My Core runs on...

[Zendrael]

Hi!

I see a lot of people asking about what kind of hardware can run Core and if it is designed for old computers, if it can run on modern hardware... So, I think that most of us (users of the Core) could share some experiences about the hardware that we actually are running Core on (newer or older). Let me start:

My Core runs on...
Processor: Vortex86MX+ (SoC)
Memory: 1GB
HD: 8GB SD card
Core version: 4.7.2
Core mode: persistent home and opt
This has also: wireless USB dongle, external 500GB harddrive
With purpose: share files on the network, basic internet surfing
More about it: The unit with this SoC is called Surfboard or KeybordPC from XCore86 company
How well Core performs on this: Very well for stuff that does not require much graphical processing

And you, reader, what kind of hardware do you have running Core? 

[Lee]

Dell PowerEdge SC440 (2008 vintage) (first of several posts)

Hardware
  CPU:     Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual  CPU  E2180  @ 2.00GHz
  RAM:     4 GB
  HD :      80 GB SATA, 500 GB SATA
  NIC:      Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5754 Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express (rev 02)
  WIFI:    Atheros Communications Inc. AR928X Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) (rev 01)
  VID:      (On board)  ATI Technologies Inc ES1000 (rev 02)
               (PCIE card) ATI Technologies Inc RV370 [Radeon X300SE]
  Sound:  Ensoniq ES1371 [AudioPCI-97] (rev 08)

Software
    grub4dos
    Core 4.7.3 w/fltk-1.1.10, Xlibs, Xprogs, Xorg-7.5, wbar, jwm
    openssh, minefield7, flash11, rdesktop, filezilla, gtm5, sylpheed, emelfm2, vlc, asunder, lame, (etc)
    CorePure64 coexists nicely on the same boot media and works fine, though I usually use the 32 bit Core.

Config
    frugal install - nothing persistent except the tce directory and mydata.gz
      Some big static data gets dumped to persistent directories on an HD or USB stick.
      I don't want my mp3 collection in mydata.gz - nor in my home directory either.)

    The boot loader and OS are installed on both the HD and a USB stick.  I boot from the USB stick by preference.

Usage
    Primary desktop: web surfing, email, music playing, CD ripping, document scanning.  telnet, ssh, rdesktop, ftp.

Comments
    The ES1000 graphics can't do 1920x1080 display.
    flash11 with the X300SE graphics hardware is ok for flash based games, but certainly not fast by modern standards.
    The X300SE hardware had to be surgically inserted - minor mobo mod.
    The Broadcom NetXtreme BCM5754 was not recognized by the earliest TinyCore (early 1.x) but has been fine since then.
    I haven't used the Wifi much - just enough to satisfy myself that it works.  It does.

Edit: Added system year and comment about CorePure64.  lem 2013-01-15 01:46

[Lee]

Dell PowerEdge SC440 (2008 vintage) (as samba server)

Hardware
  CPU:     Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual  CPU  E2180  @ 2.00GHz
  RAM:     4 GB
  HD :      80 GB SATA, 1TB SATA
  NIC:      Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5754 Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express (rev 02)
  WIFI:    none
  VID:      (On board)  ATI Technologies Inc ES1000 (rev 02)
  Sound:  Creative Labs SB Live! EMU10k1 (rev 07)

Software
    grub4dos
    Core 4.5.2 w/fltk-1.1.10, Xlibs, Xprogs, Xvesa, wbar, jwm
    openssh, samba3, minefield7, flash11, rdesktop, filezilla, gtm5, sylpheed, emelfm2, vlc, asunder, lame, (etc)

Config
    frugal install - nothing about the OS is persistent except the tce directory and mydata.gz
        Much big static data gets dumped to persistent directories on an HD.
    The boot loader and OS are installed on both the HD and a USB stick.  I boot from the HD by preference.

Usage
    Provides backup storage for home network.  Secondary desktop system for web surfing, email, telnet, ssh, rdesktop.

Comments
    The ES1000 graphics can't do 1920x1080 display.
    flash11 with the ES1000 graphics hardware is pitiful for flash based games.  Or is it Xvesa that slows things down?
    The Broadcom NetXtreme BCM5754 was not recognized by the earliest TinyCore (early 1.x) but has been fine since then.

Edit: Added system year.  lem 2013--01-15 01:49

[Lee]

Dell Inspiron 570 (2010 vintage)

Hardware
  CPU:     AMD Athlon II X4 630 (quad core) @ 2.8 GHz
  RAM:     6 GB
  HD :      750 GB SATA
  NIC:      Broadcomm "Netlink" gigabit ethernet
  WIFI:    none
  VID:      ATI Technologies Radeon HD 4200
  Sound:  ATI and/or Realtek "High Def"

Software
    grub4dos
    Core 4.7.3 w/fltk-1.1.10, Xlibs, Xprogs, Xorg-7.5, wbar, jwm
    clamav, openssh, minefield7, flash11, rdesktop, filezilla, gtm5, sylpheed, emelfm2, vlc, asunder, lame, (etc)

Config
    frugal install - nothing persistent except the tce directory and mydata.gz
        Some big static data gets dumped to persistent directories on an HD or USB stick.
    The boot loader and OS are installed on a USB stick.

Usage
    My Wife's desktop.  This box normally runs Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.  I boot Core to clean out the malware.

Comments
    This box is running Win 7 right now, so I can't see how the hardware will be detected by Core.
    It does zoom right along under Core.

Edit: added system vintage.  lem 2013-01-15 01:50

[zerophnx]

I mostly use it on a couple different machines at work.

On the lower end of hardware...

HP T5135 (thin Client from late 2008)

Hardware
  CPU:     VIA Eden 400mhz
  RAM:     128MB
  HD :      64MB
  NIC:      VIA Rhine-II (100mbit)
  Sound:  Not loaded right now, but works with ALSA (I think it's VIA AC97)

Software
    Xvesa,wbar,Firefox, Citrix Receiver (thanks to gutmensch), and all their deps

Usage
    Thin client: Runs Firefox on boot, which points our users to a login page for our Citrix XenApp system.

Comments
    For some reason the stock software on these kept breaking every month, so I tried to boot Core one day and to see how far it could go (turns out it went very far)!

    Have some messages on the Ctrl-Alt-F1 terminal(?) that I think are OOM errors from Firefox, but it's been running very well!

[Zendrael]

Thank you Lee! Great machines on there!

Thank you too zerophnx! You also run Core on high end machines?

Core is truly awesome, anybody out there is running on high end machines too? Or low end?

[althalus]

I'm running Core on an acer travelmate 5740G

Processor: Intel Core i5
Memory: 4GB
HD: 500GB disk used for data, 16GB USB thumb drive used for TC
Version: 4.7
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470

Loaded extensions:
Xorg, ALSA, dmenu, dwm, chromium-browser, flash, openssh, screen, vim, transmission-gtk, mplayer

The laptop is my general purpose work station, primarily used for web browsing, SSH, torrents, and a bit of python development.  It also dual-boots Windows, for my Steam games and (ugh) iTunes. Almost everything Just Works, with a few exceptions:
* An occasional popping noise from the speakers when using ALSA (A really small niggle, I know. One day i'll test OSS)
* Fans don't seem to work properly - Laptop gets REALLY hot if not sitting on it's cooling mat
* HDMI. Research seems to suggest that for my graphics chipset, HDMI audo will work with a kernel version 3.3 or newer. I expect the laptop will have been replaced by the time TC's kernel is new enough... Need to do more research before my next laptop purchase!
* I can only run 32 bit. 64 bit requires a special boot code, which limits me to 1 CPU and prevents battery monitoring, which is unfortunate and unworkable. When Core gets a newer kernel version, or I get a new machine, I'll try again maybe.

[coreplayer2]

Core runs on everything :p

Well the list of machines I'm aware of that Core is running on us endless and honestly I wouldn't know we're to begin..

[Lee]

Oh, I'm just getting started.  Those first few were some of the higher-end boxes on which I run Core.
Now for those with salvage boxes....

Compaq DeskPro EN (maybe 1998 or 1999 vintage)

Hardware
  CPU:     Pentium II (Deschutes) @ 350 MHz
  RAM:     256 MB
  HD :      6 GB IDE
  NIC:      Some generic old 10/100 NIC
              Some other generic old 10/100 NIC as eth1
  WIFI:     none
  VID:      on board
  Sound: on board

Software
    grub4dos
    Core 4.7.3 w/fltk-1.1.10, Xlibs, Xprogs, Xorg-7.5, wbar, jwm
    openssh, minefield7, rdesktop, filezilla, gtm5, sylpheed, emelfm2, (etc)

Config
    frugal install - nothing persistent except the tce directory and mydata.gz
        Some big static data gets dumped to persistent directories on the HD
        This box can't boot from its USB 1.x ports

Usage
    Serves as my main point of exposure to the internet - I can ssh into it from a remote location and then access whatever else I need on my network.

Comments
    This box was originally a Windows 98 box in a corporate setting.  I got it for free ( I got three of it for free!  Could have had more but was afraid my wife would kill me.  )
    Its no speed demon, but its been plugging along for a -very- long time.
 
    This is still plenty of hardware to run Tiny Core - yeah, even with X. One has to note the limitations of the CPU and video system.

[Lee]

Toshiba Magnia SG20 ( Early 2000's vintage)

Hardware
  CPU:    Intel Celeron @ 566 MHz
  RAM:    128 MB
  HD :     40 GB PATA, times two
  NIC:      Builti in 8 port switch as eth0
              WAN port as ETH1
  WIFI:     PCMCIA wifi card
  VID:      none
  Sound:  none

Software
    grub4dos
    Core 4.7.3
    openssh, gtm5

Config
    frugal install - nothing persistent except the tce directory and mydata.gz
      Some big static data gets dumped to persistent directories on an HD or USB stick.

    The boot loader and OS are installed on the HD

Usage
    Used as a toy.  Its down for reinstall right now.  I'll have an ftp server and web server on it before I'm done.

Comments
    Initial config is done by putting the boot drive in a USB adapter and attaching it to a regular PC.  Once it boots and brings up sshd I can put the drive back innto the Magnia.

    If this PCMCIA 4-port USB thingy works, I'll add external storage and a more modern wifi dongle.

[althalus]

Core runs on everything :p

Surely not. I'm still waiting on my linux-powered toaster!

[coreplayer2]

Core runs on everything :p

Surely not. I'm still waiting on my linux-powered toaster!

Am sure it's coming to a store near you very soon :p

[zerophnx]

Another work machine...

Dell Latitude E6410

Hardware
  CPU:     Intel i5 M520 (Quad core @ 2.4GHz)
  RAM:     4GB
  HD :      160GB
  Wifi:     Centrino Advanced-N 6200 AGN (I think)(iwlwifi-firmware)
  VID:      Intel HD Graphics (i915/intel driver)
  NIC:      Intel 82577LM Gigabit


Software
    Xorg,xf86-intel,Firefox,dropbear,wifi,wpa_supplicant,iwlwifi-firmware,Flash11

Usage
    An extra laptop (for the moment) that I mostly use for web surfing or SSHing into my router or Pi. I might eventually use this (or another one) as a Q

Comments
    Needed the firmware for the wireless to work (no surprise there). Wifi(.sh) really simplified the process!

[thane]

Currently using TCL on an AMD Sempron box (shoulda gone higher), 2G memory, no hard disk (boot from and save to USB, run in RAM only).

First ran TCL on a Compaq Deskpro III rescued from a dumpster, 500M memory, flaky hard disk with Windows 2000 that I never used and which finally died, booted off CD with extensions/backup on USB, ran in RAM. Worked fine there except with USB 1.0 took a long time to boot!

[Lee]

First ran TCL on a Compaq Deskpro III rescued from a dumpster, 500M memory, flaky hard disk with Windows 2000 that I never used and which finally died, booted off CD with extensions/backup on USB, ran in RAM. Worked fine there except with USB 1.0 took a long time to boot!

With the OS on CD and the tce directory on USB 1.0, about how long -did- that take to boot?  My DeskPros all have functioning hard drives but, apparently unlike the systems themselves, the drives won't last forever.   

For all I use them, I really don't know why I care...