Bug#319878: kernel-image-2.6-686: the entire range of 2.6 debian kernels do not install on m/cs with <= 48mb RAM
Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton writes...
> i invite you to think ahead to when the 2.4 kernel is no longer
> maintained.
>
> i invite you to consider where debian will stand at that time with
> respect to older hardware.
>
> should debian be possible to install on older hardware in two,
> three years time, or should people who are not as fortunate and
> as computer literate as yourself, myself and mr horms, either
> throw the machine away or utilise an alternative distribution?
The subject of the minimum system requirements for Debian is probably
something the Debian Release team should be tracking if they're not already. I
don't know if sarge had minimum system requirements, I didn't find any in a
brief scan of the release notes.
It would probably be a good idea to record what ought to work in any given
release and maybe have an ongoing idea what it should be. The answer might be
architecture specific? ISTR either the d-i team or apt/dpkg/aptitude trying to
get sarge systems with 32mb working towards the end of the release.
Can a goal be added to the release goals for etch? Obviously supporting 32mb
would be nice since a lot of appliance type systems only have that, but 64mb
might be a more reasonable goal. In addition to "minimum" requirements,
"recommended" requirements might be a good idea too.
--
Matt Taggart
taggart@debian.org
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