LINUX on a 386

[optech]

I have an old 386 box with all working parts and a NIC.... I was wondering if i can get a basic install on it that will allow network abilities and also work as a file server / firewall..(not at the same time, or even the same partition)....
can linux work in such cramped conditions?
it has about 32 megs af RAM, so that's not a problem... i'm just looking for a 16-bit linux distro / package....

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A zombified, somnambulist society. Leaving us as vitamins for the hibernating human animal. Do you see what I mean? On the surface you hate, but you know you need me.

[Ryeker]

A 386 is a 32-bit processor. DOS and Windows 3.x were 16-bit operating systems. Intel was ahead of Microsoft... Any distro should work. The hardest part will be the installation.

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ryeker@yahoo.com

[Craig McPherson]

There is no 16-bit version of Linux (although there's supposedly one in the works, for the 286), but the 386 is 32-bit. Debian will run just fine on that thing. It'll work just fine as a firewall.

However, as a file server -- well, I wouldn't try it. You probably have a slow hard drive in there, and coupled with a slow processor -- well. A slow processor will slow down the hard drive, and a slow hard drive will slow down the processor during disk writes... you're not going to have the disk throughput to serve files, most likely. The reason a box like that can act as a firewall is because doign so requires no hard drive access at all, and not much CPU power, so you're not going to run into your biggest bottlenecks.

(Put DEBIAN on the thing)

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http://users.ipa.net/~cmcpher/paminv.gif DEBIAN (http://www.debian.org/) http://users.ipa.net/~cmcpher/paminv.gif
It turns girls into statues!

[This message has been edited by Craig McPherson (edited 20 January 2001).]

[prince_kenshi]

Well this looks like a good time to ask my question. I have a 486 that's just sitting around doing nothing. I'd like to put it together, put Linux or BSD on it, and use it as a gateway. Would a 486/66DX be able to handle routing and all that stuff for just two other computers over a 28k connection? Also, it has 28 megs and a 325 meg hard drive. Can I fit the necessary stuff on this drive? I might get a new hard drive for my computer though and give it the 6.4 gig. Would it noticably slow down performance? It's an interesting idea and if my hardware is up to par, I'd like to try it. Last question though, should I use Linux or BSD? I'm thinking BSD myself.

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Prince Kenshi
Son of Bahamut

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by prince_kenshi:
it has 28 megs and a 325 meg hard drive. Can I fit the necessary stuff on this drive?


same answer as craig gave above

the biggest problem with using old sub-pentium boxes is they often have too little ram, like 4 or 8 mb, that makes it harder to make them useful

but any 386/486 with 16mb can at least run freesco well, and if you add any harddrive 100-500mb, then debian has some room to play, just add only what you need, no crap

[Paul Weaver]

You'll probably have a problem with large (>2GB) drives and pre pentium systems. I've known a P100 take a 2GB, but a P60 bawk at a 1.2GB.