Linux installation on 555k ram

Sanpreet Singh · 01-16-2013, 02:05 AM

i have the configuartion 80486 processor ram is 555k hard disk is 80 GB CD Rom and i have to install linux on it. please fing a suitable version of linux which can be installed on it......................

wigry · 01-16-2013, 02:44 AM

Are you sure that you really have 555k (kilobytes) of RAM? Even on my 286 way back in time had 1MB of RAM and on 486 I would expect something like 4-16MB of RAM

ukiuki · 01-16-2013, 04:25 AM

Could you please give a more detailed info about the hardware? Like the exactly amount of RAM, the exactly processor model, video card, etc.
If you really have only 555k of RAM that might make things difficult.
About the hard disk, I don't think a 486 BIOS can handle a 80Gb ones, maybe 20-30Gb disks, I do have one that can't handle anything bigger than 30Gb and it is an advanced model of 486.
Just for a start here some links of interest:
http://www.superant.com/smalllinux/
http://ttylinux.net/
http://tinylinux.sourceforge.net/

Regards

TobiSGD · 01-16-2013, 05:06 AM

For a minimal version of Linux you will need at least 4MB of RAM, nut you will need to use an older kernel (<2.6) to even fit the kernel into the RAM. You should upgrade the meory to at least 16MB, better 32 MB of RAM to get the machine into a usable state.
But as the other members already stated, most likely is 555KB of RAM the amount you have usable under a DOS system, you should have a look at the actual used hardware to determine the real values.