Can I install a minimal bare bones installation using just a floppy disk? What are the files I need and how should I configure the system? Can it run w/o a hard disk (page file???). I''m trying to create a custom rescue disk.

I think there are some specialized distros that fit on a floppy. One them I believe is called Minix. There''s also a Distro or two that can run off of a CD-ROM...no hard drive required. If your computer can boot off a CD-ROM, you might one of those. I think the CD-ROM Linux version is called SimplyGNUstep. If you get LinuxFormat magazine in your area, get March''s issue and it should have it on their CD.

You may also want to check out www.linuxfromscratch.org. There''s a FAQ about creating bootable Linux CD''s, and there''s a FAQ on www.gentoo.org about creating "virtual" linux''s that run in it''s own memory space (sort of like VMware).

oops, it''s not minix, it''s tiny linux. Go to www.linux.org, and on their distributions link, they have search parameters. One of the search parameters is for minimalst distros. There''s quite a few that fit on a floppy actually. But simplyGNUstep seems the coolest so far.

tomsrtbt

quote: Original post by Abominus
Can I install a minimal bare bones installation using just
a floppy disk? What are the files I need and how
should I configure the system? Can it run w/o a hard
disk (page file???). I''m trying to create a custom
rescue disk.

I''m not sure if the section is still there but check www.distrowatch.com, they had, the last time I was there a section for minimal version of linux which fit on disks...



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You might also check out PicoBSD which installs/run from one floppy disk. Development is still in the early stages thou.

Alas, I''ve net yet been able to try it, I need to find another 4meg of 32pin SIMM memory to play around with it.