Need NFS-based Linux installation for Wallstreet PowerBook

From: Colin Caughie (c.caughie_at_NyOiSbPbAiMsh.net)
Date: 12/24/04

  • Next message: jim bob and joe bob: "Re: live cd" 
    Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2004 18:10:26 -0000

    Hi,

    I'm trying to set up a "demo" Linux installation on my wife's Wallstreet
    Powerbook, in an attempt to persuade her that she'd be much better off with
    Linux/KDE than with MacOS 9. I need to do this without affecting her MacOS 9
    setup -- I won't go into what she will do to me if I fail in this regard.

    So what I'm thinking (and am hoping someone can tell me how to achieve) is:

    1. Boot using BootX (since it's OldWorld)
    2. Somehow have a small boot "partition" somewhere on the hard disk,
    containing the kernel etc.
    3. Mount everything else via NFS. (I have a Gentoo x86 system with several
    gigs free).

    Oh, and it needs to work over wireless (I have an Orinoco Silver PC Card,
    and a 3Com OfficeConnect access point. Both work fine in MacOS 9).

    The main stumbling block I have is: How to get the thing booted, and how and
    where to store the boot partition. I'd rather not use a RAM disk as the
    machine only has 64MB, which I reckon is already kind of pushing it for KDE.
    I have a vague memory that there may be a way of storing a kind of virtual
    partition within an ordinary disk file, but I may be wrong about this.

    I'd definitely prefer not to do any repartitioning, but would consider it
    (e.g. to create a swap partition) if there is a way of doing this without
    risking anything on the main partition. Would KDE even run in 64MB without a
    swap partition?

    If anyone has any ideas as to how to go about this, they would be welcome.
    Distribution recommendations would be useful too -- I do like Gentoo, but
    not so much that I couldn't be swayed by superior wisdom.

    Thanks in advance,
    Colin Caughie

  • Next message: jim bob and joe bob: "Re: live cd"

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