Andrew's Linux Page

This server and CD-ROM are not the most recent version of Linux This is not a Sunsite Mirror. This stuff is no way current!

Linux Installation at TRIUMF

About Linux

Linux is a version of Unix that runs on most 386 and 486 PCs. It supports true multitasking, virtual memory, and X11.

Documents Here

Elsewhere

Requirements to run Linux

Linux requires a 386 or 486 CPU. It will run on an ISA/EISA/VESA local bus (Not IBM PS/2 MCA) . You need at least 4Mb or RAM and 40Mb of disk space. To install via NFS you'll need an Ethernet card and Internet connection to andrew.triumf.ca

Actually, it will run fine (faster than Win95, and in less RAM than WinNT, Digital Unix) on Pentiums, Pentium Pro (99% certain), PowerPC, and DEC ALpha with PCI, SCSI.

Old Hardware HOWTO. This is a gzip file.

X11 for Linux (Xfree386) requires a mouse, and a VGA or SVGA graphics card. Several normal SVGA chipsets are supported, plus Cirrus, Western Digital, S3, ATI Mach 8, 32 and IBM8514 accelerated chipsets. Other SVGA chips may work in VGA mode.

Old X11 HOWTO

Getting Linux

Linux may be obtained from a variety of places on the Net or on CD-ROM. This note describes how to get the Slackware1.2 version via NFS mount from andrew.triumf.ca

Installation

Note:

This is Trans-Ameritech Slackware Release 3, with Linux 1.0. It works really well on this hardware, and "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Trans-Ameritech now has Release 4, with Linux 1.1.50, which I now have at home in an attempt to get better support for my obscure soundcard. At this time the most recent version on the net is around 1.1.99, I think (March 1995). See a Sunsite mirror for the most recent version. I am now running 1.1.92 which supports multicast. The CD-ROM here has 640Mb of compressed good-quality free Unix software including most of the Gnu tools, LaTeX, tcl and man pages for almost everything (X11, C library, etc.), though it is getting on for a year old.

The later versions have a quick try-it package using UMSDOS that will allow you to try Linux and X11 on your hardware without the hassle of repartitioning.