TINY FAQ

- frequently asked questions -

I - Applications
1 - Is it possible to run GNOME/can I run KDE/ on TINY Linux ?
2 - Is it possible to run application XYZ on TINY Linux ?
3 - Which is the glibc version that comes with TINY Linux ?

II - Installation
1 - Why does TINY require as much as 14 floppies ?
2 - Why do you deliver floppy installation by default ?
3 - I've tried to install TINY Linux. Everything seems fine until I insert A1 floppy disk and hit 'return' : nothing happens !
4 - Is it possible to do a complete installation - system + applications - with floppies ?
5 - I use Linux. How do I deal with .zip packages ?

III - Hardware Requirements
1 - Can I run TINY on my i386 computer ?
2 - How can I install TINY Linux on my laptop ?
3 - Is it possible to install TINY Linux with only 8 MB of RAM memory ?
4 - What is the minimum graphic card required to run X on TINY Linux ?
5 - Does TINY Linux support MCA bus/
6 - Can I run TINY Linux with 4 MB RAM ?
7 - Can I run TINY Linux with 6 MB RAM ?
8 - Can I run a double boot system with TINY Linux ?

IV - General
1 - Where is TINY Linux source code ?

I - Applications

1 - Is it possible to run GNOME/can I run KDE/ on TINY Linux ?
Yes it is. But we do not recommend this option unless your hardware is powerful enough. Meaning you probably could install any current Linux distribution.

2 - Is it possible to run application XYZ on TINY Linux ?
Yes. You can run ANY Linux application on TINY Linux. But depending on application hardware requirements, it can very well be impossible in fact for your old machine, or very unpractical and slow. Caution : when you sum up hardware requirements, take into account all libraries and dependencies !

3 - Which is the glibc version that comes with TINY Linux ?
Both :-)

II - Installation

1 - Why does TINY require as much as 14 floppies ?
Usual versions of Linux system require 30. Some minimal distributions are delivered with a few - or even one single - floppy disk for the kernel. But TINY is a fully functional system, supporting as much old hardware and software as possible.

2 - Why do you deliver floppy installation by default ?
* Fancy you sit in the rainforest and need to install Linux on an i486 machine : you will need a floppy installation.
* Lots of old machines have no CD drive, and are not networked.
* Please hack any installation support to suit your needs better. We will be happy to hear about it !

3 - I've tried to install TINY Linux. Everything seems fine until I insert A1 floppy disk and hit 'return' : nothing happens !
You probably copied directory A1 itself on your floppy disk. What you have to copy is A1 _contents_

4 - Is it possible to do a complete installation - system + applications - with floppies ?
Yes, no problem. When package_file is too big and you have to cut it to fit more than one floppy, do: - tar cvfM package_file - insert first floppy - tar xvfM package_file /dev/fd0 - insert other floppies one by one

5 - I use Linux. How do I deal with .zip packages ?
There are Linux versions for 'zip/unzip' programs.

III - Hardware Requirements

1 - Can I run TINY on my i386 computer ?
Yes you can run TINY Linux system. But if you want to run an X server it will be very slow to start, unless you have either a co-processor, or your 386 is an AMD DX 40.

2 - How can I install TINY Linux on my laptop ?
PCMCIA internal/external floppy drive; PCMCIA network

3 - Is it possible to install TINY Linux with only 8 MB of RAM memory ?
It is recommended that you have 12 or 16 to run your applications with some degree of comfort. Yet with "quickroot" as your second installation disk you will be able to install the system with only 8 MB RAM

4 - What is the minimum graphic card required to run X on TINY Linux ?
Don't think there's a minimum requirement. There is a "mono" X server, a 16 color VGA, and SVGA.

5 - Does TINY Linux support MCA bus/
Presently not. It could be done but we don't have MCA-based boxes for testing. testing.

6 - Can I run TINY Linux with 4 MB RAM ?
Not really. If you manage to have the distribution installed you could run it but TINY is optimized for 8 to 16 MB RAM. TINY does not try to be as small as possible, but to allow real work in a reasonably comfortable environment.

7 - Can I run TINY Linux with 6 MB RAM ?
That's the very very minimal amount for practical use. And normal installation procedure REQUIRES 8 MB.

8 - Can I run a double boot system with TINY Linux ?
Yes you can. But if your hard disk is small it won't give you what you expect. You'd better choose the best operating system and work only on it. Don't ask which operating system !

IV - General

1 - Where is TINY Linux source code ?
TINY Linux is based on Slackware Linux 4.0 and we didn't do any change to the packages by themselves. Therefore you can check for source packages on "ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackware/slackware-4.0/source/"