Installing Linux stories
 

Because Maemo is Linux OS so why not also share some Linux OS stories in another than Maemo compatible devices too.

I can start with little story about installing Debian (10.3.0 Buster) Linux to PC, I share here because I think there is people who can laught (or cry) to this.

At last I think to install 64-bit Linux (amd64) to my offline-PC, because I need PSPP-software. I wanted to try that I only install software that are only in Debian ISO-images.

I put Mac online and start downloading ISO-images and burn installation DVD:s. Ok only 3 first ones are available with ftp then you have use Jigdo software to get another ISO:s (needed for PSPP). But death link for Jigdo for Mac.

So you need Linux to install Linux with PSPP :eek: Ok I have those three first ISO:s so I install Linux and think that now I can use Jigdo, but no! Jidgo is in 4th DVD and downloading ISO for that it you need Jidgo :confused:

Re: Installing Linux stories
 

^ Those additional installation DVDs are only required if you have no internet connection at all.
The usual way to install Debian is to use the first DVD only (and probably burnt to USB, not DVD), and install with that. Then, when the system is installed, install whatever else you want with apt:
etc.

Re: Installing Linux stories
 

Or when you try to keep PC offline. Of course it is possible transfer deb-packages to that PC without those DVDs. But collecting all depends makes so much work, so at the end those DVDs can be nice.

Of course it is not good idea download and burn all DVDs, so it is good idea check what ISO has programs that you need.

Re: Installing Linux stories
 

Hmm, installing stories?

Right; I remember the first linux install I did, it must have been slackware or maybe SLS, cannot be sure after all the time passed. Anyway, the install was from a pile of floppies, maybe a stack of 12 or so 3,5"HD disks. (side note, I must still have them somewhere, since last month I found my MSDOS 6.2 install disks dating from the same era...)

Anyway, a friend of mine showed up on my doorstep one day with this pile of floppies and told me there's a new Unix-like OS for PC's, and it would work just fine on my brand new 386sx with whopping 4MB of DRAM! (and a huge HDD of 40MB which I was really proud of)

We spent that night installing Linux on my workstation and drinking a considerable amount of beer during the process. The installation was fairly lengthy and not that straightforward as it did require both compiling the kernel for the device, and after finally getting the console up, compiling X for my graphics board, a lightning-fast Tseng Labs card that I had imported from Taiwan myself.

What a joy when sometime in the morning we finally had mwm running up on a graphics display!

Re: Installing Linux stories
 

Little bit earlier that I see first time the Linux. That time I see one guy when he install with 18 disks and installing it to new expensive 486/66Mhz with 16MB of RAM and I remember he had some problems with monitor information to X-window, but at last he get it works with some moire-effect. I think total installation time was about 8 hours. And remember how I tell him that it is not as useful than TOS on my Atari so he continue use OS/2 in his PC.

Some years later I installed PTS-DOS 6, Suse Linux 5 and OS/2 in 486/33Mhz (16MB RAM/500MB HD) choosing OS with boot manager from OS/2. And after that I didn't liked Linux, I only think that it will have more future than Windows :) ..And I continue use more Atari than that PC.

Re: Installing Linux stories
 

Yes; originally X was a real beast to get working correctly; there were zillion different graphics cards, each requiring a specific driver to be compiled and crazy amount of tweaking modelines before ever getting a stable picture on the tube :p

I remember some years later I got hold of a truckload of a whopping 21" monster tubes, real Trinitron stuff which were offed from a city council IT department. The problem, they were all workstation tubes with nonstandard refresh rate and sync-on-green!
The solution; get Matrox cards that can be hacked to produce S-O-G and high enough refresh rate to feed the beasts. Then experiment with X settings until a stable picture emerged... I tweaked maybe half-a-dozen of the cards for my friends to go with the tubes.


And you were correct in that; currently the installed base of linux-derived OS'es owerhelms all other OS'es by decades I think! :D

Re: Installing Linux stories
 

I have had opposite problem with Silicon Graphics and another non PC computers. Hard to find monitor that has sync-on-green.

Re: Installing Linux stories
 

Before I can go net and use apt, I have to setup security. GUI for firewall is in DVD3, but GUI for user administrator is what DVD? What is nowadays name of GUI for user administrator for Debian with Xfce?..old days there was Linuxconf after that there was Webmin. I don't remember anymore command for listing users in commandline.

Re: Installing Linux stories
 

ooh, SGI what model has u? *drooling*

I once had a junkload of parts of an SGI Iris/4d with some key pieces missing, like the chassis and PSU :p

So what I did is I constructed a mechanics to house it in, using old BTS chassis rack and sheetmetal. Fairly impressive thing measuring about 60cm*60cm*80cm high tower.

The PSU proved a bit difficult since the mainboard and geometry engines draw about 250A on the +5V supply line under a heavy load and the voltage should be fairly stable and not droop too much under the draw.
Luckily I was able to repurpose a BTS PSU system to feed the beast.

The chassis was large enough to hold the mainoard and 9 blades (full-size VME cards) and also the dual ESDI drives sized like large garden bricks.

Wonderful toy, that. Too bad I had to get rid of it later due to my better half asking the crucial questions "is it useful at all?" and "where do you think you are putting it in?"

Re: Installing Linux stories
 

I still have that SGI Octane 2, but ready to sell it to good home. It's not that big and it is beautiful as modern art, but my ex made same questions, but my answers was "yes" and "there".