Re: Linux on older laptop

["Robert G. Brown" <bob@xxxxxxx>]

This message is being written on a 486/80 with 16 MB memory, running RH
6.2. When I installed it about 2 weeks ago, I was prompted very early in
the install to set up swap space, and after that, the install ran as
usual.  Now, this was not an FTP install, but the swap space is probably
being set up early on machines with smaller amounts of memory because it's
needed, and it may very well be for the reason cited below.

Maybe this change has not been applied to the ftp/nfs installs [??]

                                                            Regards,
                                                            ---> RGB <---

Robert A Pfeiffer <jareth@voyager.net> wrote:
>As to installing RH6.2 or anything above RH6.0 the problem is in the lack
>of memory.  I've tried ftp installs of Rh6.1 on a gateway with 16 megs.
>Apparently, the new perl (or python can't remeber its been a while)
>requires a min of 24 megs of memory to run the installer script now.

>Just thought I'd throw that out there.  I struggled and until I buy more
>memory, its Rh5.2 for the moment.
>
>Regards
>
>Tony Gettig wrote:

> Hi folks,
>
> I just acquired a Toshiba laptop, the specs of which are (as best as I can
> determine) P75, 8MB RAM, 500 MB HD. There's no CDROM. It currently has DOS
> 6.22 and WFW3.11 on it. I picked up a Linksys PCMCIA 10/100 NIC, which
> Linux seems to recognize fine. I'm trying to install RH 6.2 (BSWare).
>
> I've tried ftp install and nfs install, but to no avail. (BTW, where did
> the install over Samba go?). By ftp, I enter the IP address for the laptop,
> then the IP address and directory for the ftp server. It seems to find it
> but freezes on "second stage install" into RAM disk. I let it set for 20
> minutes, and there was no network activity. I could get to ther VC's
> though. By nfs, it seems to go a little further, then it says something to
> the effect of an unexpected error occurred and runs an orderly shutdown
> very quickly.
>
> Given the "RAM disk" hangup, my gut feeling is I don't have enough RAM to
> continue. Any thoughts? Can I create a swap partition just for
> installation? Will the install find it and use it? And is 8 MB enough to
> run a minimal gui (XFCE) and perhaps Star Office? TIA.
>
> Tony