Message-Id: <199806010402.XAA22527@smtp1.mailsrvcs.net>
From: "Marc D. Williams" <wilmarc AT gte DOT net>
To: opendos AT delorie DOT com
Date:          Sun, 31 May 1998 19:17:11 PST8PDT
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Subject:       Re:  Linux under DR-DOS.
Reply-to: wilmarc AT gte DOT net
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> How do munkey linux, Doslinux, compare with the usual redhat, debian etc?
> 
> Thanks.
>
Actually it's just a file system thing. For example DOSLinux is essentially
Slackware but setup for the UMSDOS filesystem.
These 'distributions' allow for installing Linux over a DOS partition
from DOS itself (hard drive install) as opposed to needing a CD-ROM or
making Linux boot disks. I still don't have a CD-ROM.
It was just a matter of running the self-extracting archive which 
automatically created everything (and another archive with the kernel).
Then run the startup batch file and you're in Linux, ready to go.

I originally went the doslinux route because I didn't have the money
for either a new drive nor a backup device (needed to backup everything
before using fdisk to create a partition for Linux).
Once I did acquire a backup device I was able to create a dedicated
Linux partition with its file system (ext2) and moved things over to
it. On my old system that resulted in a major speed increase it seems.
Doslinux, however, does not/did not have the necessary filesystem 
utilities to do that so I had to download the small DragonLinux
setup for that.

Only thing I miss about UMSDOS is that I was able to easily back it all
up (and the rest of the drive) to my Ditto 2GB external tape drive.
Not supported in Linux though so I have no easy way to backup my
stuff now.

If you have the drive space, equipment (cd-rom), and don't mind partitioning
then the regular distributions are just fine. The UMSDOS setups are
great for first timers who want to know/try out Linux without screwing
with their hardware. If they don't like it they can just kill the
whole linux directory structure.

There are some drawbacks of course. Since they're running on DOS' FAT
you're subject to the same disk problems such as the dreaded cross-linked
files and other goodies.

--
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Marc D. Williams
wilmarc AT gte DOT net         GTE
IRC Nick: Senshi        Channel: #DOS  #IRCHelp
http://www.agate.net/~tvdog/internet.html  --  DOS Internet Tools