ropers wrote: > 2008/9/4 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: >> I've searched the FAQ and the Web for any guidance on what the minimum RAM >> is for OpenBSD, with and without X. >> >> I just acquired a Compaq Armada 1125 laptop that maxes out at 24 MB of >> RAM, and I'm wondering whether or not it's feasible to run OpenBSD on it. > > I kept thinking that I had read an answer to that question in some > part of the documentation in the past, but like the OP, I couldn't > find it in the FAQ. Now I've found it: It's in INSTALL.386 --on the > web e.g. at http://anga.funkfeuer.at/ftp/pub/OpenBSD/4.3/i386/INSTALL.i386 > (and other mirrors)-- where is says among other things: > >> The minimal configuration to install the system is 24MB or 32MB of RAM and > perhaps 200MB of disk space. To install the entire system requires much more > disk space, and to run X or compile the system, more RAM is recommended. > > I'm not, btw. entirely sure why it says 24MB *or* 32MB, but anyway.
Because it is hard to get a machine down to 24M RAM anymore. :) I actually have some 16M DIMMs which allowed me to build a real 450MHz PII machine with 16M RAM. :) I have difficulty coming up with a practical app for such a machine, however. IF it doesn't already have 24M RAM in it, upgrading to that would be unpleasant. You won't want to compile anything. You won't want to use X (don't know that you would want to do that on that screen anyway). You won't be using any big applications. You won't be using any medium-sized applications. You won't be running many small applications. I guess if you need a portable serial console, it might be pretty good, though the battery is probably dead. 100MHz P1 is enough for ssh, but it isn't really fun. Finding a PCMCIA network adapter that works on a machine that old might be lots of fun, too. I think I started writing a FAQ article a few times on minimum hardware a few times. It kept turning into a sermon. :) Short version: If you are new to OpenBSD, I'm going to say a P-II, 4G HD, 64M RAM would be the least I'd suggest. A lot of things a LOT less will work just fine for a LOT of applications, but when you are learning, you want to have something you can screw-up and reload many times without horrible delays. You want to be able to say, "What happens when I do THIS?" and even look forward to it blowing up and requiring a complete reload. Can you do repeated reloads on a 486/25? Of course. However, if you got that kinda time on your hands, you need a job. Experienced users usually have no problem figuring out what they need to run their applications. Also keep in mind, the goal is most likely not "running OpenBSD", the goal is probably some task which runs on top OpenBSD. 24M is plenty to sit at a shell prompt, but I doubt that's your goal. Nick.
