[Wlug] Distributions with Syslinux?

[Andy Stewart]

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Richard Klein wrote:
> I'm trying to install *nix on an old Gateway2000 120MHz Pentium.  Most of
> the discs (debian 3.1, ubuntu 5.10, phlak, solaris 10, freebsd 5.1, suse
> 9.0, openbsd, netbsd 1.6.2) I have won't boot on it, giving an Isolinux
> error (I forget exactly what the error was - it's at home and I'm at
> work).  PHLAK (I forget the version) boots, but locks up with a black
> screen after it starts X.  I'm guessing it boots because it uses Syslinux
> instead of Isolinux, but I don't know if that's true.  netbsd 1.6.2 also
> boots, and I installed that last night, but I hate the default twm window
> manager, I don't know how netbsd handles packages (I'm thinking of things
> like deb or rpm packages), I don't know my way around netbsd, this is an
> old version of netbsd, and netbsd is probably the wrong choice for what I
> want to do, anyway.  I want to see if I can turn this heap into a useful
> web browser and email reader (well, web-mail could take care of email
> chores).  Some basic office apps would be nice, too.
> 
> So, if I'm right that this old hardware is incompatible with Isolinux,
> what are my options?
> 
> Thanks!

HI Rich,

Here's a thought.  Try downloading a copy of Damn Small Linux (DSL):
http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/download.html

Note that they have two versions, one with Syslinux and another with
Isolinux.  If one works and another doesn't, and it is consistent with
what you've reported (above), then you have one problem solved (in a sense).

DSL has low memory requirements and you can run it off of the CD to see
if you like it (and if it is compatible with your hardware).

I'm not certain but I think DSL is Debian based.

Later,

Andy


- --
Andy Stewart, Founder
Worcester Linux Users' Group
Worcester, MA, USA
http://www.wlug.org

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