Help!!

Forum: HD Install
Topic: Help!!
started by: jonnybinthemix

Posted by jonnybinthemix on Sep. 28 2004,08:24

hi huys

here i have a laptop which has no cdrom, a 486 DX Something Processor, 8MB Ram, and my aim is to install Dam Small Linux on it!!

I have un Iso'd the files and folders to a seperate partition (D:) on the laptop by installing Win 95 from floppy to the C: Partition and networking the laptop and transferring the files to the D: drive from a networked computer.

Then i uninstalled Win 95 so i have a black c: and a D: dirve with files from the DSL iso. I transferred all the files from d: to c: and downloaded and used the DSL Boot FLoppy.

the floppy runs but get half way through and just hangs at Accessing DSL Image at /dev.hda1...

All i want to do is install the operating system!!

Can anyone helps please?!

thankyou

Jon

Posted by henk1955 on Sep. 28 2004,09:19

i think 8Mb is to little.
i have tried a toshiba 486@75Mhz with 8Mb ram.
The videocard tasks 2Mb, leave 6MB.
convetional mem below 1Mb is unsuable so leaves only 5MB.

you could try slackware 7.1 or a slackware based < Deli Linux >

Posted by skaos on Sep. 28 2004,10:13

If you want X-windows, I think your only option is < http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/baslinux/. > If don't need X-windows, you could take a look at the command line versions of Amigo Linux - see the "others" section in < http://amigolinux.org/download/index.htm. >

Posted by jonnybinthemix on Sep. 28 2004,10:21

hi henk

thanks alot for the reply,

do you have any experience in Deli Linux?

I have downloaded the ISO, 95mb.

I read the website and found that i would need the lowmem.dsk boot disk, so i extracted it from the iso and used rawwrite to put it to a boot floppy, ive ran the boot floppy and it now says:

Quote

Insert root floppy disk to be loaded into RAM disk and press ENTER

Which if any files do i need from the iso to install the operating system?? and what do i put onto a floppy to make it a root floppy??

thankyou

Jon

Posted by henk1955 on Sep. 28 2004,10:28

long ago i tried deli, but i switched to zipslack 7.1

from the deli website

Quote

You need 2 floppy disks

* put the first disk in the floppy drive (A: on Win/DOS Systems)

* From DOS/Windows do: RAWRITE <xxxx.dsk> A: (<xxxx.dsk> stands for the *.dsk file you chose)

* From Linux/Unix Systems do dd if=<xxxx.dsk> of=/dev/fd0

Then put the second disk in the drive and do the same with root.gz

* RAWRITE root.gz A: (DOS)
* dd if=root.gz of=/dev/fd0 (Unix)

i have no more knowlege then the deli webside provides.

Posted by cbagger01 on Sep. 28 2004,12:25

Even if you use Deli you are still going to be faced with the following reality:

Either install more RAM, or use Linux in console mode (text mode) only without Xwindows.

You may be able to get Xwindows up and running with Deli Linux but you will quickly run out of RAM when you start loading programs like a web browser or a file manager.

Linux in console mode is quite usable if you don't mind starting programs from the command line like in the old MSDOS days. There are commandline programs for filemanager, web browser, mp3 player, word processor, instant messager, etc.

Posted by henk1955 on Sep. 28 2004,12:33

and you NEED a swapfile or swapparition if you run X.
i was able (using zipslack) to run one small special purpose tcltk program. (traficlight controller for archery)