Tiny Core Linux

General TC => General TC Talk => Topic started by: testcorelinux on August 25, 2012, 01:34:23 AM

Title: Minimum System Requirements
Post by: testcorelinux on August 25, 2012, 01:34:23 AM

I would like to know whether some code could be eliminated (in the OS) inorder to make a system run UP from a minimum specification? In other words, a distro will not run on 486Dx when a minimum specification is targeted for Pentium 4 (i686). The benefit: It will save some excessive coding.

The whole purpose of the above is why Lightweight (some?) Distros are making 486 or 386 as their minimum target? I don't know how many in the world would have a running 486 machine. They could have targeted Pentium 4 (i686) as their minimum specfication. The Distro or OS (i suppose) could have been lighter.

Can anyone throw some light on this?

Thanks

Title: Re: Minimum System Requirements
Post by: Rich on August 25, 2012, 03:03:31 AM

Hi testcorelinux
The fact that Tinycore will run on a 486DX allows people to build embedded appliances using low cost off the
shelf hardware, much of which is based on a 486 type processor. As far as code size is concerned, I'm not
sure how big a difference it would actually make. I'm currently working on a program that does a lot of data
manipulation, parsing, sorting, and file I/O. I just recompiled it using  -march=i686  instead of  -march=i486
and it compiled to exactly the same size.

Title: Re: Minimum System Requirements
Post by: curaga on August 25, 2012, 05:13:19 AM

Indeed, for example some of the Vortex86 cpus (which are still produced and sold) are 486 variants.

Title: Re: Minimum System Requirements
Post by: testcorelinux on August 25, 2012, 06:19:20 AM

Quote from: Rich on August 25, 2012, 03:03:31 AM

Hi Rich
I just recompiled it using  -march=i686  instead of  -march=i486
and it compiled to exactly the same size.

But could there be a speed boost, though the size is the same?

If there were two separate compilations probably it will be a burden to you to maintain it also? Right? If there is a real speed boost this option could have been considered.

Thanks for the info.

Title: Re: Minimum System Requirements
Post by: tinypoodle on August 25, 2012, 07:27:14 AM

- The minimum specification i686 is targeted at is Pentium Pro, not Pentium IV.
- Not sure where you got the idea of "excessive coding" from - the result of Rich's experiment is not unexpected.
- "Lightweight (some?) Distros are making 486 or 386 as their minimum target" is not what I have percepted, rather that (certain) more recent distros would have a tendency towards i686 optimization.
  For example: Slackware which is a (if not THE) reference of a traditional full fledged Linux distro is sticking to i486 at current.

EDIT: Debian which most probably
1. is the most full fledged distro (most software packages)
2. is the distro with the most ports (including non-Linux GNU)
states: "Despite the architecture name "i386", support for actual 80386 processors (and their clones) was dropped with the Sarge (r3.1) release of Debian. All i486 and later processors are still supported"

Title: Re: Minimum System Requirements
Post by: Rich on August 25, 2012, 11:51:20 AM

Hi testcorelinux

Quote

But could there be a speed boost, though the size is the same?

No, I ran a  diff  on the two executables and they were identical.

Title: Re: Minimum System Requirements
Post by: tinypoodle on August 25, 2012, 01:36:20 PM

Now that's rather interesting...