Trouble Installing Slackware 4.0 on 486
 

Hey,
I'm trying to get Linux on an old computer to learn it, i'm a total newbie. I've just reformatted the c: on an old 486 (66Mhz, 8MB Ram, 400MB hd). I'm trying to install Slackware Linux ver 4.0 and I can't get past the partitioning bit.

I deleted the old DOS partition and made a Linux Native one, but when i try to run setup, i get
Bus Error
Bus Error
Bus Error

etc scrolling down the screen by itself until i turn off the computer.

Somewhere, before i typed "root" to login, it said that with low memory, it would be better to create a Linux Swap partition, and to type things like

mkswap /dev /<partition>

and

swapon /dev /<partition>

but i dont know the name of the partition i've made or whether i should type those things while fdisk is running or not. I managed to change the Linux Native to Swap once, but it asked me what name partition again, which I don't know.

Does anyone have a suggestion as to what I should be doing?

cheers
Konni

have a read here for a minimal install, w/ a 400 mb hardrive, it's probably your best bet.

http://home.earthlink.net/~gnashley/...ix8_1howto.htm

have a read here for fdisk.

http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Partition/partition-5.html

good luck.

I wouldn't recommend trying to learn linux using a really old version. You wouldn't want to learn Windows using Windows 3.11.

If you have a newer machine, grab knoppix and use that. It runs right from the CD, so wont touch your harddrive.

knoppix.net

thanks for the info, Peacedog, but I still have the same problem, even though I've got the correct setting for Linux Native and Swap partitions. It now displays the Setup Menu, but as soon as I press a key, it starts scrolling the Bus Error message again.

If I had a better machine, I'd be using in ;-), this comp is at my mates house.