was hoping for.
All I need is basic video and USB. Don't even actually need networking.
There's a good chance that it will just do what you want then. Why not try it?
Mostly didn't want to take the risk of buying some new hardware and finding out it was a waste of money. Thanks for the advice. I've bought one of these, because it's bonkers cheap. https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/dell/dell-inspiron-11-30...
On Friday, 9 June 2017 10:08:31 AM AEST cory seligman wrote:
Why do you need it running natively? A VM is usually much easier for such things. If you are worried about performance then keep in mind that a VM on new hardware will often outperform running natively on old hardware.
I've considered that. It runs fine in a VM except the required USB devices aren't always picked up by the VM and passed through. It also needs to be managed remotely (China) with no network (phone/email instructions) or be sent back for debugging.
USB and VMs is problemmatic. Best to run natively.
It's a microcontroller mass production programming system that previously ran on 2009 era hardware and has been put into a VM when the hardware went missing.
OK, so you don't need the best handling of ACPI, ExpressCard, etc. That's good.
Laptops are particularly difficult in regard to such things as their hardware changes faster than desktops and servers. Why does this have to be a laptop?
It's easier to send a laptop to the production house in China. They don't need to provide a screen or keyboard
Fair point.
All I need is basic video and USB. Don't even actually need networking.
There's a good chance that it will just do what you want then. Why not try it?
Mostly didn't want to take the risk of buying some new hardware and finding out it was a waste of money.
Thanks for the advice. I've bought one of these, because it's bonkers cheap.
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/dell/dell-inspiron-11-30 00-11-6-laptop/329999/
That's a nice little laptop. -- My Main Blog http://etbe.coker.com.au/ My Documents Blog http://doc.coker.com.au/
On Fri, Jun 9, 2017 at 12:26 PM, Russell Coker <russell@coker.com.au> wrote:
On Friday, 9 June 2017 10:08:31 AM AEST cory seligman wrote:<
<snip>
Thanks for the advice. I've bought one of these, because it's bonkers
cheap.
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/dell/dell-inspiron-11-30...
That's a nice little laptop.
yes. I didn't manage to get my older 32bit ubuntu booting on it, but I gave up and installed xubuntu-16.04 64 bit. runs very nicely, everything appears to work fine.
On Friday, 9 June 2017 4:42:49 PM AEST cory seligman via luv-main wrote:
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/dell/dell-inspiron-11-> > 3000-11-6-laptop/329999/
That's a nice little laptop.
yes. I didn't manage to get my older 32bit ubuntu booting on it, but I gave up and installed xubuntu-16.04 64 bit.
runs very nicely, everything appears to work fine.
It's very strange that you couldn't get 32bit Ubuntu booting. Were you trying to transfer an image or do a fresh install and then copy the configuration? The web page says that it uses eMMC not regular storage so the mapping to something the BIOS recognises may be a little different to what regular disks use and that might preclude an image copy. Also as an aside a 64bit kernel will work in all ways with 32bit userspace, I do this all the time in Debian and Ubuntu should work just as well. So if you wanted your old 32bit configuration but couldn't get the kernel/bootloader going you could just copy the 32bit userspace on to another partition and configure GRUB to boot that with the 64bit kernel, you just need to copy the 64bit modules from /lib/modules to the partition used for 32bit. As an aside on my KVM servers I have a script in /etc/kernel/postinst.d/ that uses rsync to copy /lib/modules to every VM, including the ones with 32bit userspace. -- My Main Blog http://etbe.coker.com.au/ My Documents Blog http://doc.coker.com.au/
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Russell Coker