Hello fellow Linux users.

I have decided to start a new project. I want to make a Linux OS. I want to be able to boot from a floppy disk and then install from the same disk. The point here is to make everything I need to install Linux fit on one floppy. I don't know much about this sort of thing so I am asking here for help. If you know of a distro that can do this please let me know where I can get it. Maybe I can modify it and play with it to see how things work.

Thanks in advance!

Get slackware linux, its suposed to be the hardest linux there is, but u can convert to ur likes meaning changing everything, but when it comes to getting down and dirty and making the distro, then i dont know the answer.

I am a proud Slackware user already. And Slackware is not hard! Besides, I did not make Slackware. And Slackware doesn't fit on a floppy.

Anyone else able to help?

Heh, I know what you want. check out Linux From Scratch @ http://lfs.sourceforge.net. its right up your street and exactly what you want.

gd luck

Okay, I have downloaded the book and I will start reading it tommorow. This will guide me through makeing a Linux distro that will fit on a floppy right? Will it also show me how to set it up so that it has fdisk in it so I can partition the drives? I need to have it all on the floppy.

I dont think LFS will fit on a floppy by itself, you'll have to strip it.
There are some HOWTO's to make a floppy based linux, maybe you'll have to search for them

But how do I get this LFS thing? Is there a download somewhere, or a list of the things I need?

Actually, after reading a little bit I think that this is not what I am looking for. I want to make a distro but then put it into a floppy that will have installation scripts. It looks to me as though this book only shows how to make Linux on a system and not how to make it onto a disk that you would install from.

There are already many floppy-based distros out there. I suggest you look at those, compare them to what you want to put in your distro, and build onto them. At the very least, they would be able to help you learn how to build you own.

look at Linux.org to find some of the floppy-based distros already available.

I need a bootable floppy that I can install Linux from. I don't know if I am being clear. I want to be able to put this in a PC and turn it on. It will have fdisk and I will be able to install Linux from the floppy so that after I will never need to see or touch the floppy again. Does this exist?

Yes. Did you look at the link I posted?

I'm curious. What exactly are you wanting to install off of this floppy. You're obviously not going to fit much a single floppy. Most small distros like what you are talking about are designed around a very specific task. For example there is a single floppy bootable floppy that will turn a box into a wireless access point/router. What are you wanting yours to do?

I need it to have only basic things. The ability to use dial-up and also be able to connect to my network useing DHCP. One text editor, a C compiler (and any other stuff I may need to compile and install apps), one web browser, and FTP program, and an IRC client. I would like to have the BSD games, but if there is no room forget it. This would have fdisk to format and partition the drive you will install on. I will trim it down by takeing out any unneeded stuff, like the man pages and other text FAQ related things. I am sure there is a small distro that has some of these abilities. Then I could trim it down, take certain things out and put certain things in.

"I need it to have only basic things. The ability to use dial-up and also be able to connect to my network useing DHCP. One text editor, a C compiler (and any other stuff I may need to compile and install apps), one web browser, and FTP program, and an IRC client. I would like to have the BSD games, but if there is no room forget it. This would have fdisk to format and partition the drive you will install on. I will trim it down by takeing out any unneeded stuff, like the man pages and other text FAQ related things. I am sure there is a small distro that has some of these abilities. Then I could trim it down, take certain things out and put certain things in."


I know from personal experience that you will not even come close to getting all this on a floppy. I also know from personal experience that you can fit it all on a bootable CD. You should take a look at using LifeBoat to make a custom built bootable CD.

http://users.rcn.com/srstites/LifeBo...home.page.html

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Steve Stites

I think that if you have to ask how to do it, then you're not ready to do it. LFS would have been the best start for you however since it TEACHES you how an OS works and what you need to run it. BTW all these things you are saying you need are not gonna fit on a floppy.

I don't know if this is what you are looking for:

http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/dis...ions/baslinux/

Good luck.