From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Dec 28 19:09:15 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D784916A418 for ; Fri, 28 Dec 2007 19:09:15 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from phatbuckett@gmail.com) Received: from wa-out-1112.google.com (wa-out-1112.google.com [209.85.146.178]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9479913C45A for ; Fri, 28 Dec 2007 19:09:15 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from phatbuckett@gmail.com) Received: by wa-out-1112.google.com with SMTP id k17so5987773waf.3 for ; Fri, 28 Dec 2007 11:09:15 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:received:received:message-id:date:from:to:subject:cc:in-reply-to:mime-version:content-type:content-transfer-encoding:content-disposition:references; bh=FPF8Iu7di3rNJnmsw5PNmJQ0nOztiWlnNII9ZC4KfsM=; b=bqkAkjafEy0ExyuKoC4Ou1TQhbcacZDOkUdBJ3bEe2qN+6gyTQTloEjjJmXFrOVEDrBJUkcTwl57o02rRLASeiOb0+rRBAT0RsrhaDBHHjqN5WkuAb2XdukxyKO3eiNxJ/Km9v8xjQtM2b96BRV3EbFCpGPWc0UPMoGU6Wzrz+I= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=message-id:date:from:to:subject:cc:in-reply-to:mime-version:content-type:content-transfer-encoding:content-disposition:references; b=h0fMnvPKwG706NvNFNQriblv6Wdk7rL87R6ugl10EkgPAgFvQJXPj1JZuAPgi2yJa+BdTKFP+VOzlONZX7tZdO7UlzMeOsE+uU0yPx+lf2/RFRc/BbjUPYoDrXrBtRxaf1byVmmjQflL6FtSjcBOzS+o2k7A3pY0V5x4t9QlsTM= Received: by 10.114.25.3 with SMTP id 3mr9830769way.22.1198868955320; Fri, 28 Dec 2007 11:09:15 -0800 (PST) Received: by 10.114.47.12 with HTTP; Fri, 28 Dec 2007 11:09:15 -0800 (PST) Message-ID: <839aec700712281109m115aaef1tb09a2c5af165b6f4@mail.gmail.com> Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2007 12:09:15 -0700 From: "Darren Spruell" To: DAve In-Reply-To: <477538C2.3070204@pixelhammer.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline References: <477538C2.3070204@pixelhammer.com> Cc: User Questions Subject: Re: Small Unix install X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2007 19:09:15 -0000 On Dec 28, 2007 10:56 AM, DAve wrote: > Good morning, > > I am looking for a small install for an old laptop. I have an old but > quite reliable Toshiba 330CDT that used to be my personal laptop. I ran > FBSD 3.x/4.x on it for years but it has been wiped and in a closet for > years. I want to use it again just to access a few web forums and read > my email. I don't do POV RAY or 3D, I don't need Open Office, I don't > watch any Tubes. Mutt, Fluxbox and a minimal browser would make me happy. > > I don't have the time or inclination to roll my own again. PCBSD can't > finish the install due to only having 96mb of memory. Desktop BSD wants > more than 4gb of drive space just to complete the install. > > I currently have 98SE on it only consuming 300mb and it runs fine, but > it's 98SE ;^) Does anyone know of anything ready to install? BSD, Linux, > I don't care. Yes, there's plenty of options for very small Unix installs. Those you've tried have been the modern desktop-oriented distributions of FreeBSD and they of course don't shoot for the older class of systems. Unix has resisted bloat For example, I've put a smaller OpenBSD build on my Soekris that I run for a firewall on my cable connection. Fits in 22 MB: # df -h Filesystem Size Used Avail Capacity Mounted on /dev/wd0a 236M 22.1M 202M 10% / Granted your desktop build will be plenty larger, but 300 MB is certainly achievable. Follow the advice for a minimal installation of the vanilla FreeBSD 6.x or 7 + whatever packages you need and you'll be rolling. You can find similar options in any of the BSDs and GNU/Linux. DS