From: dfox@hip-hop.suvl.ca.us (David Fox) Subject: Re: Linux 'port to 16-bit machines?? Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 16:46:51 GMT
ph9991_hall@rivers.acc.uwrf.edu wrote:
: Reply-to: James.F.Hall@uwrf.edu
: Please don't flame... This ISN'T the irritating question answered again and
: again for newbies...
: If this topic has already been discussed, my kill filter must have skipped
: over it. Sorry if so...
: --
: I have two 16-bit machines I use as footstools and doorprops in my computer
: room, and I was wondering if I will ever be able to do anything more
: constructive with them. Would it be possible to 'port the Linux OS over to
: the lower PC's such as 8088's and '286's? I know that a GOOD multitasking OS
: requires a '386 or better, but could a NON-multitasking Linux be made
: available?
You sure can run linux on them. Hook them up as terminals using null modem
cables hooked up to a linux box.
: Sure, that would also imply supporting the 360k drives, and assume no graphics
: (which automatically takes out a lot of periphery software, btw, so smaller
: hard drives will still be ok). I think there would be some support for a
: project like this if it could run reREASONABLY ell on a 10MHz box with, say,
: 2Mb memory.
Seriously speaking, even on a 286 I would not want to run Unix, because the
architecture of the chip is too crippled to support it. Even though there
are versions of Unix (Coherent, for one) there are limits such as processes
cannot be bigger than 64K, and other restrictions which you don't have if
running on a 386.
But, they make good terminals though. :)
: Maybe it's possible to replace the 'tasking with 'swapping: putting one job to
: "sleep" (ala Mac Multifinder) while you go to another. 'Swapping is used on
: Dos 5.0's DosShell.
Well, then it wouldn't really be Unix, I don't think. It also wouldn't run
as well. It certainly wouldn't be something I would want to run.
: --
: Internet: James.F.Hall@uwrf.edu
-- David E. Fox email: hip-hop!dfox@amdahl.com 5479 Castle Manor Drive San Jose, CA 95129 Thanks for letting me change the magnetic 408/ 253-7992 images on your hard drive.