Aaagh!! Too many versions of Linux!! Which one for me??

[RudeCat7]

quote: Enlighten me and tell me how to install Mandrake 9.0 or Red Hat 8.0 on a 486

I've never tried it, the closest is RH7.1 on a 133mhz machine. I understand your point, but trying to do that has a higher probability of success than figuring out how to set up your partitions, how to select the hex code for your swap partition, etc.
I for one, will be ecstatic when I can install slackware, but for now, I am just happy with the "noob" distros. I just put in a new 40gig drive, and did a clean install of SuSe 8.0 with NO DUAL BOOT! Thank God! With a total time of 30 minutes.
Most people only have one computer. If they start an install and can't figure it out in a few hours, they'll probably just reinstall window$ again, and maybe they'll be less inclined to try *nix again.
*nix is GREAT! Let's help keep everybody who tries it! I promise, that once they get hooked, you (QUIRK) can convert them to any flavor of *nix you like!  

[Doctor V]

If your going Mandrake, I suggest 9.0, the newest version.  It makes leaps and bounds over 8.1, the version I used before it (I never used 8.2).  The install is easy, just put in the CDs, and answer the questions it prompts you for.  It will ask you wether you want to do an expert of standard install, choose expert, its not very complicated.  Expert install just gives you more of a choice over which packages you want.  The whole process could easily take less than an hour.

V

[voidmain]

quote:Originally posted by TheQuirk:
Enlighten me and tell me how to install Mandrake 9.0 or Red Hat 8.0 on a 486    

I'm pretty sure it can not be done with the distribution disks (at least not with RedHat 8.0, not sure about Mandrake 9.0). The reason being is all of the software is optimized for Pentium II or higher class machines (thank god, performance boost in bigger machines).

I'm not entirely sure that gcc v3.2 will run on a 486 anymore but you still should be able to generate 486 compatible binaries with it. If the compiler still can generate 486 code and if RedHat has optimized for PII+ then at minimum you would have to generate your own kernel targeted to the 486 and possibly have to recompile all of the RPMs targeted to a 486. You would have to rebuild the entire distro and make your own CD if my thinking is correct. It certainly would be a major chore. I believe I saw somewhere that RedHat 7.1 was the last version of RedHat that supported 486 but don't quote me on that either. One way to find out. Stick a RedHat 8.0 CD in and try it (assuming you meet the memory requirements).

I could be off base on all of this but I think I am close. I would suspect Mandrake 9.0 would be in a similar boat but you would have to do some searching.

[jetpaintedblack]

posted by The Jimmy James (and his Blue Flames):

 

quote:604 at 120MHz? what model is that? 7300?

It's a Power Wave 120 by Power Computing, a 1995-era Mac clone. Good machine, except for the POS CD-rom by FWB. The driver is very unstable, and the tray has those 4 spring clips like old CD-roms used to have. So basically it has no CD-rom, but it's OK besides that.

[ October 08, 2002: Message edited by: Jet Painted Black ]

[RudeCat7]

O.k. O.k., I installed slackware on my spare box. And actually it went pretty easy. I guess if you can figure out how to set up two partitions, anybody can do it.
So fine! A noob can try any distro he damn chooses!

Now I gotta configure X on that fucking thing.....

I decided to use RedHat 8.0 on my main box afterall. Cuz you can choose those cute little purple penguins as wallpaper.And because all the damn books I have are for RH. And because it was taking too long to download the other CDs for SuSe.    

EDIT: X is configured, and no fires!!!! So now I have to be ecstatic.

Though it needs tuning, the picture is too big for the screen, this is a "virtual screen" I suppose, but I want it all to fit on the monitor screen.

[ October 09, 2002: Message edited by: RudeCat7 ]

[kinky]

you dont want to download the SuSE Cds anyways... they leave out too much of the software that they dont offer for 'free' and its a major pain.  But SuSE is very nice and well worth the price... its the only thing i use anymore.

they have power PC versions also