Bug#319878: kernel-image-2.6-686: the entire range of 2.6 deb ian kernels do not install on m/cs with <= 48mb RAM
On Mon, Jul 25, 2005 at 04:17:10PM -0700, Matt Taggart wrote:
> debian-release cc'd due to minimum system requirement stuff mentioned in a
> previous message...
>
> Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton writes...
>
> > my bug report invites you to consider the impact that such
> > a policy decision "roll your own or install 2.4 on anything
> > with <= 48mb of ram", made by mr horms, will have on the
> > debian project.
>
> In reality, not much. But the nice thing about Debian is that it's built to be
> able to support the needs of minority groups, so there could be a solution for
> this group if there are people motivated to work on and maintain it. It's not
> clear that there are though :(
yeh, *sigh*.
> > when the 2.4 kernel is no longer maintained / supported
> > by debian, in oh [wild guess] 2-3 years time, anyone not
> > sufficiently technically competent who is using debian on
> > such older hardware is left completely shafted.
>
> Yes, but Debian supported those users far longer than any other major
> distribution, they abandoned older hardware a long time ago. Just as Debian no
> longer supports 386/25 systems with 8mb RAM, there will come a day when it no
> longer makes sense to support pentium-90s with 48mb RAM. (I would argue we've
> passed it already...)
:)
makes a perfectly good email, squid proxy and web server, dammit!!!!
dude, i've even given machines with this kind of spec to kids!!
embarrassingly, because the machine hadn't been used for 10 years,
it blew up within 24 hours.
... unlike my email/squid/web server which has been in constant use,
recently acquired, and therefore is still going, and i honestly believe
that it won't need replacing until the solder whiskers grow and fries
it some time in the next five years.
> If users want to continue to keep this old hardware limping along, I don't
> think it's unreasonable that they have the competency to do it themselves
> instead of being a burden on the developers and majority of the user base.
> Users who can't can upgrade their hardware, Debian's minimum config will
> always be a system that is nearly free to obtain in most countries around the
> world.
>
> There is an organization in Portland, OR, USA called FreeGeek (
> http://freegeek.org ) that recycles computer equipment and turns it into as
> many working computers as possible (running Debian) and donates them to
> various groups around the world. They maintain a specification of the minimum
> requirements for the systems they build. Currently this is,
>
> http://freegeek.org/freekbox.php
> * Pentium III 500 - 566mhz
> * 128MB RAM
> * 9 - 10 GB hard drive
> * 14x - 24x CD ROM drive
> * Floppy disk drive
> * 17 inch color monitor
> * 56k Modem
> * 10/100 Network card
> * Keyboard
> * Mouse
> * Speakers
ah. this is the kind of spec that i would consider _perfect_
for "reasonable" desktop computer use - as long as you don't
then try to put gnome or kde 3.4 on it (it's _just_ useable
with kde 3.3).
heck - i only just helped replace some pentium III 800s with
128mb ram last month, and due to new staff have had to bring
some of those machines back into service!
<= 64mb ram and <= pentium 200 is only truly sane for use as servers.
in conclusion, matt, much against my frugal and nostalgic
ethos, i believe that you are right: your comments make a lot
of sense [that pentium-I machines are now basically _really_
out there, and so can go hang but if you can get it to work,
great, and good luck].
i wish that mr horm's message had contained even the _briefest_
reference to something like this.
l.
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