how to run with 32 MB RAM and a HDD

[cableready]

I have been trying to figure out how to get Knoppix 3.1 to run from a CD on a 32 MB machine with a 425 MB hard drive. The drive is formatted for Win95. I've tried all sorts of things and, no matter what I do, I end up with the message:

Sorry, no DOS partition available ....

and then the screen goes black.

Has anyone ever succeeded with this small amount of RAM? How?

[Robert Michel]

Salve!


Has anyone ever succeeded with this small amount of RAM? How?

I found this:

>Knoppix is a free (and "Free" , for those who understand the term)
>Debian-based OS-on-a-CD. This OS runs independently of the hard drive
>(unless the machine has inadequate RAM -- 32MB for non-GUI mode, 96
>for KDE3-mode -- in which case it creates a swap file on the hard >drive)

This means no X-Server and there must be a Fat (vFat) partition.
But my first time I try to use my Toshiba Libretto with only 32MB
RAM, it freeze with a black screen by testing the x-sever
(havn't tested to boot without X)

Anyone who know more about Knoppix with 32 MB, please write in
the docs-wiki (howto or faq) ;)

Greetings
rob

[Dave_Bechtel]

--What boot-prompt options have you tried? (F2 at boot: prompt)


I have been trying to figure out how to get Knoppix 3.1 to run from a CD on a 32 MB machine with a 425 MB hard drive. The drive is formatted for Win95. I've tried all sorts of things and, no matter what I do, I end up with the message:

Sorry, no DOS partition available ....

and then the screen goes black.

Has anyone ever succeeded with this small amount of RAM? How?

[rickenbacherus]

--What boot-prompt options have you tried? (F2 at boot: prompt)

That really isn't the problem here Dave-we've tried them all in several combinations. The real problem is that it tries to create a swap file but fails if you have a small amount of RAM. When it can't create the swap file it fails-BIG TIME!

I haven't had any luck booting Knoppix on a 32M ram machine or a 64M ram machine either even passing mem=64M (because it reported wrong mem size). I have the same exact scenario cableready described. I've tried failsafe and anything else to make it easier but it will not boot.

I've tried it with windows installed, without windows, with a fresh DOS partition, I even built a Linux swap partition for it but that didn't work either. I've had no trouble booting Knoppix & Morphix on other machines w/ sufficient RAM. (224MB & 512MB systems).

Has anyone booted Knoppix with 32 MB ram? That is the real question here- CAN IT BE DONE??

When I booted back to windows I happened across some sort of reference to a swap that Knoppix made but I couldn't read it-I don't really know what it was. I booted with Knoppix again-it failed but this time it caused my windows install to enter a perpetual state of rebooting. POST was OK - loading WIN2k..........blank screen -reboot. So it does try to write the swap file but it fails at some point-beware it f'd up my win2k install! I wonder if it failed to create a swap file because I was trying it with an NTFS partition? :idea: I suppose you should defrag and make sure ther's enough room first. I ended up installing Mandrake9.0 no problem on that machine.

I think the Knoppix/swapfile/32MBram issue still needs some work. Maybe I'll install win98 to a FAT partition and try it that way.

It's so hard to figure out what exactly goes wrong because it locks the machine up when it fails to boot and of course that means no dmesg, no logs no nothing-how do you debug something like that?.

BTW-I did succeed in installing Vector Linux to a Toshiba laptop w/ 32M ram. XFCE is working very nicely on it. :)

[rickenbacherus]

Just had a thought- has anyone tried this:

boot:knoppix 2

then

sudo /usr/local/bin/knx-hdinstall

then see if it will boot?

[RockMumbles]

I can boot into my old P1 32mb desktop box, but I have a hd with a linux swap partition on it.

I have not been able to boot knoppix with 16MB.

rock

[rickenbacherus]

I can boot into my old P1 32mb desktop box, but I have a hd with a linux swap partition on it.


So it can use the Linux swap eh? Do you have windows on that drive too?

[Robert Michel]

Salve Rock!

> I can boot into my old P1 32mb desktop box, but I have a hd with a
> linux swap partition on it.

I would guess it will use 24MB of your 32MB for the ramdisc.

http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1166
CheatCode noramdisc?

> I have not been able to boot knoppix with 16MB.
With enought swappartion and noramdisc should it be possible
to run Knoppix with 8MB than (OK extream slow but running ;)

What do you think about this idea?
rob

[KeelMan]

I also couldn't boot knoppix on a 32Mb RAM computer.
When I press F2 at the boot prompt, it shows all the cheatcodes, then if I press the enter key, it initialises some stuff and it then says "Ready!". It freezes there.

[Dave_Bechtel]

--You have to *try* some of the cheatcodes, to boot in 32Meg.

boot: ' knoppix 2 ' == No X windows/KDE.
boot: ' knoppix desktop=icewm ' == Ice windowmanager instead of KDE

--Also make sure to create a swapfile or partition.


I also couldn't boot knoppix on a 32Mb RAM computer.
When I press F2 at the boot prompt, it shows all the cheatcodes, then if I press the enter key, it initialises some stuff and it then says "Ready!". It freezes there.

[KeelMan]

Is there a way to create a swapfile mannually?



--You have to *try* some of the cheatcodes, to boot in 32Meg.

boot: ' knoppix 2 ' == No X windows/KDE.
boot: ' knoppix desktop=icewm ' == Ice windowmanager instead of KDE

--Also make sure to create a swapfile or partition.


I also couldn't boot knoppix on a 32Mb RAM computer.
When I press F2 at the boot prompt, it shows all the cheatcodes, then if I press the enter key, it initialises some stuff and it then says "Ready!". It freezes there.

[rickenbacherus]

I assume you don't have a working Linux install anywhere so get Toms root/boot disk http://www.toms.net/rb/
Boot with it, run

fdisk /dev/hda

It's pretty easy to figure out from there.

[KeelMan]

Ok, thanx, I'll try it

[RockMumbles]

I have tried several other older computers recently and I am having mixed results getting knoppix to run from cd, on a Gateway2000 PII-266 w/ 80MB of RAM, it get to the point where it says OK booting kernel and hangs there indefinately. Strange thing is, that same computer will run a knoppix hd install that was done on another computer just fine. I should go back and try the failsafe and expert kernels and see what happens.

I tried booting knoppix on a P-150 w/ 32 MB (a 1995 Gateway2000) and it wouldn't run without a hard disk, but once I put in a linux hd with a 128MB swap it booted into kde (very slowly of course).

rock

[rickenbacherus]

I tried booting knoppix on a P-150 w/ 32 MB (a 1995 Gateway2000) and it wouldn't run without a hard disk, but once I put in a linux hd with a 128MB swap it booted into kde (very slowly of course).

rock

I have tried making a linux swap file for Knoppix but I only have 1 other machine to work with right now. IBM GL300-350MHz-64Mram and the only distro it's ever liked is MDK9.0 I've another IBM 166 w/80M ram to try out but it's my router for now. I need to get a 486. Haven't had a chance to try out 3.2 though - YET!

[RockMumbles]

Off-Subject, but rickenbacherus, what router software have you been using?


I've another IBM 166 w/80M ram to try out but it's my router for now. I need to get a 486.

The P-150 w/ 32MB was my home router I was runnng e-smith 4.01 a gateway/server package I've been running for several years.

rock

[Dave_Bechtel]

' /usr/sbin/mkdosswapfile '

The manual way:
' df '
' mount /mnt/hda1 -oremount,rw '
' dd if=/dev/zero of=/mnt/hda1/knoppix.swp bs=2M count=64 ' == 128Meg swapfile
' mkswap /mnt/hda1/knoppix.swp '
' swapon /mnt/hda1/knoppix.swp '
' swapon -s '

--Knoppix should autodetect and activate this swapfile from now on.


Is there a way to create a swapfile mannually?

[Dave_Bechtel]

--To everyone reading this thread:

NOBODY should have to run with 32Meg RAM anymore. Unless you're running with ancient 72-pin SIMMS or a non-upgradable laptop, you can go out to Officemax and get 128Meg SDRAM for like $30-40. They even offer a money-back rebate. You can probably find it even cheaper online, but then you have to wait, and pay for shipping.

--My ancient P100 came with 32Meg. My roomie upgraded the mommybopard and chip to P233MMX, and I upgraded it to 164Meg of RAM. It's my server now!

--To quote Nike: Just Do It. Go out and buy the RAM. You won't regret it.


I have tried several other older computers recently and I am having mixed results getting knoppix to run from cd, on a Gateway2000 PII-266 w/ 80MB of RAM, it get to the point where it says OK booting kernel and hangs there indefinately. Strange thing is, that same computer will run a knoppix hd install that was done on another computer just fine. I should go back and try the failsafe and expert kernels and see what happens.

I tried booting knoppix on a P-150 w/ 32 MB (a 1995 Gateway2000) and it wouldn't run without a hard disk, but once I put in a linux hd with a 128MB swap it booted into kde (very slowly of course).

rock

[rickenbacherus]

Off-Subject, but rickenbacherus, what router software have you been using?
Using Coyote. It's quite easy to set up. Unfortunately Dalantec decided not to host the Coyote FAQ anymore- wish I would have saved it somewhere. It was the best how-to for Coyote. The router has no keyboard, mouse or monitor-I just telnet in and check the logs from time to time. It's been up for almost 6 weeks now. That'll be a record for me.


NOBODY should have to run with 32Meg RAM anymore cmon' Dave we don't all have so much dinero lying aroung you know. :D

[RockMumbles]

--To everyone reading this thread:

NOBODY should have to run with 32Meg RAM anymore. Unless you're running with ancient 72-pin SIMMS or a non-upgradable laptop, you can go out to Officemax and get 128Meg SDRAM for like $30-40. They even offer a money-back rebate. You can probably find it even cheaper online, but then you have to wait, and pay for shipping.

I totally agree with Dave, I wouldn't want to have to run Knoppix on my P-150 w/32MB of RAM (72-pin) and swap partition, I said it was slow running KDE, I really didn't do this thread justice when I said it was slow, it took more than 15 minutes for konqueror to come up with the cd's html index page, I never did see mozilla actually run, I gave up. The other problem with most systems of this age is not only a lack of memory but also video cards that only partially function with X-4.x.

Similar to Dave's story about his server, I have taken several old cases, made sure the power supplies functioned OK, put in a new 80mm fan if necessary and then put in used AMD K2 processors on AT motherboards that I find used. Using other recycled parts that I find or have laying around, I have built 3 or 4 computers for a cash outlay of between 30 to 75 dollars (US) each. The $75 one is my office computer, it was built from a free case, a $20 combination of a motherboard, a K3-450 processor, and a Voodoo3 pci video card. I paid another $30 for a used 30GB hd and had to buy a $20 128MB stick of ram, and a $3 used cd-rom, it runs great, it has never crashed or locked up, I am running libranet 2.0 on it, no problems even through power outages at school.

I do realize that in other parts of the world people are not obsessive consumers like we are in the US so finding good functioning used parts inexpensively may be a different story.

rock