Subj : unixs on a 386
To   : JASEN BETTS
From : CHARLES ANGELICH
Date : Sun Dec 09 2001 08:55 pm

12333910c6d1
unix



Hello Jasen - 

CA>> The best possible answer to the newbie question "Can I
CA>> install Linux on my 386?" seems to be something like: 

CA>> A: Yes 

JB> [18 lines stripped] 

JB> It's eactly like "yes". 

Or maybe it's not. Maybe there are maybes. 

JB> Maybe "Yes, some older or more compact versions of linux,
JB> but it'll still be a 386." 

If there is 8 meg of memory and if the hard drive is of a
certain minimum size. 

JB> If they're a newbie one of the "easier" versions could be
JB> more useful than slackware. 

Not referring to "easy". If it won't boot with available memory
or it can't fit onto the hard drive no one gets to find out how
"easy" it is. 

CA>> you can install the DOS FAT format version of Slackware
CA>> version/release/distribution #8 onto a 386 computer if you
CA>> have 7.8 meg or more of memory, at least 99 meg of hard
CA>> drive space, the zip-cutter utility from Simtelnet, 26
CA>> formatted diskettes, and the URL to download the 31.9 meg
CA>> archive from the Internet or the Slackware
CA>> version/release/distribution #8 on a CD. 

JB> dunno about the 26 diskettes... I expect the zip-cutter can
JB> write to the hard disk. 

If you have the system DD was referring to and write the
zip-cut archives to the hard drive then where will you put the
install? He said he needed all of the 100 meg to install but
with the zip-cut archives on there he would've had only 70 meg
(or less). 

JB> if you've got 8 megs (or almost 8 megs) of ram Doslinux is
JB> another option. as it consists of only a few files you
JB> don't get the filecount problem when undoing the archive. 

There are certain gotcha's when using more than one OS that
write to the same file system format. Using mulitple OS that
are _not_ clones of one another is not new. At one time I used
two very different and original OS that shared a file format
plus two others each with it's own file format. Things go badly
if you get distracted and read/write using the wrong OS. 

>
>        ,                          ,
>      o/      Charles.Angelich      \o       ,
>     <|                              |>  __o/
>     / >          USA, MI           < \   __\__
 

--- * ATP/16bit 2.31 * 
.... DOS the Ghost in the Machine! http://www.undercoverdesign.com/dosghost/
 * Origin: Try Our Web Based QWK: DOCSPLACE.ORG (1:18/140)

.