Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 09:03:55 -0400 (EDT) From: "Robert D. Keys" <bsdbob@seedlab1.cropsci.ncsu.edu> To: dwhite@resnet.uoregon.edu (Doug White) Cc: beaupran@JSP.UMontreal.CA, freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Using a 386 with 8 Mb RAM and 300Mb HD Message-ID: <199808191303.JAA02758@seedlab1.cropsci.ncsu.edu> In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.4.00.9808181519520.19286-100000@resnet.uoregon.edu> from Doug White at "Aug 18, 98 03:20:25 pm"
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> > On Tue, 18 Aug 1998, Spidey wrote: > > > What can I do with this dinosaur? > > Will minimal freebsd install take too much space? > > It'll fit. It'll be slow but it works. I'd be ready to start pruning off > files though if you want to do any real work. Real work is relative, to some extent. If one is singleusering the box, a small box at home is still fine. In the office, it is pushing the low end. I still do a lot of home singleuser play on a 386 box. Figure that 8 megs ram is the practical minimum anymore, although I do have a tiny decstation with 4 megs ram that runs fine as a command-line-driven box or ftp archive box. So what if it is a tad slow on the home network? There, slow is relative, and mostly unimportant. For HD space, figure 300M is the minimum to leave you play space, sans X11. If you want to do compiles and the like, 300mb is about the practical working minimum. For a writing box, 300M is fine. For a websurfer, 300M is fine. For source building and play, it is minimal, and about 500-600M leaves you some workspace to play. Beyond that is gravy. The practical minimal install is bin and manpages, plus maybe doc. You can fit that comfily in 300M, with playspace to spare. As to ram, the install won't anymore in 4 megs, but will in 8, including X11. Beyond that is gravy. A 387 coprocessor is nice if you can find one in the bilges of a computer junk shop. If not, it is not mandatory. I run several of these tiny boxes on the home net, with 3.0 snaps, and they do well. It gives you a chance to crash the box and not have to worry about it..... These things are cheap and almost dumpster fodder anymore. Find a couple and network them together and play..... Good Luck.... RDK To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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