Checked out #Linux kernel v3.7.10 to see if I can strip it down enough to run on the 386 with 4MB of RAM in the Toshiba T5200. My plan is to do something very similar to what I did in my blog post where I targeted a 486 (https://www.insentricity.com/a.cl/283), but this time use LOADLIN.EXE to load the kernel from DOS since I don't have a working floppy drive.
[#]RetroComputing #VintageComputing.
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No make tinyconfig on v3.7.10. That's going to make stripping it down a lot more work. #Linux #RetroComputing #VintageComputing
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Setup a Debian 7 Wheezy docker environment to build in. But already running into compile problems which seem to be caused by lack of 386 support:
In file included from include/linux/irq_work.h:4:0,
from arch/x86/kernel/irq_work.c:8:
include/linux/llist.h: In function 'llist_add':
include/linux/llist.h:160:11: error: 'boot_cpu_data' undeclared (first use in this function)
[#]Linux #RetroComputing #VintageComputing
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Looks like v3.3.8 was the last version that could be built for 386. After that there's some change that prevents the kernel from compiling. #Linux #RetroComputing #VintageComputing
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Hey, an error message is progress, right? #Linux #RetroComputing #VintageComputing
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I’m not sure that’s better. No error messages at all. #Linux #RetroComputing #VintageComputing
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Still can’t get my kernel to boot. Went and got the Slackware 1 kernel and used LOADLIN and that’s at least something! Maybe I should try to fix the floppy drive so I can do a traditional Linux install? #Linux #RetroComputing #VintageComputing
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If I change the BIOS Memory config so that everything above 640k is Extended instead of some being Expanded then my custom kernel doesn't immediately reboot. Instead it just hangs with a cursor on the screen and doesn't print anything. Getting annoyed with the lack of a reset button on the T5200 too.
Would be nice if there was a way I could get qemu to act exactly like the T5200 so I don't have to keep testing on the real hardware.
[#]Linux #RetroComputing #VintageComputing
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@fozztexx good luck! It can be a bit of a challenge, but you can make it work. As for real hardware vs emulation - I have okay-ish results with PCEm as a testbed for my retro PC experiments, recommend
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@nina_kali_nina PCem seems to do a better job showing me problems with the kernel. I picked some random 386DX machine and set it to 4MB of RAM and when I try to LOADLIN the kernel it reboots instead of actually loading like it did on qemu.
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@fozztexx the problems you're seeing are likely related to the BIOS of the machine. Might not be a bad idea to start with finding an ancient Linux that can actually boot on your machine and then see what options it had. Also, The recent kernels (3+) are very RAM hungry by themselves unfortunately.
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@nina_kali_nina I've been trying to find a kernel and so far the only that loads is the ancient slackware 1. I'm beginning to wonder if it's a problem with LOADLIN not being able to load a bzImage. I've also had no luck using boot floppies from old Debian or slackware CDs. The Slackware 96 bare.i floppy just prints "L 40 40 40 40”.
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@fozztexx Hmm, I see. Indeed it could be an issue with the loader! On my wonky 486 machine, I had the best results with GRUB4DOS - it allows to bypass some loader issues and handles bzImages quite well. "L 40 40 40" looks like something a loader would say, not the kernel
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@nina_kali_nina "L 40 40 40" comes from booting the floppy image, not LOADLIN. I’m not sure I even tried using LOADLIN on a floppy image.
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@fozztexx the Slackware floppy you're mentioning has LILO; for me it is stuck on LI. I guess trying different loaders might help, too.
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@nina_kali_nina That's what it did for me in qemu. LILO was always terrible so I'm not surprised. I can't boot floppies on the Toshiba, the floppy drive doesn't work.
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@fozztexx it's kind of incredible how much we take modern compatibility for granted...
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@nina_kali_nina I remember the first time I installed linux I sat on an IRC channel all day getting people to ELI5 it for me and walk me through every single roadblock as I did it. It definitely used to be a huge chore to install Linux.
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