Forum Home
Press F1
 
Thread ID: 61304 2005-08-31 06:08:00 EXTREMLY Mini Linux Distro Dannz (1668) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
384906 2005-08-31 06:08:00 I have an old 486 with 4mb ram and 150mb hdd i am looking for a very small Linux distro with just the basic networking, serial, ssh, telnet stuff to use it as a dumb terminal Dannz (1668)
384907 2005-08-31 06:21:00 Although the documents say it's possible to run with 2MB, I have never managed that . I have an idea that I found it impossible to even install with 4MB . I added an ISA 2MB card to a 386sx20 for a total of 6MB and managed to get Slackware working . That was about 1995 .

I doubt if any recent distribution will even look at a 4MB machine . But look for an X-terminal package . That might work . I know that various people have generated such things . That can be much more compact than a full OS .

I've still got floppies which I have used for a really simple telnet/ftp terminal running under DOS . (You could do that on a 360k floppy) . The NCSA package works very nicely . It's not maintained now, but it's probably still around . The configuration file takes a bit of getting used to . It won't do ssh .

You might get putty going , and that's modern enough to have ssh ) . . . expecially if it runs under DOS . :)
Graham L (2)
384908 2005-08-31 07:43:00 deli linux (www.delilinux.de)
might be worth a crack, a full install is 250mB, so i would assume a stripped down install would be smaller

The tiny amount of ram is a problem, if it's the old edo ram, ask your friends as people often have it in old machines that are poked

This should work but it won't be easy

www.superant.com
Morgenmuffel (187)
384909 2005-08-31 09:33:00 i have managed to get it up to 16 MB Ram - suggestions now? Dannz (1668)
384910 2005-08-31 09:39:00 Upgrade time!!!

Get more memory and a bigger harddrive.

or

A better/newer computer.

:)
memphis (2869)
384911 2005-08-31 09:42:00 its just for a dumb terminal - hopefully that (486, 16MB) is all i need Dannz (1668)
384912 2005-08-31 22:52:00 try entering 486 dumb terminal linux into linux there seem to be a few distros available

Blueflops

or

the linux terminal server project

might be useful

or an old version of linux, redhat 6 perhaps?
Morgenmuffel (187)
384913 2005-08-31 23:33:00 why hasn't anyone mentioned DSL yet?

Damn small linux.

Debian based and it uses the ... ummm blackbox or fluxbox window manager.

Only 50 megs on the CD! and you can install it!!!
hamstar (4)
384914 2005-09-01 01:20:00 Damn Small Linux

I thought about it but didn't think it would work on hardware that old (and assuming most things are isa),

but it seems i am wrong

www.damnsmalllinux.org
Morgenmuffel (187)
384915 2005-09-01 03:44:00 It's GUIs that does the damage . ;)

I think I would just use W311 with the TCP/IP bits and use Telnet . Or even W95 and Putty . You might even get Putty going in W311 with the 32bit extensions .

Althougn I am a Linux user, I still shudder when I see "only 50 MB on the CD and you can install it" when I'm looking at a simple task . That's why I like the idea of "only 250k on the floppy and you can install it with DOS" . ;) The NCSA telnet can be installed on a bootable 360k floppy .

I've got a fairly smart dumb terminal tucked away somewhere: it is a PC XT with 640k of RAM . No disk . It was sold as a Novell terminal with a boot ROM on the network card . You don't need much for a terminal, let alone an OS . DOS is a very good programme loader .
Graham L (2)
1 2