Using an old laptop to learn about mining Bitcoin

[Jet Cash]

I'm considering starting my own coin, and I need to learn a bit more about mining. It looks as if the best start is to join the solo mining pool run by a member of this board. I considered buying a Raspberry Pi, but I have a spare HP laptop, and I would like to use that to experiment.  The spec is pretty low -

Intel¨ Celeron¨ Processor 540
1024 MB (1 x 1024 MB)
120 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 5400 rpm
15.4" WXGA High Definition BrightView Widescreen
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
Up to 251 MB total available graphics memory
Super Multi DVD Writer (+/-R +/-RW) with DoubleLayer support
02.11b/g WLAN

Is this too basic? I'm not interested in seeing any income from this, the project is just to gain knowledge.
Would I be a nuisance as part of the pool? I'm planning on running it for 4 or 5 hours per day over public WiFi.
I installed Kali Linux, but I can replace this if anyone has a better suggestion. ( not Windows ).

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[Geraldo]

Finally, I saw Jet Cash with a few posts on Altcoin (mining) board.

Will be better to do Altcoin mining as your learned object than Bitcoin.

With your current device, a bit hard to say you were on a right move (even if it just to learn about mining). Bitcoin mining, moreover doing Bitcoin solo mining with your current device, that had left by miners more than five years ago (that device, too old for Bitcoin mining).

But whatever it is, you still can do Bitcoin mining with that device for learning "how to" do Mining only. But I suggest you choose any other coin (Altcoin) that mined with the kind device at least 1-2 years ago or may newest coins (that's okay)

Solo mining to a solo pool isn't giving a much different with a pooled mining (on the process and how to do it), the one that makes it different is only payment (rewards). So if you really want to learn about mining, you can do solo mining to the official wallet (QT-Wallet), and on the other side, you can do pooled mining, that's better. IMHO

You can use Operating Systems that you most mastered. If you most familiar with Linux (as you said you were using Kali) then do with it. I can tell, I felt easier with Windows, it because I am Windows user, it maybe will different with Linux user.

[Eternu]

As you already know, you will not be able to make considerable profit with that specs. But for learning, that will be more than enough I guess.

When we talk about pool mining, I see no problem in doing what you plan to do. You wouldn't be a nuisance as part of a pool, because you will only contribute you hash rate when you'r online and nothing when you'r off.

As for OS, there I can't help you much. Personally I use Windows, but you don't want that so... I have hear that Linux is good for mining too, but I don't know the details.

I guess you already have some coin on your mind that you want to mine and a pool which you will be using. If you need more info just ask.
There is nothing more to do than to wish you best of luck in your search for knowledge. 

PS It would be interesting to see your coin on the market.

[vapourminer]

with those specs im not sure it can mine anything actually, mainly because of that 1 gb ram. and the built in gpu wont mine anything, gpu miners need nvidia or amd.

cpu MIGHT be able to mine something.. here is a good thread about cpu coins by @voskcoin, dunno if youve seen it.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2683343.0

you will certainly heat that sucker up when cpu mining, i would make sure you have a fan blowing towards the laptops intake vents.

most cpu miners want a 64bit os. i would go with the smallest linux distro you can find. cant help with suggestions there, i have run ubuntu, thats about it on the linux side.

[Drachmadev]

For learning the setup is fine but you will need to find a pool instead of solo min if you want to see what it is like to find blocks. The solo mining i doubt will find any. There are some cpu coins that are coded to specifically be mined by CPUs and not GPUs so those may be more fun to mess around as far as mining goes

Here are a couple of those coins

Saronite - https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=4004235.0

Nerva - https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=3464367.0