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Date: Sat, 05 Dec 1998 01:10:53 -0600
From: Phil Brutsche <brutsche@uswest.net>
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To: Forkazoo <forkazoo@aol.com>
Subject: Re: Minix for old computers?
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Forkazoo wrote:
> 
> I was reading in a linux newsgroup, and I heard that it might be possible to
> get this thing called MINIX running on and old 286 laptop w/640k Ram.
> (currently running Dos 6.22, has a 30 meg HD)  I know nothing about minix, and
> haven't run into any web sites about it, so I really have no idea.  Would it
> work?
Yes, Minix will run on that.  Just don't expect from Minix on a 286 what
you
would expect from Linux on a Pentium :-)
> I don't need any power, just some basic note taking type abilities, maybe even
> the ability to do some networking via a serial connection (It has a 9pin serial
> port, a 2400bps modem, and 2 pareallel ports) to tranfer a few little files
> between it and a linux box.
It'll do just fine for that.  Minix has SLIP and PPP drivers, so it
should be a piece of cake to do an FTP over to Linux.  Hell, you could
dial direct to your ISP if you wanted to and were _really_ patient :-)

Just be aware that the only file system Minix can mount is the one
called Minix (it's the exact same file system known as Minix you might
have seen in your Linux kernel configuration screens), so it doesn't
have smbfs or nfs.

I don't think there's been any work porting Samba over to Minix.  If
there is one, it would be quite a job.  Last I heard, the Minix
networking code is different enough from POSIX that stuff like Apache,
Lynx, and Samba aren't "just a compile away", like it is on more
traditional Unix and Unix-like operating systems.

-- 
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Phil Brutsche

"Be of stout heart, Number One.  We've handled the Borg.  We can
certainly handle Admiral Jellico." - Jean-Luc Picard

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