Baslinux mailing list

[David Moberg <davidjmoberg AT gmail.com>]

sindi keesan wrote:
> > If you don't mind wasting about 300k on a firewall and a few
> > other luxuries, you can just use the latest Slackware kernel.
>
> Why bother, when I can use your 2.4.31 kernel and initrd?

The Slackware kernels might work better with Slackware
modules. If the existing modules work fine, then don't
bother.

> Is there any reason not to simply boot with syslinux to linux, and chroot
> instead of booting to DOS and then using loadlin and another initrd to
> boot to the camera?

No; in fact, the initrd would do almost exactly the same thing
(pivot_root and then chroot or losetup).

> > umsdos is also a (slow) possibility.
> I tried that once.  It put about 30,000 (maybe only 3000) files into one
> of my DOS partitions and made it nearly impossible to defrag.

I have never had to defrag a usb stick or memory card.

> > sindi has modified the initrd that I made for booting BL3 loop from
> > a ZIP disk. So she should not have too much trouble with this.
>
> I have not figured out syslinux yet.  Maybe there is some way to get a
> larger kernel into the 1-floppy USB storage boot disk that would accept
> more modules, put the slhc/ppp modules and zgv onto the camera.

You would need to get a larger floppy disk or use two floppy disks
or make some compromises. There is only 1k of room left on the
1-floppy usb bootdisk.

If you mount the 1-floppy usb bootdisk, you will notice a
syslinux.cfg file. To change kernel settings, edit it (it is similar to
boot.bat for loadlin). You can modify the initrd.gz by mounting
it -o loop, and you can switch kernels by copying a z or bzimage
over the 'linux' file on the disk.

> What else can you run linux on?

Try searching google: 'linux badger' or 'linux toaster'. Yes,
some people are that crazy.

David