Re: distro for 486 with 32 MB ram

On Wed, Apr 04, 2007 at 08:22:37PM +0200, Michelle Konzack wrote:

Am 2007-03-20 14:00:22, schrieb Douglas Allan Tutty:
I have a 486 with 32 MB ram, ISA bus NIC, currently running Sarge. Now
that Etch RC2 is out I'm starting to plan for the future of this box.
The Etch install manual says that it needs 64 MB ram. I know that Sarge
will continue to be supported for a while but I may as well start
planning.

I never could run Sarge's installer re memory so went with Woody and
upgraded. I can try that with Etch but want to have a fall-back
position in case the attempt hoses.

Why not:

1) catch the "Packages.gz" of Etch
2) then make a list of the installed Sarge Packages
3) create a list of the DEPENDENCIES for all the installed Sarge
packages (dependencies have changed...)
4) download the list using "wget"
5) use "dpkg-scanpackages" to create a NEW Packages.gz
6) setup your "/etc/apt/sources.list" to use this Repository ONLY.
7) go into "/var/lib/dpkg/" and delete the files "available" and
"available-old"
8) apt-get update
9) apt-get dist-upgrade
After the seccessfull update you can change the
"/etc/apt/sources.list" back to an official Etch mirror.


Thanks Michelle,

I know I can do it. This box isn't a production box, just my toolbox and
remote client. I need it to work in case I need it for email if my main
box has a problem. The problem is, going forward, if something happens
that requires a reinstall (e.g. root drive failure), then to reinstall,
I have to install woody base, then update to sarge, then update to etch,
then install what I need.

The other problem is that, for example, aptitude takes up a whole pile
of memory reading in the packages file (I think apt does too if I just
use apt-get, since it has to resolve dependancies). Under sarge, it
takes a while. I'm concerned that it may be unusable under Etch will
all those extra packages bloating up main.

I wish that main was split into base (core, whatever) and main.

All I need (in order of priority) is basedebs, sh, ed, vi(m), ppp,
minicom, ssh, rsync, wget, lynx, mc, and basic X. Having to read in all
the stuff in main to keep this lot up-to-date is a royal pain.

X will be another headache since I'm using the S3 driver from Woody
right now. I'll have to see how vesa works under Xorg, if Xorg will
even run on the box.

I know that I can get debian to do it, but the more hoops I have to jump
through to do it, the more its like a roll-your-own linux that happens
to use apt. At some point, it may make more sense to switch to a disto
with what I need in the base system, such as one of the BSDs (and not
use packages and ports).

The other thing that a BSD gives me is full documentation. Imagine if
I'm in the middle of trying to rescue my main box yet the man pages on
my toolbox tell me to go to the net since Debian can't include the
proper man (or info, whatever) page due to it not being DFSG. I'm on
slow dialup. I don't like having to use the net to read a stupid man
page. But that, Mr gineapig on the riverbank, is another story... :)

Thanks,

Doug.


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