Baslinux mailing list

[baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org]

> Yes, but I do not know why exactly. Probabbly syslinux does not free his
> own memory, in a way loadlin does. But, you do not need complete DOS.
> Just boot sector and bootable files (msdos.sys and io.sys  (for MSdos) -
> or kernel.sys for freedos -  or ibmbio.com and ibmdos.com (for pcdos and
> caldera/novell opendos) )
> and put in config.sys line
> shell=a:\loadlin.exe zimage root = /dev/loop0 initrd=initfs.gz rw
Or boot and then type loadlin.exe etc.

> However booting with syslinux is a bit faster solution, but when I
> reduce memory to 3 megabytes in QEMU and try to boot emulated floppy
> with syslinux, kernel has disk errors. So I keep loadlin on this floppy
> image too.

But we don't need loadlin if we have more RAM, right?
Can your disk be modified to make more usable space to run programs in, by 
mounting two 4MB RAMDISKs?  I have not run into any computers recently 
with only 3MB RAM except my old 386 (which worked with BL3.3, slowly).

> Will your
> download contain both syslinux and loadlin, and we remove one or the other
> depending how we use it?
>
> Yes. And the download is available now.

> > BL3 works in 3MB RAM but only if run from hard disk.  You can hit Ctrl-C
> > instead of loading the second disk (you lose X and modules, I think).
> > How much of the 3MB is left after booting your disk, to run programs in?
>
> Command free gives me
>                   total  used   free    shared   buffers
> Mem:         1672   724   948    144     112
> Swap            0        0       0
>
> So, 948 kilobytes is free. For asmutils more than enough :)


This is not lined up properly and should be:

              total  used   free    shared   buffers
> Mem:         1672   724   948    144     112

The kernel is using about 1.5MB.  What is using the 724K?

> > David Moberg put together a 1-floppy BL-based linux with kernel 2.4.31 and
> > usb-storage and mouse driver, useful for copying files from a usb-storage
> > digital camera and viewing with zgv.  I forget how much RAM it needs.  I
> > put a small BL3 onto it and can boot with floppy then chroot to it to view
> > and edit images.  Would a larger kernel also fit into your SAMEL?
>
> Depends how much larger. Some modern kernels are more than three
> megabytes long.
>
> On the other hands, I think also about some older kernels.

I have a 2.4.31 kernel of about 600K, or 170K bigger than a BL3 kernel. 
This would still fit on your disk and allow usb-storage (add some 
modules).


> Kernel 1.0.9 boots in 2 megabytes and there is a patch to boot it in
> just one megabyte

I had a 486 laptop with 2MB RAM but gave it to someone for DOS 
wordprocessing.  What would you do with linux using this kernel?

> http://www.superant.com/files/smallapps/linux-lite.html
>
> and patch to understand elf format
>
> http://old.lwn.net/lwn/1998/0430/a/linuxlite.html
>
> Unfortunately  big part of this site is lost.
> > > If nothing else, to say: My computer from trash bin can use Linux.
> > > However, there are 800 kilobytes space to add yet some commands. It
> > > might become rescue floppy or you can convert your computer to telnet
> > > terminal, or installer of hard disk based Linux ....
> >
> > With telnetd.  Will it have e2fsck (not in my asmutils), mke2fs?
> > You could probably shrink the BL3 kernel some more.
> I think they can be added optionally. It is fat16 floppy so adding
> programs is quite easy.

Do you have an assembly language e2fsck and mke2fs?

> > > BTW, See how I lived without hard disk and still developed software
> > > http://www.worldofspectrum.org/warajevo/Story.html
> >
> > Interesting story.  What is a Spectrum?

> My first home computer, which had only 48 kilobytes of RAM, and probably
> the most popular European computer ever created. In spite 3.5 MHz
> processor and tape recorder as external memory it had about 20000
> programs (mostly games, but also spreadsheets, word processors, painting
> programs,  3D modelling ,  compilers and interpreters for languages like
> assembly, C, Lisp, Pascal, Logo, Basic, Microprolog, Forth , backup,
> educational, accounting and DTP programs were available).

Were you trying to emulate it under some other operating system?

> Samir