Topic awaiting preservation: Lightweight Linux on 486? (Page 1 of 1)

I want to bring my first computer to life again, this time with Linux on it...
So what have I got to work with?
- a desktop 486 DX 66Mhz, 250 Mb HD & 12 Mb Ram and a 4x CD drive

Not much, I know, but since I've got a network card for it I'd like to be able to run
a cmd-line based LAMP distro with an FTP client.
Performance is not an issue at all, I just want it in a corner ticking away without screen or anything, it's dead silent (no fans) and can be stowed away in a closet beside my router.

Is this even possible on a PC as old as this?
If so, any links to suitable distros and tips would be very nice
/Dan

{cell 260}
-{ a vibration is a movement that doesn't know which way to go }-

You might want to find an old version of RedHat. I would say about 6.2 or earlier.

Your system specs are going to be just under Knoppix's bare minimum requirements. You might also want to look at floppy-distros. Those are linux distributions that function off a floppy disk.

Bandwagon American Since 9/11/01

For something as minimal as that I would look at either Debian or Slackware (Slackware install help). They are both minimal distro's and since you decide everything that is too be installed it shouldn't be a problem making a system that works on your computer. None of those two are easy to install (at least not as easy as RedHat), but as long as you're willing to read the manual it shouldn't be any problem...

The most important thing to remember is to keep anything resembling X, KDE or Gnome far away from your installation. Those three are what takes the most space and processing powers on most linux systems, and since you're only going to use the command line you won't need them. Your biggest problem will be RAM, since the usual requirement is 32MB Ram on all distros.

_________________________
"There are 10 kinds of people; those who know binary, those who don't and those who start counting at zero"
- the Golden Ratio - Vim Tutorial -

(Edited by Veneficuz on 05-19-2004 22:55)

Cool, Thanx!
I googled a bit yesterday as well and the only references I found was for a stripped slackware installation.

As for easy to install, well, as long as there is a decent manual most things can usually be solved.
My only experience with linux so far has been installing php/mysql from scratch on a redhat installation, that plus using shell through ssh is about it. But I'm game for expanding that

I'll look closer at Debian & Slackware.
/Dan

{cell 260}
-{ a vibration is a movement that doesn't know which way to go }-

Dms do you want linux and the possible use isa server or do you want an server and found linux to do the job?
If it's about the server there is also the possibility of DOS. Yes that's right good old dos can be used as an web server you need some extensions though. But the needed hardware specs are very low.
http://www.hippy.freeserve.co.uk/eznos.htm

Don't believe the myth about debian, installing is easy, i have it running on an pentium I 166Mhz. And it could find out all the hardware specs by itself and everything it could not find is very well documented.
For info about debian go to:
http://www.debian.org/doc
http://www.debian.org/support

<edit>

quote:

---

2.3 Memory and Disk Space Requirements
You must have at least 12MB of memory and 110MB of hard disk space. For a minimal console-based system (all standard packages), 250MB is required. If you want to install a reasonable amount of software, including the X Window System, and some development programs and libraries, you'll need at least 400MB. For a more or less complete installation, you'll need around 800MB. To install everything available in Debian, you'll probably need around 2 GB. Actually, installing everything doesn't even make sense, since some packages conflict with others.

---

from: Installing Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 For Intel x86
Chapter 2 - System Requirements</edit>

------------------------------
Do something usefull: support Justice for Pat Richard

(Edited by Rinswind 2th on 05-20-2004 12:02)

Rinswind 2th.
I do want Linux to run as a simple test-server on my 486.
Partly to see if I can get it to work, as a learning thing and to have a server of my own (slow, but still) running for fun stuff. Since I've got a fixed ip and a dmz set up at home I thought why the heck not.

I've been looking at Debian since I saw that part you quoted.
I'm also dl-ing the iso:s for slackware right now but I've had to re start it twice so far... Sigh.

I'll grab debian as well.
thanx/Dan

{cell 260}
-{ a vibration is a movement that doesn't know which way to go }-

Just my opinion, but here's one distro I love, perfectly suited to low-end machines: http://damnsmalllinux.org
Dunno if it suits what you want, but hey...

Wrayal

Go to kimber-ja.demon.co.uk and click on the link to the raytracer!

Yes DSL is cool, and i believe this is also an debian deriviate .
There is an online list with the most (all?) distro's in it.
http://www.linux.org/dist/list.html

------------------------------
Do something usefull: support Justice for Pat Richard

I suggest you at least try DSL. It is a debian derivative (via knoppix, so it has its nice customizations script), and like knoppix, its a live CD, tho with its customization scripts, its getting more desktop oriented. Good? Up to you - IMO it takes up disk space for what is meant to be a live distro!

BTW, that list isnt totally complete. EG its missing luit linux - a very nice DSL derivative

Wrayal

Go to kimber-ja.demon.co.uk and click on the link to the raytracer!

Heh, spent last night googling and visiting tons of distros...
I also dove into all my old magazine cd-s and found RH 6.2, RH 8.0, Suse 6.4, Corel Linux, BeOS, plus 33 different small distros, ex DSL, Serverdisk and loads more.

I think I'll go with http://coredistro.sourceforge.net/ though, that'll give me what I need to install exactly what I need as I please, when I please. Should prove good a good learning experience as well, esp as a first try on Linux...

I also had an -iso of knoppix on my hd that I burned and ran on my Win XP & the old IBM celeron laptop with W2k and I'm very impressed!
A very complete distro that runs on a ram-disc and sets up everything perfectly directly.
Even the wifi-cards worked without problems!
Slow as crap on the old laptop though, I guess bigger is better when it comes to ramdiscs

I guess I've got enough to get started now, at least fresh out of excuses anyway
I don't look forward to compiling the kernel on an old 486 though...
Thanx for all tips, I'll be back as I'm getting some results.
/Dan

{cell 260}
-{ a vibration is a movement that doesn't know which way to go }-