What OS to install on an unrealistically old computer?

Question

linux

The computer is unrealistically old, you need an axis that will be installed 100%

Answer 1

How ancient?
Based on the Intel 8088 processor?
CP-M, DOS
Linux requires at least an i386, and many even at least a Pentium.
From Linux
Less many eating BunsenLab for example.
But not the fact that it has a video driver for your hardware.
It flies on old Haiku hardware, but it is still experimental. And it's not Linux

Answer 2

from Linux families
puppy
slitaz

Answer 3

it is better to give the unrealistically old to the museum where he belongs.
And everything that is older than 486 can be installed on Linux, and on Windows 95;)
but what's the point?

Answer 4

never sounded the configuration of an unrealistically old computer. No processor, no memory. suppose that it is x86
Then we put it in the following order:
Hummingbird OS, namely its maximum edition - Kolibri-N (x86, 8mb) Does it work
? Next candidate:
Tiny Core linux (486, 46mb) Does it work
? Next candidate:
Slitaz (486, 128mb) Does it work
?
If the slitaz starts up, then you can watch different lightweight Linuxes in heavier categories.
I didn’t mention the nut, as they wrote about it above - also, IMHO, a worthy candidate.
Well, for experiments, you can try different aros, syllable, osfree, reactos
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Starts and works - different concepts. It is not specified for what purposes the rarity will be used

Answer 5

linux.
Theoretically, you can install any distribution (preferably with a lightweight environment/window manager). The whole question is in the core. Vypilina support for old devices from it or left.
So, for example, super light forks of puppy Linux sometimes offer i686 versions with an older kernel (for older cops) and a new one for new ones.
Example:

Dpup Stretch 7.5 CE (RC-3) 
• Puppy Linux built with 32-bit Debian Stretch binary packages

Kernel options
• k4.1.48-i686-pae for legacy hardware
• k4.9.101-i686-pae for recent hardware

This is a fake puppy, which, while maintaining its unique architecture, is built on the binaries of the current stable Debian and can download software and libs directly from its rap. )
Lightweight shells/window managers (not all): i3, LXDM, MATE, iceWM, FluxWM, JWM
The last window manager is usually put in puppy.
Somewhere on the net there is a video of how the last Gentoo was brought on a computer in 1986 or something. 486th)