Linux Swap driving me nuts

[redrumloa]

I'm trying to install SUSE to an old laptop with only flopy drive, and 32MB RAM. The idea was/is to do an FTP install after booting from boot floppies.

The problem, 32MB is not enough for an install and needs a swap partition. I downloaded and made a boot floppy for BootE, which is a single disk Linux distro(emergency disk). I partitioned the HD and created 3 partitions. I made HDA2 a swap partition and activated it.

All good right? Well I get through most of the boot disk setup until it starts loading PCMIA drivers and runs out of memory, saying it needs a swap. It sees the swap partition but when selected throws back a generic failure message.

Huh?

[redrumloa]

Well SUSE has a FTP install possibilty. I have some low spec laptops on hand, I'd like to make use of one of them. It's bugging the hell out of my why the swap aint working. It works fine on BootE:-/

This laptop has PCMIA and USB, I am trying to configure the PCMIA with a network adapter.

[redrumloa]

mdma wrote:
[before you even get to the PCMCIA driver load, Ctrl-Alt-F2 to get from the GUI installer to a command line, and type  swapon /dev/hda2 then Ctrl-Alt-F1 to get back to the installer.  If you are using text mode install, as I guess you probably will be with only 32MB RAM, just use Alt-F1 and Alt-F2. You might have to try F3,F4,F5 etc until you get a bash prompt, but there will be one so just keep trying each virtual terminal until you find it.

No luck... CTRL/ALT/F1 does nothing.. I can't seem to get a bash prompt to save my life:-(

[redrumloa]

mdma wrote:
Are you using GUI installer or text mode?

Ctrl-Alt-F2 for GUI
Alt-F2 for Textmode

Ctrl-Alt-F1 to get back to first terminal if GUI
Alt-F1 to get back to first terminal if TextMode

GUI. When I try to exit to text mode but the installer just quits. I really would be happy with a bash prompt right now. BTW ALT/F1(2,3,4) and CTRL/ATL/F1(2,3,4) has the same effect as each other. I can toggle between screens and see system messages, but cannot get a prompt.

-EDIT-
Oh sh&& i just got one (F10). brb

[redrumloa]

Well no good. I can get to a bash prompt now, but most commands are not available. Swapon throws back invalid argument errors (swapon /dev/hda2/). I've given up for now. I'm going to be in the shop today, and will bring home some extra laptop memory. I may also buy a USB memory stick since it seems to be loading OHCI mosules fine.

It's all good though, getting more familiar with Linux command line with every adventure.

mdma wrote:
Baring in mind that the machine only has 32MB RAM, then you could download the debian installer floppies you need from here, and just install a base system.
 

Looks like it's missing PCMIA drivers, so the network driver probably won't work.

Or if the machine can boot from a USB stick and you have a spare one knocking about, then try http://www.damnsmalllinux.org it's a fully capable linux desktop than runs fine old old heaps of junk

I'll check that out too.

[redrumloa]

mdma wrote:
@Red

How'd you get on with this, did you get the read error sorted from the floppy after you got swapon to function correctly?

Or did you try one of the other distros?

Well i brought home a different laptop from the shop. This one a 166Mhz w/80MB RAM, and a new 3GB HD. I manually configured 3 partitions(w BootE 1 disk distro) swith a HDAB as a 256MB swap. With this setup everything is kosher, more or less, and even accepts the swap, until setup gets further. Unfolrtunately I hit a bunch of new snags. First the setup gets dog ass slow. I litterally mean SLOW. Can take 3-4 hourse between steps. All HD activity, apparently beating that swap space as ram. I suspect DMA is not working at this point:-( Then I get to the review just before install, and it recomends a bunch of repartitioning but complains about a lack of available space for a minimal install. I tried to select to manually change it, but the speed (or rather lack thereof) put me off. I gave up after ~24 hours.

This laptop a bad candidate for SUSE as is. I'm gonna scrounge the shop and set one up with CD drive and slightly better system resources. I'll keep one or 2 old ones arround and make a search for a good minimalist distro. All i really need is a text console with basic networking services and some internet software such as FTP, IRC, Lynx etc. All text based. Ideas?

[redrumloa]

Update:
I went to the local computer show(swap meet/flea market) and purchased a FIC Sahara 3810 Terminal for $60. It's TINY, 500Mhz Celery processor and I threw 384MB ram and a 20GB HD into it. I'm setting it up ATM. After it's set up I'll hide it off somewhere. It'll be a dedicated slave to the C128D as a HD and internet services. Stay tuned..

Oh yeah, I'm still going to tinker with a minimalist instal on one of these laptops when I get a chance..