i have an lcd monitor that looks so 'geek' i wish i could photograph it and post a link to it, but sorry, i havnt't a digital camera, i'ts from a fast-food drive-thru 'order confirmation' display, and it's built lika a tank! something like that would probably be more appropriate if you could get your hands on it i'ts a standard vga by the way

This has gotten off topic We went from figuring out how to put Linux on an old PC (like my laptop without a CD-ROM) to running Linux on a 286 to figuring out how to mount an old monitor on a wall for display purposes. I hate to act like a mod when I'm not, but I'd like to know how to get Linux on my old laptop.

well, if it's a 386 or higher you you could try finding a distro that will install from floppies (although that can be a real pain) or if your laptop has a network card, then you could find a network install, and even more painfully, a network install using your laptop's old modem if it has one or perhaps a paralell port cd-rom (if the laptop has a paralell port and you can boot off such a cdrom), i personally would go with either the floppies or the network install, but in any case, good luck

A network install shouldn't be too hard, and will probably be the easiest method, but there are also several HOW-TO's out there that cover an internet based install as well. If you're doing a minimal install, then pulling the files off of the net might be the easiest way to get started. Most distro's let you create a couple of install floppies to get your machine booted, and then you can proceed to install the components that you want.

Good Reading:

Linux.org Network install Howto

LinuxWorld Network install

slight

I actually need a floppy based install--I have a parallel-port CD-ROM, but it seems to be a dud, or not supported by Linux or Windows by default. I have a PCMCIA network card, but my PCMCIA controller keeps crashing my network floppies. I have no modem for it whatsoever. Also, me being a rookie, I don't know how to enable parallel port CD-ROM support.

Have you searched the web? ( I found this on a Google search with 'linux 286" as my search parameters, it was hit # 19)

Linux on Laptops with 286 CPU:
http://www.tuxmobil.org/286_mobile.html

What is Elks?
ELKS is the Embedded Linux Kernel Subset, a variation of Linux developed for use on 8088 or better processors. Aimed at embedded applications, it has found favour with obsolete Classic hardware addicts collectors who want to run something other than M$ software.

http://www.inkpotproductions.ca/elks.html

HTH
Steve

I think that's what that other person was looking for. So far I haven't found out a good way to get genuine Linux on my laptop which is a Pentium 90.

Hmmm .. I guess I missed that.

I see you have floppy-based distros, which have you tried?

I have had success with TinyLinux on older machines - not a laptop, mind you.

http://tiny.seul.org/en/index.html

It's a cut-down Slack, and is quite versatile.

HTH
Steve

I have Tomsrtbt Linux, but I have yet to figure out how to use that to connect to another computer and to invoke an installation from that computer. I imagine that would work. How would I use something like that to, say, access another computer via parallel port? I don't have and can't fit drivers for my LAN card and my CD-ROM is a dud.

hmm, i'd look into PLIP protocal (paralell line internet protocal, or something like that), i can't help you much further than that since i've never tried it, but again, best of luck

i suggest u use floppix or one of those folppy bootable linux

Oh......my.......god.

That link mentions the exact laptop that I have, the Toshiba T1000 LE. I can now entertain thoughts of actually having something other than DOS 5 on it. Maybe If I'm lucky I can get my serial modem working and I can surf the web at 9600 baud, like it was meant to be surfed.

slight

It really isn't worth trying to do it on a 16 bit CPU. Its bad enough with a 386/486 SX as Linux requires the x87 chip as well, otherwise needs math emulation.
To make a parralell port CDROM work, you need to make a little boot disk with a custom kernel on it, just include the bare minimum and do make bzdisk
I would also stick 2.2 on it, have a look at debian, they compile for 386 and has a very small initial footprint.
As for Gentoo, don't even bother, it can compile for everything (from 386 to athlon-xp) but it would take SO long on such an old machine, and my distfiles directory (where it downloads the source files to) is 1.4gb.
If you can, I would hook the hard disk up to a computer and install debian or something on that, then put it back in the laptop and set it up. You would need an adaptor though.

I guess the parallel CD's out since I don't know how to do kernels yet. Other than that, I guess I'll see what Slackware has to offer. ...or not since I have a dial-up connection and it'll take 24 hours to get it in.
Where would I find info on using a parallel port DCC to setup Linux? I have yet to find a HOWTO on it.

I have a 486 in the garage, and its control card does not allow me to use the hard drive. it works sometime. is it possible to install a usb port and run it off of that and the CD rom?

Also, I have a pent I K6 450 AMD with 128M I would like to learn how to build a network with it and a Toshiba 16M mem laptop, and connect DSL to it soon. what would be a good distribution?

thank you..