DOS ain't dead - Linux starting from DOS

Linux starting from DOS (Users)

posted by Rugxulo , Usono, 02.03.2011, 01:21

> 1) it must be in one partition with DOS (FAT32 partitinon) in directory
> like C:\LINUX
> 2) can be in UMSDOS form or inside some large file like LINUX.IMG

Can GRUB4DOS work with Linux atop DOS? I thought I read that it can't (Linux doesn't use BIOS). Perhaps you can use a minimal Linux to boot an .ISO of another fuller Linux, but offhand I don't know how.

> 3) size preferred under 200MB

I'm sure you can fit Linux in under 200 MB, but most don't bother. Even my (semi-temporary) ZipSlack (Slackware 11) needs more than that now because I wanted to recompile some stuff. For some dumb reason, they always make it harder than I want to rebuild things. And it bloats the heck out of any installation. Stupid GCC. So it's an uphill climb for that. Perhaps UPX would help, but I doubt it. (Worse is that UPX is a C++ app, and the C++ ABI changed/broke at least twice since ZipSlack's 2.4 kernel, so that makes binaries harder to carry between Linuxes.)

> 4) with X server

Ugh, now I'm really skeptical. Even my ZipSlack doesn't have X, and it's already exceeded your size limit. Sure, oldy-moldy BasicLinux (2.2, libc5) has a (very very very minimal) X server, but I'm not sure how well that works, if at all. I'm not sure what you want the X server for, existing apps presumably, but it's just not realistic to find a "decent" < 200 MB Linux 2.4 w/ X11 distro these days, IMHO. Perhaps if you can find an old copy of DeLi Linux 0.8.0, but the official site is long gone, so it won't be easy.

> 5) must be loadable by Linld or LoadLin. GRUB is not accetable.

BOOTMGR? Gujin? If you hate (or can't use) GRUB, there are others. I know, it's a pain, who wants something that complex to babysit, but you may not have a choice for most modern Linux distros.

> Notes:
> c) I do not care about kernel version or release date.

Good, because you're stuck to 2.4 or older as 2.6 doesn't support UMSDOS. And all major Linuxes are 2.6-based now. Slackware 11 (2006) was the last Slackware to support 2.4 officially. In fact, 2.6 has existed in one form or another since (I think) 2003. So good luck, you'll need it. :-/

> d) it must run on Pentium 300Mhz with 192MB RAM

I assume you mean P2 here, but yeah, that should be plenty for various "light" Linuxes. (You need at least 128 MB of RAM for several I've seen. Yes, that's what they call low-end or light these days, heh.)

P.S. Sorry this isn't more help, but it's not an easy answer, sadly. Instead of 100s of Ubuntu derivatives, we really need a decent "ultra light" Linux that (surprise) works on ultra old hardware (a la DSL/Damn Small Linux) without relying on extremely ancient and old kernel, tools, libc5, etc.

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Complete thread:

Linux starting from DOS - Laaca, 28.02.2011, 18:17 (Users)
- Linux starting from DOS - RayeR, 28.02.2011, 18:22
  - Linux starting from DOS - ron, 28.02.2011, 20:59
- Linux starting from DOS - marcov, 01.03.2011, 11:04
- Linux starting from DOS - tikbalang, 01.03.2011, 18:23
  - Linux starting from DOS - RayeR, 02.03.2011, 01:20
    - Linux starting from DOS - tikbalang, 02.03.2011, 07:07
      - Linux starting from DOS - RayeR, 04.03.2011, 10:13
  - Linux starting from DOS - Laaca, 02.03.2011, 07:43
    - Linux starting from DOS - tikbalang, 02.03.2011, 09:52
- Linux starting from DOS - Rugxulo, 02.03.2011, 01:21
  - Linux starting from DOS - ron, 02.03.2011, 01:47
- Linux starting from DOS - animalid, 03.03.2011, 01:20
- Linux starting from DOS - Laaca, 06.03.2011, 11:13