Hi All.

I am trying to install Caldera OpenLinux 3.1.1 Workstation on Pentium 100 Mhz/32 MB RAM/2.1GB HDD.

Problem: The installation always fails after booting the kernel, doing all the normal checks (scsi, pci, etc). When it comes to installing (starting LIZARD) it fails. I have tried using cautious install, text based install but no go. I have tried this with using a boot floppy for DOS and also linux but to no avail. The BIOS on the MoBo is an old Award Bios and has no option to boot from CDROM.

Googling and reading the forums found that Power Management might be a problem and disabled it but still no go.

Got latest install.144 files from Caldera Site but that simply reboots my system.

What can i do to get Linux installed??

TIA.

My guess is that your memory is lower than their minimum hardware requirements for that release. Did you check and see that?

Personally, I would avoid Caldera as SCO owns that (I think).

Look for a distro that only requires 32 mb (you probably can't run X) or better yet, fill that sucker up with all of those sticks you can find. At least you will have 92 MB mem and with a 100 MHZ CPU, don't expect any X stuff to run very fast.

# Cheap CDs
Discount Linux CDs
Linux Central
Cheapbytes
TuxCDs
ComputerHelperGuy

# Pre-installation guides
GNU/Linux pre-installation checklist
The Pre-Installation Help File

# Partitioning
Linux Partition HOWTO
Rute - Partitions, File Systems, Formatting, Mounting

Sorry for the stab in the dark, but...

If it helps, you won't mind. When I did an install of RH9, the Plug and Play OS feature was still on in the bios, and that messed something up - I think it was the fs, but not sure. It does need to be disabled anyway, so you may check it. If this is off base, I'm sure fancypiper is watching your thread and will correct me.

Plug and Pray should definately be turned off.

I see you barely meet the hardware requirements according to the OpenLinux® Release 3.1.1 Release Notes.

I assume you are attempting to install with boot install floppies.

Making install floppies

Checked the Bios settings and Plug and Play is set to Manual, still won't install.

What other distro can i install on the above hardware?

Slackware, slackware and more slackware

Got Slack 9.0 installed on a notebook with a 256mb drive, 28mb of ram, and a blazing dx/2 40 proc, wireless network, and XFree86 3.3 running as well. Still got about 60mb of the disk left. So, get slacking!

It took some jumping through hoops, but would you believe I actually had Slackware 8.0 installed and running on this notebook when it only had 4mb of ram, the swapping was brutal, but if you stayed out of X it was sort of useable. With a ram upgrade to 28mb it's very useable as a browser/text editor.