157 lines
7.2 KiB
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157 lines
7.2 KiB
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<TITLE>4mb Laptop HOWTO: Choices Made</TITLE>
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<LINK HREF="4mb-Laptops-4.html" REL=next>
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<LINK HREF="4mb-Laptops.html#toc3" REL=contents>
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<A HREF="4mb-Laptops-4.html">Next</A>
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<A HREF="4mb-Laptops.html#toc3">Contents</A>
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<HR>
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<H2><A NAME="s3">3. Choices Made</A> </H2>
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<P>This section describes the choices available, which options are practical,
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which ones I decided on and why.
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<H2><A NAME="ss3.1">3.1 What to use to create the initial root partition?</A>
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</H2>
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<P>The best tool for this is a mini-Linux. There's a wide selection of small
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Linuces available on the net, but most of them won't boot in 4mb RAM. I found
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two that will:
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<P>
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<DL>
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<DT><B>SmallLinux
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<A HREF="http://smalllinux.netpedia.net/">http://smalllinux.netpedia.net/</A></B><DD><P>SmallLinux will boot in as little as 2mb RAM but its
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root disk can't be taken out of the drive, which is a shame since otherwise
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it has everything we need (i.e. fdisk, mkswap and mkfs.ext2). SmallLinux can
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create the needed partitions but can't be used to copy the root partition.
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<DT><B>muLinux
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<A HREF="http://sunsite.auc.dk/mulinux/">http://sunsite.auc.dk/mulinux/</A></B><DD><P>muLinux will boot in 4mb but only in a limited single-user
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mode. In this mode fdisk and mkswap are available but mkfs.ext2 and the libraries
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needed to run it are on the /usr partition which is not available in maintenance
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mode. To use muLinux to do the whole pre-installation procedure the files needed
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to create ext2 file-systems must be extracted from the usr disk image and copied
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onto a floppy.
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</DL>
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<P>This gives the option of either using SmallLinux to create the partitions
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and muLinux to copy the root partition or using muLinux to do the whole job.
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Since I had two laptops I tried both.
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<H2><A NAME="ss3.2">3.2 The Distribution</A>
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</H2>
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<P>It didn't take much time to choose Slackware. Apart from the fact that
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I like it but haven't used it much and want to learn more, I considered the
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following points:
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<P>
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<UL>
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<LI>Slackware has possibly the most low-tech DIY install of all the major distributions.
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It is also one of the most flexible, coming with a wide range of boot-disk
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kernels to suit many different machines. This makes it well suited to the kind
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of hacking about required in this scenario.</LI>
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<LI>Slackware supports all the methods listed in
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<A HREF="#sec:whichmethod">Which Installation method to use?</A>.</LI>
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<LI>Slackware is a distribution designed by one person. I'm sure Patrick Volkerding
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won't object if I say this means its configuration tools are simpler and more
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streamlined. In my opinion this makes the job of trimming the installation
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to fit cramped conditions easier.</LI>
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</UL>
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<P>Version 7.0 was the latest version when I tried this so that's what I used.
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<H3>But I don't like Slackware! </H3>
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<P>You don't have to use it. I can't answer for all the distributions but
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I know that Debian, Red Hat and SuSE offer a range of installation methods
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and have an "expert" installation procedure
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<BLOCKQUOTE>Does Debian do any other kind? </BLOCKQUOTE>
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which can be used here. Most of the steps in this document would apply
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to any of the distributions without change.
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<P>If you haven't used the expert method with your preferred distribution
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before, do a trial run on a simple desktop machine to get the feel of it and
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to explore the options it offers.
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<H2><A NAME="sec:whichmethod"></A> <A NAME="ss3.3">3.3 Which installation method to use?</A>
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</H2>
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<P>
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<DL>
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<DT><B>Floppy Install</B><DD><P>This means churning out 15 floppies - which only gives
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you an absolute minimal install and requires a second stage to get the apps
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you want on. It's also <EM>very</EM> slow on such low-spec machines. This is a last
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resort if you can't make the others work.
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<DT><B>Parallel-port Install</B><DD><P>Where the parallel port has an IDE device,
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parallel cable or pocket ethernet adaptor
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<BLOCKQUOTE>A pocket lan adaptor installation onto these machines will be <EM>very</EM> slow. </BLOCKQUOTE>
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attached. This would be a good choice for the Aero, leaving the
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PCMCIA slot free to run the floppy drive.
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<DT><B>PCMCIA Install</B><DD><P>As above, this could be a CD-ROM or network install.
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This would be the best method for the T1910 - on the Aero it's a bit more awkward.
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<DT><B>ISA/PCI Ethernet Install</B><DD><P>Not an option for the laptops, obviously,
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but included in case your target machine is a desktop PC.
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</DL>
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<P>
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<BLOCKQUOTE>
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The tools I had to hand dictated a PCMCIA network install. I will point
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out where steps differ for the other methods. Whichever method you choose,
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you need to have a higher-spec machine available - even if only to create the
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disks for a floppy install.
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</BLOCKQUOTE>
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<H2><A NAME="sec:partitionlayout"></A> <A NAME="ss3.4">3.4 Partition Layout</A>
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</H2>
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<H3>Basic Requirement </H3>
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<P>This procedure requires at least two Linux Native partitions in addition
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to a Swap partition. Since one of the ext2 partitions will be in use as temporary
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root during the installation it will not be available as a target partition
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and so should be small - though no smaller than 5mb. It makes sense to create
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for this a partition that you will re-use as /home after installation is complete.
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Another option would be to re-create it as a DOS partition to give you a dual
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boot laptop.
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<H3>How complex a layout? </H3>
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<P>There isn't room to get too clever here. There is an argument for having
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a single ext2 partition and using a swap file to avoid wasting space but I
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would strongly urge creating a separate partition for /usr. If you have only
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one partition and something goes wrong with it you may well be faced with a
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complete re-installation. Separating /usr and having a small partition for
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/ makes disaster recovery a more likely prospect. On both machines I created
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4 partitions in total:
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<P>
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<OL>
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<LI>A swap partition -- 16mb on the T1910, 20 on the Aero (I'm more likely
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to upgrade the memory on the Aero).</LI>
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<LI>/home (temporary root during installation) -- 10mb</LI>
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<LI>/ -- 40mb on the T1910, 30mb on the Aero.</LI>
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<LI>/usr -- All the remainder.</LI>
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</OL>
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<P>In addition, the Aero uses hda3 for a 2mb DOS partition containing configuration
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utilities. See the Aero FAQs for details.
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<H2><A NAME="sec:whichcomponents"></A> <A NAME="ss3.5">3.5 Which components to install?</A>
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</H2>
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<P>The full glibc libraries alone would nearly fill the hard disks so there's
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no question of building a development machine. It looks as if a minimal X installation
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can be squeezed in but I'm sure it would crawl and I don't want it anyway.
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I decide to install the following (for a full listing see
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<A HREF="4mb-Laptops-7.html#sec:appendixA">Appendix A</A>):
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<P>
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<UL>
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<LI>The core Linux utilities</LI>
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<LI>Assorted text apps from the ap1 file set:</LI>
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<LI>Info/FAQ/HOWTO documentation</LI>
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<LI>Basic networking utilities</LI>
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<LI>The BSD games</LI>
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</UL>
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<P>This selection matches the kind of machine described in
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<A HREF="4mb-Laptops-1.html#sec:whatuse">What use is a small laptop?</A>.
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<HR>
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