Date:	Sun, 9 Oct 1994 15:52:20 -0400
From:	"J. Alan Eldridge" <alane AT wozzle DOT linet DOT org>
Subject:	Linux (please respond via mail only - this is the wrong place)
To:	djgpp AT sun DOT soe DOT clarkson DOT edu

On Fri, 7 Oct 1994, Anthony J. Duben wrote:

> A number of people in my department are planning to experiment with
> Linux as a cost effective alternative to the high priced UN*X
> versions -- esp. if we can run them on our PC's, (486DX, 486DX2
> with 8 meg., 340 Meg HD, and connected together (Novell) and CD-ROM on
> network.)  We also have similar machines at home, most of us with
> double speed CD ROM drives.

Good platform. TCP/IP will run over your existing net (I don't know
if the server needs reconfiguration to simply exist; I know you need
the NFS package from Novell if you want Linux to see your server).

> >From comments I have seen, running Linux directly from the CD-ROM
> (as can be done in most of the versions sold) is not something you
> would want to do -- slower than molasses on a glacier -- unless
> you a just testing something prior to installation.

Yes. And especially over a network.


> I have read that one needs a separate hard disk partition on which
> to install Linux.  The question is "How big?"  Before we start going

Technically, no it doesn't. Some dude did a hack that fakes a Unix
filesystem on a FAT partition. It is only recommended for use by the
terminally brain-dead, in my opinion.

> repartitioning our hard disks (and deciding what DOS/Windows software
> we are going to sacrifice), it would be good to know how much space

DOS? Winblows? Ack! Thppxxt! Thppxxt!

> to allocate in separate Linux partition -- big enough to do useful work
> (i.e., binaries for the operating system, compilers, and commonly used
> tools, but not the source   or any on-line text documentation that could
> be left on the CD-ROM).  Any suggestions from experienced users of

Ummm, nope. You don't want to be getting anything off the CD, even if
you can (see note above re NFS).

> Linux?  You can write to me directly or post to the list, as you see
> fit.

N.B. As I see fit means writing to you directly. This is not a topic
we want to overburden the djgpp list with. (FWIW I'm the author of the
BSD curses, the multitasker, the Borland 'conio' emulator, and the
second version of the async for DJGPP. I don't use it anymore at home
since I run an Operating System on my computer (Linux). But I still
use it at work when I need a Real Compiler for MS-DOG.)

You need about 200 meg to work with. First, I'll show you how my system
is set up (I have a Quantum 1050meg disk here at home):

bash$ df
Filesystem         1024-blocks  Used Available Capacity Mounted on
/dev/sda1             297379  174420   107600     62%   /
/dev/sda5             198283   27233   160811     14%   /usr/local
/dev/sda6              99120    3290    90711      3%   /home
/dev/sda7             399497  147728   231137     39%   /local
bash$ 

Don't let the 'Used' column scare you -- I have a LOT of stuff
installed that came off of the net, plus some really cool .gif files
that take up a lot of space in /local :)

Now, on a 340 megger with need for Winsuckz, I would recommend the
following:

Partition 	Type			Size	Mounted on
----------------------------------------------------------
/dev/hda1	DOS-16  		120M	n/a
/dev/hda2       DOS Extended		220M	n/a
/dev/hda5	ext2 (Linux Native)	140M	/
/dev/hda6	ext2			40M	/usr/local
/dev/hda7	ext2			40M	/home

You'll use LILO (LInux LOader) to boot your system, and choose
between DOS and Linux.

Now as a final note, most CD-ROM distributions are out of date by the
time they are produced. Even Linux quarterly is sadly out of date with
respect to the current Slackware distribution.

If you can, I would recommend that you ftp to tsx-11.mit.edu, go to the
/pub/linux/distributions/slackware directory and get the following:

	bootdisks.144/WHICH_ONE 
	(Read that file, then get a boot disk)
	rootdisks.144/color144.gz
	(Look for a program called rawrite. Get it. It is used to
		write your boot and root disks from DOS.)
	slakware/* (This is the 70 floppy disk distribution. Get all of
		it. You write it onto MS-DOG floppies and install from
		there. Once you get one machine up on Linux, and you've
		assigned IP addresses to them all (DON'T FORGET TO GET
		YOUR IP ADDRESSES FROM NIC!!! DON'T JUST MAKE THEM UP OR
		SATAN HERSELF WILL RISE UP FROM THE BOWELS OF YOUR NETWORK!)
		then you can use the first box as an NFS server, and the
		rest of the machines can install off the floppy images
		stored there.)

I'm cc'ing this to my friend Erik. He may have some additional help
for you. Then again he may tell you I'm crazy. (If he does, no harm
done. I am. But in a nice, systems-analyst, sort of way.)

--
Alan Eldridge (alane AT wozzle DOT linet DOT org, also alane AT cosmic DOT com)

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