I really like RIP Linux and I want to install and use it on a tower with Pentium III, 380mb RAM and 80gb IDE HDD. The problem is lack of documentation on doing it. There
is ample information for using it from a USB memory stick but not from a HDD. What if I copy all the files from the RIP Linux ISO to the HDD then run grub and install
grub on the HDD with the proper HDD partition as the boot partition? Would that work? Thanks in advance.

According to the website RIPLinux needs at least 512MB RAM. Since it is based on Slackware, why don't you just install Slackware, which should run well on such a machine if you use Fluxbox or something similar.

Live cd's are a bit different. I don't know much on how rip works without downloading and testing but here is the general ways.

Use hard drive as if it were a usb. See this. http://www.tux.org/pub/people/kent-r.../rip/mkusb.txt I assume it will use up all of your drive in the process.

Maybe you could take a normal install of a similar based distro and as you say delete the current install and then copy and paste the rip linux. Then fix or even might be able to select grub iso or fix grub/lilo or other loader. I suppose syslinux might work.

While installing it to a harddisk like one would do on USB might work, it doesn't solve the issue that the website lists 512MB of RAM as minimum system requirement. It may work, but it may be very slow or just not working at all.

I use the non-X version of RIP Linux and it performs quite well. Not slow at all. I have no requirement of a GUI. I would be using this machine to serve up web pages as a gateway. It uses a fraction of the power my LGA 775 board does, which is what I have been using as a gateway. If I need to access files on SATA HDDs on the LGA 755 I can just wake it up with wake-on-lan and then shut it back down. I'm just playing here, something with which to learn.
Thank you all for your replies. By the way, treating the drive as a USB drive to install RIP Linux isn't the way I'd want to go.

I wouldn't mind using Slackware but I don't have any Slackware installation discs and I'm on a dial up internet connection. I got the Fedora distro by ordering through the Fedora program that offers free installation DVDs to people like myself who are stuck with dial up. And the RIP Linux boot iso was downloaded onto a friend's computer with DSL and burned to disc. I wonder if there's a way to get Slackware like I get Fedora? Thanks for your reply.

You can buy Slackware CDs/DVDs, but they are not free, just have a look at the Slackware store: http://store.slackware.com/cgi-bin/store

To be more clear about your goal, if I understand you right you want to have a real install of RIPLinux on the disk, not a live install? If so, read the README on their website, it contains instructions how to make such an install.

1 members found this post helpful.

One solution: wait 'til Slackware 14.0 is released, then wait to see if it's given away with any Linux magazine.

Yes, that's right. I already looked on the home site but could not find anything like that except how to install it on a USB drive. But I'll have another look.
http://www.tux.org/pub/people/kent-r.../looplinux/rip
Thanks.

My suggestion is that you should use RIP Linux as "an excellent example," but bear in mind that it has been designed to run from a DVD. Since you've been told it is based on Slackware, I'd suggest that you obtain or buy (as the case may be) a copy of that, and install that on the target machine. Slackware's installer expects that the system will run from a hard-drive/stick.

Incidentally ... in my book ... "if you have to 'buy' a Linux distro, so what?" If you get what you pay for, and in so doing help to defray the costs of getting it, "it's all good."

Okay I did find it in the Readme file, basically it amounts to what I thought, copying files to the HDD then installing grub, but I did not know about removing "init" link or the convenient root.cgz file. I'm going to give it a shot sometime today or tonight and will report back after that. Looks very promising.

Of course you can get Slackware for free, just download it. But if you are on dial-up this may not be an option, so you can buy it from the store. Will be a nice support of Mr. Volkerding and associates.
If neither downloading nor buying is an option, maybe brianL's advice is the way to go, maybe you can also find a friendly LUG in your area and ask them if they can help you getting a copy of Slackware. Or any other distro.

If all you are doing is a very simple install then try the usb copy.

There are tons of disto's that even if free are being sold at a nominal cost generally plus shipping. Some magazines offer a disk each month too so see your news stand.

It may even be just as easy to create a normal usb and test it from a usb boot.

Okay I got it installed and it boots fine. I think this will maybe give me a feel of Slackware so I can decide if I want to buy Slackware installation media. Thanks to everyone.
One question. I've got network going using static IP. I can shell into another computer on the LAN but I can't access internet although I have been using internet on my laptop through port forwarding with the machine that connects to the internet. I copied /etc/resolv.conf to the /etc directory with no joy. Now I'm trying to set the gateway to the machine that accesses internet. I edited /etc/networks with "gateway 192.168.0.4" but no joy even after restarting networking. Anybody?

I would recommend to open a new thread regarding that new problem and mark this thread as solved.
Just for completeness, since RIP Linux is a distro that is usually not changed by the user it may be possible that basic and essential tools, like package management tools, are not available. Since RIP Linux is derived from Slackware you may find appropriate information about configuration in the Slackbook or at http://docs.slackware.com/