I recently installed, ``Phat'' Linux on my (dont flame me - I didnt
MEAN to say it) Windows 95 PC at work. Interesting experience, you
just unzip the thing, and run, ``lunux.bat'' and you are in Unix!
Not configuration, no setup no nothing. And it comes with KDE and
X Windows pre-installed (well -- you do have to tell the software
a bit about you monitor and video card to get those running).
On the other hand, the compressed zip file for Phat Linux (read about
and get it at: www.phatlinux.com) is about 200 Megs and you need about
500 Megs free space for a practical, useable installation. Now, how
big was win9x again?
This linux is one of those that use a ``loop'' system to install Linux
on the same disk partition that may also have dos or win9x installed.
There is no need to use a separate partition or repartition the disk.
How is this done? I was initially confused when I heard the term,
``loop system'' until I saw how their linix.bat, batch file worked:
Essentially, it is the same idea used by Stacker, DriveSpace, DoubleSpace
and similar disk compression utilities. To DOS, Phat Linux looks like a
single gigantic compressed file, an archive really. The dos batch file
runs a program that takes you inside this file. Once inside, the
file behaves like a disk partition and file system. Thus, Phat and
similar versions of Linux are installed ``on Top of'' dos, just like
windows 3.1 was. While you think you are running linux, Dos is running
and thinks you are running a specific dos program on the huge file image.
I am impressed with how unbelieably easy this one is to install, for a
Linux, and how many features and programs it includes. However, I dont
see much of a real advantage in these kinds of programs that try to
coexist with Microsoft: We all know the problems of installing another
pseudo-OS or shell ``on top of'' dos from your years with win 3x. And,
if you really have 500 megs of free space on a disk partition, it is
not big deal to use one of the freeware disk resizers and make that
space into an independently format-able partition. My guess is that
the ``real'' Linux filesystems will work better and more trouble free.
Howard Schwartz
-------------------------------
theo "at" ncal.verio.com
To unsubscribe from SURVPC send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with
unsubscribe SURVPC in the body of the message.
Also, trim this footer from any quoted replies.
More info can be found at;
http://www.softcon.com/archives/SURVPC.html
