Actually trying to run (Knoppix-derived) Damn Small Linux 0.4.4
At the boot prompt type:
knoppix ide2=0x180,0x386 nopcmcia noapic noapm
The first setting is cribbed for someone's RedHat notes, nopcmcia is from the cheatcodes. Note "nopcmia" in the cheatcodes seems to be a typo .

Also noapic and noapm are not needed as some have suggested elsewhere.

Pick xfbdev (the first choice) during xsetup. Desktop comes up.

Now let's see if I can install to the hard drive....

This was Sony's first subnotebook. Mine has 96MB RAM and a 2 gig hard drive.