Baslinux mailing list

[qwms-avib AT dea.spamcon.org]

James Miller wrote:
> 
> On Wed, 16 Apr 2003, Otto Werner wrote:
> 
> > I have an old notebook -Compaq Contura Aero 4/25 
> > CPU 486 8MB Ram 170 MB harddisk - wth dos 6.2.2.

James has covered this pretty well, so I'll just add
a few comments.

> > The notebook has no diskette or cdrom, so the system 
> > must be installed on HD.

I can think of two ways to get the files into the laptop:
--------------------------------------------------------
(1) If the laptop currently has internet access (via DOS
'   or Windows), you can download the files directly.
(2) If you have a laplink cable (or similar), you can hook
'   the laptop to another computer (using interlnk/intersvr)
'   and transfer the files over.
 
> For the notebook in question, you would need to use BL1.x.  

I agree.  I think that laptop is a 486sx.  BL1 will perform 
better than BL2 on a 486sx.

> BL2 needs at least 12MB RAM, as I recall.

On a Pentium or 486dx, BL2 runs fine in 8mb RAM.  However,
for a 486sx (which lacks a numerical coprocessor) you need 
a larger kernel -- that pushes up the RAM requirement.

> Almost certainly you'll have a PCMCIA modem or LAN card.  
> PCMCIA is not implemented by default in BL.  
> But there are some technical challenges in doing this.  

It's not too bad.  I recently got a 486 laptop and had to
do this myself.  In BL1, this will install the package.  
--------------
pkg pcmcia.tgz
--------------                ------------------------- 
To turn it on, you execute:   /etc/rc.d/rc.pcmcia start
'                             -------------------------
Hopefully, the laptop's PCMCIA card will be in the built-in
database and everything will work immediately.  However, if
it isn't, you will get an error message telling you the ID
of the card.  You simply add that ID in /etc/pcmcia/config
(the database) following the format of the other entries.

> BL can give you a GUI (Xwindows) with which you can use a 
> graphical browser to surf the web and check email.  It will 
> run in 8MB as I understand it, though slowly.  

X will run in 8mb, but Netscape will be very, very sluggish.
On a 486sx25, it's not worth it.

> If java is not necessary for checking/viewing mail, then 
> Netscape 3.04 should work fine - as should Links, the 
> text-mode browser included in BL. 

I think links is the best browsing option for a 486sx25.

Cheers,
Steven