[SunRescue] PS/2 Model 27

[Christopher Byrne]

There are several linux kernels and stripped distributions that run on 286's
but none of them work very well. Really they are only useful as a linux
router or something similar.

There are very important reasons Unices need the features of the 386.

The 386 was the first single chip microprocessor (two chips if you count the
mathco/FPU)intel put on the consumer market to have these features

1. 32 bit memory addressing
2. Real protected memory addressing (allows for paging and save preemptive
multitasking)
3. Protected context switching (allows for safe preemptive multitasking)

Without protected memory addressing and true virtual memory support UNIX
does not work as the gods (Thompson and Ritchie, and)intended.

Essentially you have become a cooperative multitasking machine instead of a
preemptive machine, like a dos machine or any macintosh before OS/8. Also at
that point you can swap, but you can't page safely (you might smash), which
makes a HUGE difference in memory allocation. And of course no protected
memory means that a mis-behaving process can make the machine go pop-phluey!
for any reason.

Chris Byrne

-----Original Message-----
From: rescue-admin at sunhelp.org [mailto:rescue-admin at sunhelp.org]On
Behalf Of Cyrus M. Reed
Sent: Friday, March 09, 2001 09:18
To: 'rescue at sunhelp.org'
Subject: RE: [SunRescue] PS/2 Model 27


IIRC you need a 386 class or higher chip for Linux - it needs the
protected mode/ 32bit/ etc stuff to work.  I recall seeing somethng about
a subset of the kernel being developped for lower class machines, but I'm
not sure if that ever happened.  Most likely you won't find a full
distribution for it in any case.

-Cyrus

On Fri, 9 Mar 2001, Michael A. Turner wrote:

>
> 	I worked for an ISP doing tech support and this was our mandate
> also. Strangest one I ever got was a guy called up using a VOS system ,
not
> DOS , VOS - Virtual Operating System (VOS) ... Never heard of it?
> http://www.stratus.com/products/vos/index.htm is the site to take a look
at.
> Needless to say I was lost, luckly the guy only wanted his local dial up
> number and E-mail/DNS Settings. I told him point blank that he had covered
> the sum total of what I was going to be able to tell him about his
> connection because I did not even know what VOS was let alone know how to
> trouble shoot it....
> 	the point being you have to make these restrictions or your tech
> guys will quit over the frustration of supporting every guy who is
> attempting a 'stupid tech trick'.....
> 	BTW. Point of order and to bring this a little back to the
> sun-rescue list. I found a IBM model 27 original PS/2 machine (The VERY
> first type, 1987, black and white monitor)8086 processor and 512K of ram.
> Think I could get a linux distro to run on it? Or perform a stupid tech
> trickby gutting it and installing an AMD450 + MB I have laying around.Then
I
> could Not tell anyone and spend my time wanderring around telling people
how
> they are being fooled by the chip manufactures and that an 8086 is just
> about as powerfull as a pentium III 500. then prove it by playing Quake
III
> on an 8086..... Gotta figure out how to get a color tube in their cause
> Quake III in monochrome may suck a bit....
>
> 	Michael A. Turner

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