Stephen J. Carpenter said > On Wed, Oct 14, 1998 at 08:12:21AM -0700, Kenneth Scharf wrote: > > I have an old 386-25 computer with 8m of memory, a 100mb hd, et4000 > > based video card with 1m of display memory. The mb has no cache, and > > only ISA slots. I would like to use this machine as a networked > > station tied to my k6-233 acting as a server. I have an acton ne2000 > > clone I can put in the 386. > > > > Can I boot linux off the network? Can I put most of the file system > > on the network (IE the workstation would mount /bin, /usr, /etc from > > the network and maybe even /host/xxxx. What would be then minimun > > filesystem that would have to be on the local drive? > > > > Network bootng is easy... > you could get away with no hard drive and just a boot disk! > (or as little as a few megav=bytes of disk space) > Absolutely! One company (IGEL LLC) has done just that! They have a line of workstations that have a *minimal* filesystem stored in the ROMS (along with the kernel) another FS is stored in CMOS (holds /etc stuff). Their minimal configuration is a 386sx-16 w/ 8MB RAm and no HD. It works!
> I would check out my web page > http://people.delphi.com/sjc/linux/poor.html > > this is the "Poor Man's XTerminal" it is for setting up a diskless > netbooting XTerminal from a aPC.... it could be adapted for non-X use > (ie as a network terminal etc) > > -Steve > > -- > /* -- Stephen Carpenter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --- <[EMAIL > PROTECTED]>------------ */ > E-mail "Bumper Stickers": > "A FREE America or a Drug-Free America: You can't have both!" > "honk if you Love Linux" > Almost forgot...IGEL's solution has been on the market for over 3 years now. One of my clients has had 3 of these systmes in place since Feb. 1996. They are ZERO administration boxes - I've not done a thing to (or with) them since they were installed. There's no reason why anyone can't put together such a solution... Chuck -- Chuck Stickelman, Owner E-Mail: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Practical Network Design Voice: +1-419-529-3841 9 Chambers Road FAX: +1-419-529-3625 Mansfield, OH 44906-1301 USA
