Begin forwarded message:
Date: Tue, 05 Feb 2002 13:28:10 -0600
From: "Matthew J. Probst" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Linux-7110-psion] Distribution
i think there are lots of different ways to construct a distribution for a
device with limited memory and storage space. One doesn't have the option
to just stuff everything onto the device in non-conflicting fashion,
there's only so much RAM and so much storage space, and everyone will have
different needs.
Then again, the 5MX is about as powerful as the first sysem I installed SLS
and Slackware Linux on--a 40MHz AMD 386-clone mobo with 8MB of RAM and
120MB hard drive.
What I'd _really_ like to see is some kind of micro-distribution based on
the approach of the LFS folks--they're working on automated LFS, and their
compile-from-scratch instructions really let one decide exactly what's
needed. Add ARM and cross-compilation support to the LFS book, and it
could be interesting to build a micro-system.
I'd love a micro-distribution to include kernel, plus the barest minimum of
tools required to boot into a textmode prompt. Have semi-required packages
for networking, picoGUI, filesystem manipulation.
I'd also love to see a good dynamic interpreted language on it, with
bindings/support for PicoGUI. I would love to code applications in Python
or Ruby against picoGUI, and have the same applications available on a
Linux/OS X/Windows desktop. Many of these languages support running from
tokenized/precompiled files instead of raw text, saving on parsing time and
storage, and operations that need extra speed can use compiled modules
written in C. I'm just afraid that memory requirements of these languages
might be too much--Python 2.2, Scheme, and Ruby are languages that interest
me, in addition to the rather poorly documented Pliant. I really have my
heart set on Python, but I don't know how to make it so.
Such a micro-distro could serve as a base for addition of compiled C
programs, for various applications; or it could serve as a base for a
complete suite of PIM software, either compiled or written mostly in an
interpreted language.
I hope to start experimenting with these ideas soon, I've been too busy
LFSing my desktop box and learning about the _process_ of building a Linux
system. Now I plan to experiment with floppy-based Linux installations, to
get a feel for really _small_ distros. These ideas would all apply to the
5MX, even if you have lots of CF it doesn't pay to waste space on
unnecessary things.
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