User Feedback :: How do you run DSL ?



Just wanted to add with the old hardware that I use the regular HD was fragile.  The first time I broke it was when I mounted a uci.  The system was real strange with aterm disappearing when opening.  I gave up trying to fix it and re-installed.  The second time it broke I was trying out a new DSL install on a USB drive and all of the settings in my home directory on the HD changed to the backup on the USB.  Icons disappeared after that and it finally died.  If you do the regular HD installs don't mount uci's or boot USB's that have a backup on them.

This time I just installed frugal to the HD and it's just as fast and pretty stable.  The PC I am using is a 200 MHz Pentium, 72M ram, 2G HD, DSL 2.2.
I seen lots of praise for the frugal HD install, but I haven't seen anyone (else) mention booting straight from DOS by using loadlin.exe.

The advantage here is that you don't have to change your master boot record in any way. I've set up my config.sys and autoexec.bat files to choose to boot into Windows95, DOS, of DSLinux. WHile I choose to use Linux 90 percent of the time, it's nice to still have the other options - and to retain those options without the risks involved in setting up Grub or Lilo.

Does anyone know of and disadvantages of using loadlin? To me, it seems the simplest way of booting linux on a multi-boot machine.
Quote (tp560e @ Dec. 11 2006,11:32)
I seen lots of praise for the frugal HD install, but I haven't seen anyone (else) mention booting straight from DOS by using loadlin.exe.

The advantage here is that you don't have to change your master boot record in any way. I've set up my config.sys and autoexec.bat files to choose to boot into Windows95, DOS, of DSLinux. WHile I choose to use Linux 90 percent of the time, it's nice to still have the other options - and to retain those options without the risks involved in setting up Grub or Lilo.

Does anyone know of and disadvantages of using loadlin? To me, it seems the simplest way of booting linux on a multi-boot machine.

Windows95, eh?  Neat.

I'd like to play around with Loadlin, but you can't really do it with XP for lack of DOS.

I guess I could go the route of downloading FreeDOS and then configuring Loadlin, and while I'd probably hacking around and trying to get it to work, I don't have the attention span right now.

Maybe after Christmas.
Frugal HD install on Compaq Presario 1600 with a 466 MHZ Celeron and an old Belkin 54g wireless card.  In fact it is an early 802.11b not g, but will operate at g speeds.

The wireless card requires a funky start up, but I did get it to work.  Will probably post what worked for this card here in a while.  Just in case someone else is trying to get one like it to work.
Quote (tp560e @ Dec. 11 2006,22:32)
Does anyone know of and disadvantages of using loadlin? To me, it seems the simplest way of booting linux on a multi-boot machine.

freedos+loadlin is the only way to go for me.
flexibility goes way past anything else. with batch files i can choose
any image version with corresponding kernels from any partition.
if i run out of partitions, i just overwrite one with a new image.
typically the startup batch file waits 10 secs before auto-loading and
aborts if a key is pressed. transferring the system to a freedos bootable
usb-stick is a synch.
the only thing not yet possible is choosing which backup.tar.gz
(because the filename is too long to rename or copy).
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