From owner-freebsd-questions Sun Mar 16 8: 2:19 2003 Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1929737B401 for ; Sun, 16 Mar 2003 08:02:18 -0800 (PST) Received: from sccrmhc01.attbi.com (sccrmhc01.attbi.com [204.127.202.61]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id AFCF243F3F for ; Sun, 16 Mar 2003 08:02:16 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from mav@wastegate.net) Received: from wastegate.net (12-226-185-104.client.attbi.com[12.226.185.104]) by sccrmhc01.attbi.com (sccrmhc01) with ESMTP id <2003031616021500100cbiufe>; Sun, 16 Mar 2003 16:02:15 +0000 Received: from MOTHER (mother.wg.local [192.168.1.5]) by wastegate.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id A83B748463; Sun, 16 Mar 2003 11:06:19 -0500 (EST) From: "Doug Reynolds" To: "Sue Blake" , "taxman" Cc: "freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG" , "Wizard of Wor" Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2003 11:04:56 -0500 X-Mailer: PMMail 2000 Professional (2.20.2657) For Windows 2000 (5.1.2600;1) In-Reply-To: <20030316071751.B77240@welearn.com.au> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: Re: minimum memory [was: A simple question about FreeBSD] Message-Id: <20030316160619.A83B748463@wastegate.net> Sender: owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk List-ID: List-Archive: (Web Archive) List-Help: (List Instructions) List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG On Sun, 16 Mar 2003 07:17:51 +1100, Sue Blake wrote: >On Fri, Mar 14, 2003 at 09:28:14PM -0500, taxman wrote: >> On Friday 14 March 2003 08:23 pm, Wizard of Wor wrote: >> > I was unable to find the minimum requirements on x86 platform. Can I >> > run FreeBSD on mz 486dx2 8Mb laptop smoothly? >> >> The install documentation or the FAQ does have this answer, but yes you should >> be able to run fine on this machine. Just don't try to install X windows, >> unless you set up a *lot* of swap. It also depends a little bit on if there >> is any noncooperative hardware on the machine. Laptops tend to have some of >> that. Best bet is to try it. 4.x will probably work the best for you. > > >This memory question comes up a lot, and I'm not sure how up to date >that part of the documentation is. Has anyone _definitely_ run an >install on a machine with only 8MB in the last couple of years? > >Twice I have failed to install (boot floppy with CD) to machines with >only 8MB RAM. It could have been FreeBSD 4.4, but I think it was >FreeBSD 3.3. I'd love to discover that I'm wrong here. > >Of course the alternative is to put the disk in another machine to do >the install, then it should run OK back in the 8MB machine. As for X, >forget trying it. If it was installed it "would run" but not usably, >no matter how much swap. Without X and with plenty of swap you can do >a lot with your 8MB in text mode if you can get an installation going. >I had a 386 with 8MB running FreeBSD 2.x (without X) that ran much >faster than the NT4 pentium beside it. The 486 CPU should be fine. AFAIK, you need 12meg to install, but only 8 to run. I wouldnt run it will less than 16 or 24. I had 28 megs in a old 486-133, and 4.3-release ran great. --- doug reynolds | the maverick | mav@wastegate.net To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message