Re: Small linux system

From: harry (xx_at_xx.xx)
Date: 12/27/03 

Date: Sat, 27 Dec 2003 15:25:31 +1300

Mainlander wrote:
> In article <otbGb.14319$ws.1431146@news02.tsnz.net>, xx@xx.xx says...
>> Mainlander wrote:
>>> I'm looking at setting up an old PC with linux. It will probably not
>>> run X windows at this stage, but I am planning to set up Samba on it
>>> and playing with other network stuff.
>>>
>>> It's a Pentium 100, 48 MB, 2x HDD total 2.8 GB, 28.8 modem, network
>>> and sound, CD ROM etc.
>>>
>>> I'm looking at Debian, and perhaps being conservative and running an
>>> older stable release. Who distributes that in NZ cheaply and what
>>> comes in the distro? Is Debian easy to install for a first time
>>> user?
>>
>> Debian can be installed directly from the debian archive without
>> downloading an iso
>
> On a 28.8?

I think you could probably get a console mode install with text browser,
email client, news client overnight with that.
Start by downloading
http://ftp.nz.debian.org/debian/dists/Debian3.0r2/main/disks-i386/3.0.23-2002-05-21/images-1.44/bf2.4/rescue.bin
and
http://ftp.nz.debian.org/debian/dists/Debian3.0r2/main/disks-i386/3.0.23-2002-05-21/images-1.44/bf2.4/root.bin
and
http://ftp.nz.debian.org/debian/tools/rwwrtwin.zip
and use the rawrite app to make the rescue and root floppies for the bf2.4
kernel install.
These are the same bootdisks that you will use to install from CD if you
can't boot from CD
Boot from the rescue disk and follow the instructions.
With a regular serial port hardware modem it will set up a ppp session.
That should get you all the way to a base install.
Then you can use the tasksel options if you want.
# apt-get install links slrn
will get you a browser and a news client

>
>> The installation instructions are here
>>
ftp://ftp.nz.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/disks-i386/current/doc/index.en.html
>>
>> You can buy the debian disks from copyleft.
>> http://www.copyleft.co.nz/
>> You only need the first one for what you are doing.
>> You can download it from ftp://debian.co.nz/Debian/Woody/
>> What sort of vga card, sound card and network card are you going to
>> use, and I can tell you step by step what answers to give.
>> Debian is as easy to install as anything else with the exception
>> that you have to manually select your hardware from a list of
>> options.
>> Its not that hard
>
> Display: Cirrus 5446
> network: ne2000 compatible (we'll see if it works, if not I might
> have to get a new network card) - it's a compex but I don't think
> they are natively supported
> sound: ess1868, should be supported by alsa

Thats an ISA soundblaster compatible isn't it ?

modconf should allow you to select isapnp for your sound card, which you
will select as sb
# apt-get install x-window-system
and
# apt-get install xserver-xfree86
will get you X
the configuration for xserver-xfree86 will allow you to select the option
"cirrus"
You can enter this configuration again by "dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86"

>
>
>
> is this system grunty enough to run KDE or would it run really slowly?

slow
you can run mozilla, abiword, sylpheed, pan, xmms on fluxbox or Windowmaker
or IceWM, they're all much lighter on resources

>
> I see I can get some Debian disks from http://www.xsolutions.co.nz/ ,
> a guy at Lincoln University, quite cheaply. But he recommends
> Mandrake.

Sure, but there are good reasons for going with Debian on an old PC
You will only need the first CD of the Debian set

>
>
>
> this pc does not have a bootable CD capability - it will require a
> boot floppy.

For systems that will boot from CD you use the bf24 boot code to get started
with a reasonable set of common network cards and a 2.4 kernel and modules.
The bootdisks I linked earlier are your initial boot floppies.

Have a look at this
http://delilinux.berlios.de/

This isn't Debian, but all the packages that he has selected are in Debian,
and are good choices.

"DeLi Linux stands for "Desktop Light" Linux. It is a Linux Distribution for
old computers, from 486 to Pentium MMX 166 or so. It's focused on desktop
usage. It includes email clients, graphical web browser, an office package
with word processor and spread***, and so on. A full install, including
XFree and development tools, needs not more than 300 MB of harddisk space.

The trick is, that DeLi Linux uses only "lightweight" alternative software.
If you are looking for the newest KDE, GNOME or Mozilla, DeLi Linux will not
make you happy. The test computer is a 486 laptop with 16 MB RAM, and all
apps which comes with DeLi Linux are running smoothly.

"Why the heck make a Linux for such old crap ?" you may ask. There are still
many computers around with the configuration mentioned above, it would be a
shame to waste them. Many people simply cannot buy a 2 Ghz machine for 1000
$ or more, but they can buy a Pentium I 133 for 50 $ from ebay. Many people
are still happy with the computer they bought five years ago. Especially in
the so-called third world, new hardware is not affordable. Well, there's
still Windows95 or Windows 3.1, which will run on these machines, too. But
these versions are not supported by MS anymore, they are no longer in
production, and finally, you will not get any software for this old Windows
version. "

Persist and you will prevail

Good luck

:-)

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