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Date:      Tue, 09 Jul 2002 13:41:21 +0200
From:      "Julian H. Stacey" <jhs@jhs.muc.de>
To:        "Amy Shaftoe" <amyshaftoe@hotmail.com>
Cc:        freebsd-small@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Perhaps a new "distribution"? 
Message-ID:  <200207091141.g69BfLm00542@lapa.jhs.private>
In-Reply-To: Message from "Amy Shaftoe" <amyshaftoe@hotmail.com>  of "Sat, 06 Jul 2002 10:28:56 CDT." <F136RoYfr0QYSfRNeH50000a374@hotmail.com>

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"Amy Shaftoe" wrote:
> I just wish I could install the current FreeBSD distribution on a
> machine with only 8 MB of memory.  I think 4.3 was the last release
> where that was possible.  I tried to build custom boot floppies for
> 4.5 with most of the ethernet drivers removed.  While I got a little
> further in the boot process with these floppies, it still failed.
> Has anyone had any success in doing this?
> 
> On some machines I have (old laptops) adding more RAM isn't an
> option and removing the hard drive to do the install somewhere else
> is a pain.

If someone adds a `mini' install option, it will look good, reducing FreeBSD's
"Minimum Hardware Requirements" description.  Just to upgrade though, it's
not necessary to have enough RAM to run FreeBSD's floppy/CD installer (was
5M to install, 4M to boot when last I needed to check years ago).

Instead, just copy new bins & kernel into parallel directories /4.6
/usr/4.6 & /var/4.6 (via PLIP, SLIP, ether, cdrom or floppy), then `cp
/bin/mv /mv;/mv` old stuff out in this order /var, /usr, /, & reboot.
Only for the experienced, get anything wrong & reboot can fail !

> MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: 
> http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx

Microsoft merits no free advertising on this FreeBSD list.
	Microsoft tax pyramid:	http://www.billparish.com/presslist.html
	Why I avoid Microsoft	http://bim.bsn.com/jhs/ms/dos.txt

Julian Stacey		Freelance Unix (BSD Linux etc) Consultant, Munich

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