Is Tiny Core Suitable?

[Eli Duttman]

I am in the process of reactivating an old, slow, ISA bus PC.  Currently, the CPU is a 486DX/33, but a  3X clock multiplying 586 upgrade is already on hand.  CPU speed aside, the big limitation is RAM.  It is unlikely that more than 32 MB of RAM will be available.  If I'm very lucky, the chipset and BIOS will allow upgrading to 128 MB.  This PC uses 9 chip, 30 pin, SIMMs, in 2 banks of 4.

I know that Windows 9x will work, but I want to bypass MS.  Can Tiny Core be "shoehorned" in?  Plenty of SCSI HDD space is available.  If Tiny Core can utilize a Linux swap partition, I'm thinking make it 48 MB. 

[jazzbiker]

Hi, Eli Duttman!

I'm having fun of GNU/Linux in Pentium box with 64M of RAM, in the sake of TinyCore  (6.4.1)!
Of course, disk swap is mandatory. And by default, TinyCore utilizes zswap, for such poor of memory systems this option need to be disabled.
So TinyCore can run on vintage boxes, nowadays it have the smallest memory requirements among all other GNU/Linux distros. But in the cost of some understanding and DIY work.
I recommend greatly "Into the Core" book, which you can load from TinyCore site.

Good luck!
 

[neonix]

Hello, Eli Duttman

If I remember correct:
TC1 require min. 32 MB RAM to boot.
TC2 require min. 48 MB RAM to boot.
Core-10.0.iso require min. 48 MB RAM to boot.
Bur to browse the www comfortably in graphic mode you need at least 128 MB RAM (Dillo, Netsurf, Hv3, Opera from 9 to 12).

[vinceASPECT]

Yes. 

TCL......whether it is stated anyplace that in it's aims, there is the notion of it
affording  much older hardware an extra lease of life.

There does not, hitherto known by me, seem any arranging or  assessing of the hardware it's gone (going) into....other than listing
it  CPU  etc Ram...

......it perhaps could auto offer a user---recommends settings
on any certain level of h/w  that TCL goes onto   (maybe)

.....there is always  experience  for good measure. 

Lots of online assistance.

Although sometimes  There;s those  who "muscle in" with what experience of theirs
doesn't pertain  to the enquiry scenario......machine(s) scenarios.

.........so yes it needs  an ability to configure systems.   (tcL)

My mSoft here is configured as rigorously stipulated in spec // tech sources from the actual horses mouth  (the devs)......so it's doubtful masses of other global users
would have the configs here (of mine).....concerning  the paging files and performance
of hardware....

mostly, TCL  is for the user to tailor it.   The fact is...it doesn't tailor itself to the H/W it is being put onto. But it's an infinite closet.....for outfits.  (metaphor)
There are also lots of free TCL derivatives......MINUX....and NANOLINUX which are definately almost able to run on anything.

most thx

Vin

[Eli Duttman]

Thanks to all who have posted, so far.  Please keep the info. coming.

[polikuo]

Reminds me of the old challenge I've accepted.
With 64M of RAM, and a lot of patience, you would get a working computer.
If you tweak it correctly, you could get sound card and network card working.

I managed to "open" the firefox browser.
Unsurprisingly it keep reporting "A web page is slowing down your browser" where the "tab" was the firefox default "blank" home page.

The only application I could think of is building a music playing machine.
In fact, you could play music nicely with simple program such as:

Code: [Select]

aplay music.wav
mpg123 music.mp3
I never test it, but you should be able to run a console music player just fine.

[Eli Duttman]

Again, thanks for the ongoing flow of info.

As luck would have it, I came across documentation for the chipset in question.  A rather large PDF can be found here.  FWIW, after some reading, my understanding is the chipset can handle 64 MB of RAM.  There are 8 sockets for 30 pin SIMM "slugs" on the SBC.  Maybe, 4X 16 MB "slugs" would work.  Leave the other 4 sockets empty.

Any thoughts about getting SeaBIOS burned into 1 or more appropriate (E)PROM chips?  The current BIOS has a Y2K problem.  My memory says things are OK after manually entering a 21st Century date.

I already have ISA bus network and sound cards.  Unfortunately, that sound card (Sound Blaster 16 SCSI) has an onboard controller intended for an optical drive that can't be disabled. The controller grabs an IRQ and I/O port.     A 2 optical drive setup just might be the best solution.  Connecting a SCSI HDD to a slow AHA 1520 equivalent interface is a highly distasteful thought.

Maybe on old version of the SeaMonkey web browser would have a small enough memory footprint to work.

Folks, see the kind of mischief a retired mainframe system programmer can get into.   

[jazzbiker]

Hi, Eli Duttman!

I think, if you start GNU/Linux on your box, this can be considered a kind of challenge )  Not becoming less intersting, of course.
Frankly speaking, my Pentium box with 64M is offline, i didn't even made attempts to start some kind of browsing the modern internet on it, but, it must to be said, that lynx is one of my currently and frequently used browsers, along with the Fifth browser. Maybe You haven't heard about Fifth, it is written by one of TC authors, @curaga, and is very customizable and very accurate in resource spending, actually the top speed one. I think Fifth worth trying on your hardware.
Your case is interesting, please, keep us up to date with Your progress )

[Eli Duttman]

Folks, the news is not good.     Unless some hardware "guru" can make the chipset do what the documentation says it can't, 32 MB of RAM is the max. my SBC can use.  Even frugal Tiny Core can't do anything useful in that limited amount of RAM.  Windows 98 looks like "the only game in town"  Phooey!  Even the W98 install will require the /MN switch, when setup.exe is run.

The Topcat chipset can work with 64 MB of RAM, but it does so in 4 banks of 30 pin SIMMs, with each bank containing 4X 4 MB "slugs".  See page 90 of the previously linked PDF.  My SBC has slots for only 2 RAM banks; hence the 32 MB RAM maximum.  If somebody much more clever than I am can get the chipset to function with available 16 MB 30 pin SIMM "slugs", 2 banks would be up to a comparatively roomy 128 MB.  30 pins is 30 pins and the number of address lines can't change, but getting the correct signals to flow on those 30 lines is, entirely, a different matter.

Remember, I'm a retired mainframe platform software guy and this problem is NOTHING like the CICS I specialized in.

[curaga]

For such a limited environment, you're going to have to use distros from that time period, or for example the floppy-sized ones.

[polikuo]

Hi, Eli Duttman.

I don't usually post non-TC-related stuff, but in your case I'll make an exception. 
I've heard about "modern" OSs written entirely in assembly, which might be useful for you.
The MenuetOS and its fork KolibriOS
I've tried to run these OSs on bare metal with no luck.
They're not happy with my USB keyboard and mouse.
Perhaps you'll need some PS/2 or even COM port ones.

Good luck!