Re: Debian on a 486sx thru PCMCIA NIC
On Sun, 2 Nov 2003 02:55:03 +0100
Gerlando wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I would like to install Linux on a old Toshiba T1900 laptop (486sx/20MHz,
> 8MB of RAM).
First off, you'd need more ram to get the installer going. Try to get up to 16Mb ram, then it should work nicely. If getting more memory is impossible, DEbian 2.0 should be able to do the installation on such a small amount of ram. Haven't tried it so YMMV.
It does not have a CD drive, so I was hoping I could
> get it off the network (either from a local PC or the Internet) thru a
> 3Com Etherlink III PCMCIA card (3c589).
> What version should I use and HOW?
>
> I tried Debian woody/compact and it hangs right after
> reading the root floppy fisk. I am speculating that kernel version
> does not get along with a 486sx processor which has no math coprocessor.
The kernel works even on the SX but the diskettes should really be the vanilla flavor. Compact is mostly pci and scsi stuff afaik.
The way I usually bypass not having a cd on a laptop is that I install the drivers, configure pcmcia, install the nic (usually from the console) and then just configure the network. After that everything works as usual.
--
Yours truly:
Dr. Fred M'Bogo
Doctor of Witchcraft
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