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Topic: Only 16 MB RAM, Only 16 MB RAM

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johnn

Group: Members
Posts: 1
Joined: Dec. 2005

Posted: Dec. 12 2005,03:38

According to the home page DSL can run with as little as a 486 and 16mb RAM, - which is exactly the configuration of the laptop I have been given. It has no CD-ROM drive so I took out the HDD (810 MB), and in another machine created a 550 MB Root partition and a 250 MB swap partition.

I then installed DSL to the HDD using the lpd and NOT the toram option, replaced the drive in the laptop and tried to boot. It loads the kernel OK but then dies with the fillowing messages:

INIT: version 2.78-knoppix booting
INIT: No inittab file found
Enter runlevel:

I have tried runlevels 1 thru 6 but the machine hangs every time.

Any ideas?

TIA
John

nycanc2000 Offline

Group: Members
Posts: 4
Joined: Dec. 2005

Posted: Dec. 12 2005,11:16

I'm a newbie too, but you sound much more Linux/UNIX knowledgable than I am.

Here's the process I followed for a laptop with no CD:

- I used Tom's rtbt diskette to create and format partitions on the hard drive.

- Used rtbt diskette to download the DSL 2.0 ISO image to one partition.
mount /dev/hda2 /cc
wget ....

- Mounted the ISO image:
mount dsl-2.0.iso /dd -t iso9660 -o=loop
(not sure if this is exactly right, "man mount" would help)

- Copied /KNOPPIX and /boot directories to /cc
cp -r /dd/KNOPPIX /cc
cp -r /boot /cc

- created a DSL boot diskette

- Booted from the DSL diskette. It will find the directories that you copied to /dev/hda2 and boot up DSL.

- I booted all the way up to DSL desktop. Brought up an Xterminal and invoked:
dsl-hdinstall

- It will prompt about a boot loader after the install completes.

Links to this type of procedure can be found by piecing together a few different web links. Sorry I don't have those links on this machine.

Hope this helps,
nycanc2000

sarah

Group: Members
Posts: 73
Joined: Sep. 2005

Posted: Dec. 12 2005,14:02

http://damnsmalllinux.org/wiki/index.php/Floppy_Only_Install_with_Netcard_(Poormans_Install)
Might help you?

Be aware that not all the DSL applications will run.

When you get it to boot, minimal, mem=16M and vga=normal are your friends...

I'm tired so not much use for more than that right now!
Cheers and beers,
Sarah

--------------
I've been told the best way to learn is to explain it to someone else in front of "experts". People who are knowledgable (and sometimes even if they're not!) on a topic will soon tell you if you're wrong, and love you for the opportunity to either show their prowess or make jokes at your expense!

cbagger01

Group: Members
Posts: 4264
Joined: Oct. 2003

Posted: Dec. 13 2005,17:48

Make sure that your HDD is located in the same spot on both computers.

In other words, if it is the PRIMARY MASTER IDE DRIVE in your main computer, it must also be the PRIMARY MASTER IDE DRIVE in your other computer when you do the hd install

3 replies since Dec. 12 2005,03:38

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