486SX runs "newish" Linux?

[Isaac Sparrow]

On Sunday 18 November 2001 08:27 pm, Alan Dayley wrote:
> I have an old 486SX PC that I thought would be good as a basic Linux
> install to allow my kids to surf with.  It's specs are below.
>
> RH 7.2 install just gets a little ways in and gives up because there is no
> math co-processor.  Slackware 8.0 when clear through the entire
> installation and fails on the first actual boot, printing "LI" of the lilo
> boot message and freezing completely.
>
> Will any of the "standard" distributions work on this PC or should I go
> looking for some distro specialized for low powered systems?  Or, perhaps
> the lilo problem has nothing to do with low power?

The "LI" problem should have nothing to do with low power. I got the same 
thing installing Redhat 7.2 on a PIIII 1.5 GHZ. I wish I could remember what 
I did to get past the problem. I did reinstall and chose to have lilo written 
to the other location (as opposed to where ever I chose before and got "LI").

>
> SPECS:
> "Dell Precision 486/33S", 33 MHz 486SX, 16MB RAM, 1.2GB IDE hard drive
> (master), 24x CD-ROM (slave), sound card, Intel EtherExpress PRO ISA
> network card.  Video on the motherboard (I don't remember brand), 3.5"
> floppy drive, serial mouse on com1, keyboard.
>
> Alan
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Hopefully the kids get curious and dig deeper when they get bored with 
surfing the web. Linux/UNIX(R) are very powerful systems.
-- 

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Isaac Sparrow
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VisiComp, Inc.
http://www.visicomp.com

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