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Xref: sserve comp.os.coherent:9022 comp.os.linux:35541 comp.os.minix:21905 comp.os.386bsd.questions:1881 comp.os.misc:2167 Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!munnari.oz.au!spool.mu.edu!caen!malgudi.oar.net!wariat.org!tiny!sjsobol From: sjsobol@tiny.com (Steven J Sobol) Followup-To: comp.os.coherent,comp.os.linux,comp.os.minix,comp.os.386bsd.questions,comp.os.misc Newsgroups: comp.os.coherent,comp.os.linux,comp.os.minix,comp.os.386bsd.questions,comp.os.misc Distribution: world Subject: Re: Unix CAN be used on a minimal system! (Re: Unix OS for 286) X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8] References: <1r34mlINNbv6@uwm.edu> Message-ID: <930421373@tiny.com> Organization: The Tiny Software Co. Cleveland, OH USA Date: Wed, 21 Apr 93 15:16:13 EDT Lines: 43 Rick Miller - Linux Device Registrar (rick@ee.uwm.edu) replied to my post -- : >I use Coherent 4.0, the 32-bit 386-specific version, on a 16-mhz 386-SX. : >It has 2 MB of RAM, and the 45 MB hard drive is divided evenly down the middle. : >22.5 MB for DOS/Windows3.1 (which I can run just fine, thank you), and 22.5 : >for Coherent. Obviously, I'm not running gcc or X11R5 on my computer, but : >I can use Coherent very well... and he said, : It wasn't obvious to ME that you couldn't be running gcc. (With 2 megs of RAM? And maybe 10 megs free disk space out of 22?) Then he goes on to say, : How can you say : "very well" if you can't run gcc?!? It worked fine under Linux on an even : *smaller* machine. well, very simply, I don't *need* gcc. And from what I understand, it needs 4-8 megs RAM to run without a severe performance degradation. And I don't want to make the investment in memory right now, although I could use it... I have other things to spend my money on... (bills; saving for a car that runs; etc, etc.) : I had Linux on my 386SX/16 w/ 2MB RAM on a mere 20MB partition for a while : (until I scrapped MS-DOS!), and it could re-compile its own kernel while I : ran kermit (a big memory-hog, as far as comm-programs go) to post articles : to comp.os.linux! Wow. I'm impressed. (not.) Exactly how much time did it spend re-compiling the kernel? How much stuff did it swap out to disk? : ...and you don't fool me! You can *NOT* run DOS/Windows3.1 "just fine" on : a 16 MHz processor with only 2MB of RAM, unless you're not DOING anything. Have you tried it? Granted, you can't run a kazillion programs at a time but I could run my compiler and MS Word and a couple other programs at the same time. I don't fool you, huh? I'm sorry, I didn't realize you know everything. :) -- steven j. sobol, head honcho, The Tiny Software Co. sjsobol@tiny.com Disclaimer: I own TSC's opinions. :) APK Public Access Internet: telnet to ! Drown the soul, and through the eyes wariat.org or call 216-481-9436 ! you'll see the future so cold & (2400 baud) or 481-1960 (9600 and up) ! lonely (House of Love)