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  • From: qwms-avib AT dea.spamcon.org
  • To: baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [BL] It`s possible ?
  • Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2003 06:52:58 +0000

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




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