Subj : FreeBSD
To   : Charles Angelich
From : David Drummond
Date : Wed Nov 28 2001 11:20 pm

Charles

27 Nov 01 12:40, Charles Angelich wrote to David Drummond:

 DD>>>> You haven't stated the specs for this mystery beast. 

 CA>>> I explained that there were limitations imposed by
 CA>>> retailers who sold these machines. When I tried to be more
 CA>>> specific we got into custom installs which really adds
 CA>>> nothing to the discussion. 

 DD>> If a machine has spare memory slots, then they're there to
 DD>> be used. 

 CA> I never saw a 386 with memory slots. They all had dozens of
 CA> smaller memory chips that populated the motherboard. No
 CA> `sticks'. 


You've led a very sheltered life. The IBM PS/2 386 I was speaking of used 72pin 
SIMMs. The other 386 I'm playing with uses 30pin SIMMs.

 CA> When I asked a tech about this recently his assumption was that
 CA> memory was limited to 8 meg to help sell the server-class
 CA> machines which were much more expensive at the time. 

The machines I'm speaking of are definitely workstation class. IBM list the 
PS/2 as an "inexpensive business" machine. The other is a 386SX!

 CA>>> Probably wouldn't read the distribution CD. 

 DD>> Linux distribution CDs can be read slowly... 

 CA> If you say so. 

 CA>>> Most 80386s had under 200 meg hard drives in them which
 CA>>> could not store enough of the install to recompile the
 CA>>> kernel for the  unexpected hardware limitations. 

 DD>> Then one needs to put in a second hd out of that other
 DD>> junked 386. 

 CA> If we start adding hardware it won't end until we no longer
 CA> have a typical 386. Everyone doesn't have two of these and
 CA> everyone doesn't have spare hard drives lying around unused.
 CA> Two older 386 hard drives might be 150 meg each. Would 300 meg
 CA> help all that much? 

Ah - now the limits are creeping in.

Regards,
David

--- Msged/LNX TE 06 (pre)
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