On Mon, 9 Dec 2002 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> The latest Slackware (8.1) still provides a low-mem kernel.
> However the standard installation scheme is too big to run
> in 8mb RAM. The instructions say 16mb RAM is required,
> although 12mb is probably enough with the low-mem kernel.
> For machines with less RAM than this, the instructions
> recommend ZipSlack (which runs on a DOS filesystem).
>
> There is, however, another option for computers with
> 8mb RAM or less:
> -------------------------------------------
> http://www.volny.cz/basiclinux/slack81.html
> -------------------------------------------
> This uses a special low-RAM installation script that
> installs Slackware 8.1 to an ext2 partition.
>
> Cheers,
> Steven
>
I don't have a script for it, but the attached micro-howto is based
on my experience putting slackware 7 onto an old 386 with 4mb, a little
100mb harddrive, a floppy, a serial port, and nothing else. I used it
as an xterm when my monitor died. X over a serial line is _slow_.
Lawson
--
---oops---
lowmem-install micro-howto version 0.0.1 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
19 February 2000 Use, distribute or change at your own risk.
/* To start with, this is based on slackware, because that is what I am
most familiar with, and it is easiest for me to work with and check to
make sure I have my facts right. Other distro's differ in detail, but
the principles are the same. */
There is nothing magic or secret about installing a linux system. Each
distro has its own way, but they all amount to the same thing: to
install a linux system, boot up a tiny, self-contined linux system,
prepare the target medium (partition, make filesystems,..), mount it,
and (directed by a shell script) use standard linux tools to convert
and move files from the source to the target.
But hang on! Linux will install onto all kinds of systems which may or
may not have all kinds of different storage media. What do they have
in common, where the install filesystem can be rooted? RAM! And
indeed, all modern distro installs load the install fs to a ramdisk,
mount it on /, and take off running. If you have a reasonably modern
system with 16mb or more, nothing could be easier. With 12mb, you are
probably allright. With 8mb you are just on the edge, and with 4 you
are SOL. There just isn't room for 3822592 bytes of color.gz (that is
what color.gz from slackware 7 gunzips to) plus a kernel, plus buffers
in 4194304 bytes (less whatever the BIOS insists on using to shadow
itself with RAM, often at least 128k, perhaps as much as 412k).
No worry. We just need to use a different device for / for the
install. In the good old days before software got so fancy, an install
root filesystem would fit on a floppy. Indeed, in slackware's
rootdsks/obsolete directory are some that will. That is the simplest
way to run a low memory install:
just gzip -dc <your pet obsolete rootdisk>.gz >/dev/fd0
(If you don't have a linux system yet, in the install directory of the
distro are gzip.exe and rawrite.exe that can combine to do this with
windose)
and at the lilo prompt,
mount root=/dev/fd0
If you have some other medium to install from, a cd or a NIC or a zip
drive, you're away. Using an obsolete install program doesn't render
the programs installed obsolete. :-). The install itself may not be
as slick or pretty, but if you cared about slick or pretty you wouldn't
be installing on to a machine with almost no RAM now, would you?
If you were planning to install from the floppy, don't give up hope.
And if you wanted the newer, slicker color.gz, read on.
Go ahead and mount the obsolete root floppy. We need it for a few
minutes. We need another root device for the install. If you still
have a [win]dose partition, you can use fips to shrink off 4mb to make
a new partition. Or you can use fdisk to split off 4mb from the
partition you will install to, and mkfs -t ext2 (or mke2fs) to remake
the filesystem you wrecked by changing the partition size. Get a block
device with about 4mb from somewhere. I don't care where. If you're
really strapped for space, 1440k will do, but we will have to use one
of the obsolete install roots again.
Now just install your install root filesystem onto the new device. If
you can get at the distro, say on a zip or cd drive, you can just
gzip -dc color.gz >/dev/<install root>
sync
If you can't, you can just use the root floppy we have been working
from:
cp /dev/fd0 /dev/<install root>
sync
if you don't like cp, use:
{dd|cat} </dev/fd0 >/dev/<install root>
sync
Now reboot: shutdown -r now
switch back to the boot floppy. At the LILO boot: prompt,
mount root=/dev/<install root>
Now you have a floppy drive free to install from, and enough memory for
the install programs to run from.
Have fun!
