I need Linux 1

[Bertv100]

As the subject line says: I need Linux.
What it doesn't say: I need it for a 25 MHz 80486DX IBM PS/2 machine with 4M RAM and 80M HD.
I've searched on the Net and I've encountered many places where I can download a couple of hundreds of megabytes, but that's not what I want.
Also, please don't point me to source code, coz I'm a complete newbie to Linux; I'd rather like to have a small (up to 40M) ready installable package.
Regards,
Bert Vingerhoets
vingerhoetsbert@hotmail.com

http://www.geocities.com/thevhbcompany/

Don't worry what people think about you. They're too busy wondering what you think about them.

 

[iSeriesCodePoet]

Try debian or slackware, as far as I know, they are the only two that can get a small enough install base to fit those requirements. Mike Wills
RPG Programmer (but learning Java)

"I am bad at math because God forgot to include math.h into my program!"

 

[rycamor]

Here's a link to a version of Linux intended for low-end hardware:

http://www.superant.com/smalllinux/

If you want a graphical environment, you will also need to download smallX, at

http://www.superant.com/smalllinux/tinyX01.html.

This is a version of the X window system that has been especially compiled for computers with less than 4 Megs of RAM.


Or, here is another link where you can download a version of Linux that installs from two floppy disks, and includes X-windows:

http://www.mungkie.btinternet.co.uk/projects/2diskXwin.htm.

(This one is still in Beta, so I can't guarantee how it works)

I seriously doubt that installing Linux this way will be as easy as installing with a major distribution such as RedHat, so be prepared to do some reading.

If you are unwilling to do this, then I guess the next best thing is to try Slackware. Again, though, you should do some reading first. Somewhere on their site there should be an explanation of installations with low memory.

There are quite a few other versions of Linux intended for old hardware, but most of them do not include the graphical environment. If you don't need the graphical environment, but simply want to use console-based Unix utilities and tools, then your job should be much easier. Some of these, such as tomsrtbt (

http://www.toms.net/rb/)

run straight from a floppy disk, so you don't even need to install it; you just put in your floppy, and boot.

If at all possible, though, try to get some more memory for your 486. Unlike Windows, which is processor-intensive, Linux tends to really perform better with more memory, even with old, slow processors. The difference between 4 MB RAM and 16 MB RAM will be incredible.