small linux

[Master of Reality]

what is a good (the term "good" is relative to windows) linux version that is small and compact, but still comes with the essentials??
I am going to put windows on my other computer (for the 40 win games i have) on a smallish hard drive, and i want to put linux on the same computer. I find a computer seems to run better when you can switch to linux whenever you want. Is there any particular version that is easily under 500MB. I know that red hat can fit under that size, but you lose almost all of the 'frills'. I definatley do not want a GUI it takes up way too much room. I guess what i am really asking is which version of linux runs the best in under 500MB of space?
How big of a swap partition d'ya think i would need if using from command only with 80MB of RAM?

[ May 27, 2002: Message edited by: Master of Reality ]

[ May 27, 2002: Message edited by: Master of Reality ]

[Calum]

trinux? it's 5Mb, but i bet it's far too titchy for what you want, maybe you should just use a standard distro, but only install the bare minimum, one window manager, only one of everything and so on...

sorry, not a lot of input from me...

[Master of Reality]

as little as possible from redhat just barely fit on my server with a 1 GB hard drive... maybe i will use trinix and uhhh....hmmmmmmm....still looking

[Master of Reality]

actually... all i might use linux on that computer is to fix windows (windows definatley needs a competent OS to be able to "fix" it just enough to be able to run after each time it crashes) so maybe i will use a linux that can fit onto a floppy. But if i do that i wont have a linux partition to put all the backups of the registry and all the other windows files that i regularly corrupt.

[Calum]

trinux may still be in the running then. It's a 3 floppy distro primarily for diagnostics.

Can't you have a linux partition with no system on it, and just run the system into RAM from the floppies whenever you need it?

[ May 28, 2002: Message edited by: Calum ]

[creedon]

I don't know if this will be any help, but I just got an unused copy of Slackware 2.01.  The date is 1994, and the accompanying book indicates that a functional system can be installed in as little as 20 Mb.  The problem would be hardware compatability, I'm sceptical about trying it on newer stuff, but I'll burn you a copy if you want.  (As soon as I get my burner re-configured).  Let me know.