Date: Mon, 09 Feb 2004 22:42:16 +0100 From: Philip Nienhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [LIB] Re: Linux
"T. Ribbrock" wrote: <snip> > > I wrote up my solution here: http://www.cantrell.org.uk/david/tech/libretto/ > > That's about the way I was using to install Red Hat 7.3 on my 100CT... > > When installing Mandrake 9.1 on the 110CT I got later, it was a lot > easier. You need: > - a Libretto (ha, ha...) > - the PCMCIA floppy drive > - a PCMCIA netwerk card > - a second PC that can serve files via NFS or HTTP (FTP is possible, > too, I think). > > Roughly, you then: > > - make an install floppy from the "PCMCIA" image > - copy all contents of the install CDs into one directory on an NFS or > HTTP (web) server - make sure, all "RPMSxxx" directories are in the > "Mandrake" subdirectory > - boot the libby from the install floppy > - choose network install > - tell the installer which network card you have and what parameters to > use (ID address, etc.) > > Voila, you can now install from the server. It's good to emphasize that the server needs to run Linux too, or some other *nix variant -- because of symbolic links on Mandrake CD-ROM #1. BTW, with Mandrake 9.2 your setup is no longer possible (> 64 MB RAM needed for any network install option). Too bad, really. I found the only way to install MD9.2 on a Libretto is from PCMCIA CD-ROM, booting linux from HD with a loadlin vmlinuz .... mantra. I've got the entire raw tree on an ext2 partition, and even then Mandrake install won't go (it recognizes the ext2 partition as a Windows partition and says it needs > 64 MB for that. But I suspect memory problems are the real culprit...) <snip> > > So far, there are three downsides: > - I never got round to add the floppy driver to the kernel for lack of > time and motivation... The Libretto is networked most of the time, so > I just don't miss the floppy enough to be bothered Compiling in floppy support is really easy. That said, in Mandrake 9.2 it didn't work so far (I got no time yet to sort it out). Look at Christian Gennerat's page and/or mail him, he's got patches there for later kernels (they work up to 2.4.24 I think) and many helpful suggestions. > - Mandrake has done something that causes the boot as well as the first > user login to take quite long. I've found a workaround for the former > but am still working on the latter. I have an idea about the cause, > but didn't find the time to investigate yet. RHL 7.3 didn't have this > problem, not even on the 100CT. "Quite" long? -- on MD9.2: booting delay 1 min., login delay 1.5 min => effectively more than doubling the waiting time. Solution: disable devfs; solved exactly those same symptoms here. I stumbled onto this solution just by accident, I was actually looking into floppy initialization problems. Gennerat suggested to me it has to do with DNS, but (being a mere mortal Linux user) I fail to understand how DNS and devfs could be related. > - I have a compact flash to PCMCIA adapter that worked just fine under > RHL 7.3, but is having issues under MDK 9.1. Again, I have an idea as > to why and I have a workaround but lack the time to investigate > further... The kernel may try to mount it at a wrong place. > As for boot speed compared to Windows: No idea, I'm not much of a > Windows user - and comparing Win9x to Linux is like comparing Win9x with > Win00, i.e. unfair... ;-) It's not bad in my eyes. Also, what I really > like: I'm able to use a lean window manager instead of a fully fledged > desktop environment (like the Win00 GUI or KDE/GNOME), which makes the > 64MB limit a bit more bearable. You mean IceWM? I'm quite happy with that. Well, KDe is a resource hog. But once started (which takes forever) it is not so bad. BTW format your / partition as reiserfs, that makes HD access significantly faster. And another hint: recompile your kernel (+ add in floppy support) and leave out all stuff you don't really need (it's quite a lot). That again saves memory and increases speed. Ah, and comparing Windows to Linux: - Windows is a bit faster with graphical apps, simply because it has the graphical stuff right into its kernel(s). On Linux the entire graphical system (XFree86) runs in user space. - But this is more than compensated for by the build-up of the Windows registry and overhead from unavoidable add-ons. Everything you install (virus scanner, firewall, power extensions, office suites, games, etc) helps to increase the registry size. As all relevant registry parts must be read during booting (and swapped out soon after) a freshly installed Windows is quite snappy, but a real-world Windows boots much slower than Linux on the same PC. OTOH under Linux apps only use resources when they are running. My Win2K's registry size is already some 20 MB.... Philip ************************************************************** http://libretto.basiclink.com - Libretto mailing list http://www.silverace.com/libretto/ - Archives -------TO UNSUBSCRIBE------- Reply to any of the list messages. The reply mail should be addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Then replace any text on the message's subject line: cmd:unsubscribe --------TO UNSUBSCRIBE DIGEST------ Do above but with this on subject line: cmd:unsubscribe digest **************************************************************
