WelcomeWelcome | FAQFAQ | DownloadsDownloads | WikiWiki

Author Topic: tiny core computer  (Read 17583 times)

Offline bmarkus

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7183
    • My Community Forum
Re: tiny core computer
« Reply #15 on: December 02, 2009, 01:14:13 PM »
You can use an SD card also with an IDE adapter.
Béla
Ham Radio callsign: HA5DI

"Amateur Radio: The First Technology-Based Social Network."

Offline Lee

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 645
    • My Core wiki user page
Re: tiny core computer
« Reply #16 on: December 02, 2009, 02:21:23 PM »
Quote
Ok, economy is good but we don't are too thrifty

OK, that' less than the cost of the new CMOS backup battery!  Now if only we could fool the system into booting from it.

And yes, the NAS bit is in the works for me.  I have the drives installed already.  Currently booting from hard disks.

Is there any reason that grub, installed on the hard disk, couldn't pull the boot files from a USB stick?  Something like ... root (hd2,0) ... (there are two physical HDs, so the USB stick would be (hd2).
32 bit core4.7.7, Xprogs, Xorg-7.6, wbar, jwm  |  - Testing -
PPR, data persistence through filetool.sh          |  32 bit core 8.0 alpha 1
USB Flash drive, one partition, ext2, grub4dos  | Otherwise similar

Offline tclfan

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 286
Re: tiny core computer
« Reply #17 on: December 02, 2009, 05:06:38 PM »
The best NAS I know is the well known FreeNAS, free BSD based runs off CD, USB or HD.  I used an old computer  box (Started with PII based), put CD in and configured RAID1 with two drives in the box. Works like a charm. Network access, no monitor, keyboard or mouse. Just push the power button - On and Off at will. Sounds tell you when ready On and when turning off.. Fantastic system stability and security. Supports RAID5 but I have just 2 drives inside, so RAID1...

Offline fos

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 35
    • Far Out Science
Re: tiny core computer
« Reply #18 on: December 02, 2009, 08:17:53 PM »
I have an old Intel Mini-ITX motherboard with 1 GB of ram running TC 2.6. It ran 2.5 until 2.6 came out. It is a very low wattage board without any fans. I run it entirely from ram, it doesn't have a hard drive or USB flash. Once TC loads from an external CD/DVD drive, it is going. It is my quick and go computer in the bedroom. I never turn it off. whenever I want to use it, I just wake it up with the mouse or keyboard. The LCD monitor comes out of sleep mode and I'm ready to go in a few seconds. It is the perfect web and Open Office appliance, extremely fast and never skips a beat.

I will post more details next week. I have finals and project due for grad school this week.

Jeff

Offline curaga

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11041
Re: tiny core computer
« Reply #19 on: December 04, 2009, 01:46:53 PM »
Is there any reason that grub, installed on the hard disk, couldn't pull the boot files from a USB stick?  Something like ... root (hd2,0) ... (there are two physical HDs, so the USB stick would be (hd2).
Yes, unfortunately; it would still need USB support to do so. Grub 2 supports that I believe.

You can use an SD card also with an IDE adapter.
Another good card type is CF. It is an IDE drive inside, so the adapters to plug those are simpler than the SD ones, less likely to break I think.
The only barriers that can stop you are the ones you create yourself.

Offline jur

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 863
    • cycling photo essays
Re: tiny core computer
« Reply #20 on: December 05, 2009, 03:56:49 AM »
Is there any reason that grub, installed on the hard disk, couldn't pull the boot files from a USB stick?  Something like ... root (hd2,0) ... (there are two physical HDs, so the USB stick would be (hd2).
Yes I do this at work (when they're not looking). I renamed the grub loader file from grldr to ntldr and now my WinXP boots into the grub menu without me having had to touch the MBR. In the grub menu, I use
Code: [Select]
Root (hd1,0)
kernel boot/bzImage.............
initrd boot/tinycore
to point to the usb stick and it smoothly boots into tc.

Offline curaga

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11041
Re: tiny core computer
« Reply #21 on: December 05, 2009, 04:02:04 AM »
Hm, grub4dos might support it too, it seems to be what jur uses.
The only barriers that can stop you are the ones you create yourself.

Offline cjgau

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 27
Re: tiny core computer
« Reply #22 on: December 13, 2009, 05:10:11 AM »
It happened to me once dual booting xp with grub4dos , M$'s "automatic update" restored its ntldr back. Please disable M$'s automatic update if using grldr.

Offline Lee

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 645
    • My Core wiki user page
Re: tiny core computer
« Reply #23 on: December 13, 2009, 11:15:14 AM »
Quote
Is there any reason that grub, installed on the hard disk, couldn't pull the boot files from a USB stick?  Something like ... root (hd2,0) ... (there are two physical HDs, so the USB stick would be (hd2).
Yes I do this at work (when they're not looking). I renamed the grub loader file from grldr to ntldr and now my WinXP boots into the grub menu without me having had to touch the MBR. In the grub menu, I use
Code: [Select]
Root (hd1,0)
kernel boot/bzImage.............
initrd boot/tinycore
to point to the usb stick and it smoothly boots into tc.

Yeah... no luck for me using the grub from the tc repo.  My old Compaq apparently doesn't recognize the USB stick as a "disk" until after the OS comes up.

Speaking of USB sticks 'n'at, i picked up a handful of USB extension cables (type A male ==> Type A female) for $2.50 each... Radio shack wanted $30.00 for the equivalent! (and no one else around seems to carry such a thing)!  That doesn't solve all of my space/logistical issues, but its a huge convenience boost.

32 bit core4.7.7, Xprogs, Xorg-7.6, wbar, jwm  |  - Testing -
PPR, data persistence through filetool.sh          |  32 bit core 8.0 alpha 1
USB Flash drive, one partition, ext2, grub4dos  | Otherwise similar

Offline jur

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 863
    • cycling photo essays
Re: tiny core computer
« Reply #24 on: December 13, 2009, 05:26:06 PM »
I'm using grub4dos and my machines are not old.

Offline Guy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1089
Re: tiny core computer
« Reply #25 on: December 30, 2009, 11:55:55 AM »
I run Tiny Core on 3 partitions. One for this version, one for the next version, and one for experimenting. Sometimes while experimenting, something has not worked. I can boot from another partition and fix the problem. I have always had a working version on one of the partitions.

3 partitions are not necessary for most people, but 2 would be handy for many people. Tiny Core does not take up a lot of space, so you don't need huge partitions.


I have mentioned before, I use computers that other people discard. Why spend money when you can get them free?

About 4 or 5 years ago, I picked up a 667 mhz computer with 512 mb of ram, and used that for the internet.

I tried other computers for a while, including an 800 mhz computer (which I replaced the power supply from another free computer), and a 1.5 ghz computer with 256 mb of ram. The ram is a very unusual type, so I couldn't increase it.

I recently picked up a 1.6 ghz computer with normal ram slots. This had the ram, hard drive and dvd drive removed. I put in 1 gb of ram. This performed well browsing the internet.

I then picked up a 1 gb ram sim, discarded in a computer which was not working. I sometimes get parts from computers which are not working, such as ram, hard drives, dvd writers, etc. I have recently picked up 80 gb and 60 gb hard drives from computers which were not working.

For a while I ran 1.5 gb of ram in the 1.6 ghz computer.

Since then I picked up a 2.4 ghz computer, which was discarded complete and working, with 512 mb of ram, a 40 gb hard drive, 2 dvd drives - a dvd reader and dvd writer. This was running slow, as it needed Windows reinstalling (it is sad that some people don't know reinstalling Windows will fix it, so they throw the computer away). I put in the 1.5 gb of ram, the 80 gb hard drive for Tiny Core and maybe other distros, and the 60 gb hard drive for backup.


I have sometimes given computers to people who are not so well off. Computers are becoming so inexpensive now, that even some of these people may not want older computers.

As computers become less expensive, higher performance computers are being discarded.

Anyone living in affluent countries, thousands of used computers are being discarded in your community each year. It is just a matter of how you can get hold of them.

Be aware, some people are selling old slow computers for almost the same prices as new computers. Don't pay those prices for them.

If you don't know how to replace a hard drive or ram, using free computers is a good place to learn. If it didn't cost you anything, it won't matter if you break it.

In poor countries the opportunities are not the same.


I should mention, I have bought computers. I have a notebook I bought for portability. I bought a computer which I set up for television. The best television system these days it a computer with a tv tuner. You can get a video card that will output to tv. You can record to hard drive. Most things you delete after watching them. Anything good, you can save to dvd (or blue ray).
« Last Edit: January 14, 2010, 07:14:03 PM by Guy »
Many people see what is. Some people see what can be, and make a difference.

Offline gerald_clark

  • TinyCore Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4254
Re: tiny core computer
« Reply #26 on: December 30, 2009, 02:03:35 PM »
It is not necessary to have separate partitions.
I use separate boot directories, such as
/boot/tc24
/boot/tc26
/boot/tc27
you can also specify different tce directories in grub
tce=hda1/tce27

Offline thane

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 697
Re: tiny core computer
« Reply #27 on: January 14, 2010, 03:18:34 PM »
After careful review of my hardware skills, bank account, etc. I think I'm better off following Guy's example and trying to find a cheap/free computer somebody else doesn't want.

On the web it looks like my current Compaq Deskpro EN was known for clunky video even when it was new. Subsequent HP/Compaq models seem to have similar drawbacks. Anyone had any experience with TCL on Dells? I'm leaning toward one of the Optiplex type. Maybe don't need a huge memory (512M has worked OK with the small number of apps I use, can always add more) but Pentium 4, USB 2.0, and better video ought to speed things up a bit, right?

Offline althalus

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 351
Re: tiny core computer
« Reply #28 on: January 14, 2010, 06:35:39 PM »
After careful review of my hardware skills, bank account, etc. I think I'm better off following Guy's example and trying to find a cheap/free computer somebody else doesn't want.

On the web it looks like my current Compaq Deskpro EN was known for clunky video even when it was new. Subsequent HP/Compaq models seem to have similar drawbacks. Anyone had any experience with TCL on Dells? I'm leaning toward one of the Optiplex type. Maybe don't need a huge memory (512M has worked OK with the small number of apps I use, can always add more) but Pentium 4, USB 2.0, and better video ought to speed things up a bit, right?
Have you considered purchasing something like this?

http://www.fit-pc.com/web/

Not sure what your budget is, or how much effort it would take to support the hardware (I think it's generic enough that the only scenario that might cause problems is wifi), but as far as I'm concerned, they're reasonably well priced, and you can tape it to the back of your monitor to free up floor/desk space! :P

Offline danielibarnes

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 548
Re: tiny core computer
« Reply #29 on: January 14, 2010, 06:53:42 PM »
Lots of good stuff for less cost from NorhTec, too, although I've not tried any of them.