What can I do with a SMALL hard drive

[slacker_x]

I have a 120 meg hard drive and a pentium mobo, PS, etc. No ram right now but I'm working on that. What unix-like OS can I put on this HD to perform useful tasks in a home network?

Obviously it won't make for a very good file server :-)

I already have a firewall.

[mrBen]

With a setup like this you should be able to install Linux no problems, as long as it's minimal. I think you may even be able to set it up as an X terminal (see the article at LinuxWorld) although I'm not sure on this disk space. Anybody know what stuff you need on your client to be an X terminal?

Alternatively you could use it as a print server, to spool all your print jobs to?

For me, having an extra box just to tinker with, knowing that I can't break my main system, is always a bonus. :)

[optech]

make a diskless X terminal...
i suppose if you're looking to use the disk, you could put VERY minimal stuff on it (kernel, FS utilities, basic bins) but still load up X through the network...

or use it for computing/compiling.
if you have another linux box around, make a new partition or export a directory and mount it from the smaller hd comp.
you'll have a nice fat directory to play with (thus making the 120mb into whatever you want (within respective limits)) and a whole extra computer.

i myself had trouble finding a use for a 500 mb harddrive, as i also have no where to put it :p

[mrBen]

Originally posted by optech:
<STRONG>
i myself had trouble finding a use for a 500 mb harddrive, as i also have no where to put it :p</STRONG>

I'll have it :D I have 3 hard drives in 2 computers running 3 OS's - 120 Mb, 220 Mb, and 1Gb. Try dual booting with Win95 on 1.2Gb of space :(

[Okie]

put it on your secondary IDE and use it for your swapfile, and if any space is left over use it to store personal data seperate from your OS...

[slacker_x]

I think I'll just keep it on the shelf for now. I could use it as the swap for my firewall, but then it would just be louder. I don't really need the extra space.

Can anyone suggest a linux distro that would fit on the HD? I guess I would have to run without a swap partition....

[Dengar]

Peanut Linux

[slacker_x]

Isn't peanut Linux sort of a no options distro? 85 meg download and then it just installs everything???