Per Jessen wrote: > Richard Creighton wrote: > > >> I cranked up 10.2 on a >> 486DX-2 the other day just to see it run...slow, but it ran :) >> > > How exactly did you manage that? Have you got a 486-version of 10.2? > > I've got a 486DX2 machine running as firewall/gateway, but it's stuck on > SuSE 7.1 - I would certainly be interested in getting it upgraded to > 10.2. The 256Mb yast memory requirement might be a problem, but I'm > sure I'll find a way around that. > > > /Per Jessen, Zürich > > Now for a better answer to your question. In my opinion, I doubt that anyone could actually get a full 10.2 distro to install and run on anything less than a Pentium/AMD-K6 or some such processor now. Internally, these processors support subsets that include 386 code which of course the 486 also understands. So, the kernel can be compiled to run as a 386 and shun some of the Pentium centric code and should run just fine. It isn't the kernel that is the problem, it is all of the support software, multimedia, graphics, word processing, ad nausium, that we now take for granted and say 'that is 10.2' or that is SuSE or Kubuntu or whatever. It isn't. SuSE is a collection which includes Linux, as is Debian, or whatever distro you happen to like. It is the collection of support software that becomes the personality of the distribution and it is also the reason our old 486 machines won't run anymore. It is these neat packages of music, graphics, editors and what-not, that depend on instructions that the poor old 486 processor simply has no concept of. So while Linux itself can be compiled to run in a mode that is compatible with the old box, it is unlikely the rest of any modern distro will do so as well. However, remember, you are given the source code to much of the software you use and it *is* possible that if you put your mind to it, many programs might be coerced into a compatible mode and recompiled...not a chore for the faint of heart. Also, not a few of the packages include NON-OSS programs, which mean 'sorry Charlie' because the sources are not available. All this said however, I challange a user of VISTA or even XP to take its' kernel and boot on a 486...never mind all its bells and whistles, just the kernel....Linux users can, even a modern version. And when you get done with the Windows trial, you can have a boat anchor, and with the Linux box, you can have a router :)
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