Re: SEUL: Zoose

[David Cary <d.cary@ieee.org>]

1st law of engineering: If it happens, it must be possible.

Since what Matthew Nolan desires has already been done,
  therefore,
it must be possible.
(OK, so it's based on QNX rather than Linux -- surely Linux isn't terribly
bloated compared to QNX).

I've typed in most of the relevant text from the advertisement I have in
front of me. I must say I was impressed at all the stuff they claim to have
squeezed into that self-booting floppy.

Please download the demo and tell us on SEUL what you think.

Thanks for the link to
  Linuxita
  http://www.ssc.com/lg/issue01to08/linuxita_mar96.html
.

>From: Matthew Nolan <Matthew.Nolan@xtra.co.nz>
>Subject: SEUL: Zoose
...
>I have the sneaking suspicion that this is not a "great" idea posting
>this message here... But I'm thinking of starting a "small" project to
>create a working os with gui, based on linux, but on 1440k disk.
>
>I was wondering if any of you have thoughts on this, or if such a
>project already exists.
...
>Ben Nolan

>Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 18:20:12 -0500 (EST)
>From: William T Wilson <fluffy@benatar.dunadan.com>
>To: Matthew Nolan <Matthew.Nolan@xtra.co.nz>
>Subject: Re: SEUL: Zoose
...
>Unfortunately, this isn't really possible.  X-windows by itself is at
>least three disks, and this doesn't count software.  :(  But you can make
>a working command-line based linux system for some small useful tasks on
>one floppy.  But if you bring a CD-ROM with you to hold X-windows and some
>programs, then you are in good shape!  :)
>
>You should also look at Linuxita, at
>www.ssc.com/lg/issue01to08/linuxita_mar96.html
>
>It is a project to fit a working linux into a 20MB 386, complete with
>X-windows!  :)


>From: Matthew Nolan <Matthew.Nolan@xtra.co.nz>
...
>I think you can do it, although it will probably be very non-standard.
>EG it won't be x-windows. I think it would be based on linux mainly
>because of the availability of sources and linux's stablility. My main
>thought process behind this project's viability is that
>(c64RAM+ROM+Disk)<1440kdisk. :)
>
>Later,
>Ben

QNX Software Systems Ltd. (QSSL)
a demo that fits a full HTML 3.2 browser,
POSIX-certified real-time OS,
windowing system,
TCP/IP,
embedded Web server,
Internet dialer,
text editor,
file browser and other applications
onto a single, self-booting 1.44 MB floppy.
... using less than 2 MB of RAM and 4 MB of ROM ...
You can download the demo from
Internet Appliance Toolkit (AIT)
http://www.qnx.com/iat
...
the Odin Reference Design Kit
"all the hardware you need ... NTSC TV and SVGA monitor out, PC Card socket
... fax/modem, Ethernet, ... schematics ... bill of material ... to build a
full-featured Internet appliance for under $200 ... with Odin and the AIT"
...
Odin from National Semiconductor
http://www.national.com/ns486
...
-- from advertisement in
_Computer Design_ http://www.computer-design.com/ 1997 Nov

--
+ David Cary "mailto:d.cary@ieee.org" "http://www.rdrop.com/~cary/"
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