Text-based installer for antiX?

beachboy · posted: 2009-05-01 14:39

Hello and greetings to all on the antiX forum.

Much as I wanted to install antiX on an old Sony laptop with 128mb of ram, I was thwarted until I used a text-based installer, Xubuntu 9.04 Alternate CD.

See here:

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No graphics-based CD, including SystemRescueCD and gParted Live and every light Linux OS known to man, would boot correctly. All gave the “Can't find file system or access tty/ Job control switched off” error message.

Perhaps there was just some problem which was peculiar to my old P2 Sony with 128mb.

I have been reading OU812's “Rolling my own” thread and I was wondering if OU812 or anti had any plans to produce an antiX text-based installer?

I would much prefer to use antiX to Xubuntu but I am obliged to use whatever will install satisfactorily.

DJiNN · posted: 2009-05-01 19:11

Hi beachboy. __{{emoticon}}__

Have you tried the antiX"base" install? It's a separate iso to the normal antiX8 release. Here's a link to
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- or if you prefer a normal DL
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and select the base iso.

I'm not sure if 128mb is enough even for antiX8 base, but it's worth a shot?

Other than that, why not try a
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? It's not too hard, and there's plenty of documentation available to help you through it. The good thing about a Net install is that it just installs the base (core) Debian, without X or progs etc, then you start to build your system from there. It's a good way to learn a bit about Linux/Debian, and you only have to install exactly what you need.

Other than that, have you tried
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? It's an incredibly small & lightweight distro, that should install in 128mb without a problem, but with a FULL selection of apps that even makes Puppy blink twice!!! May be worth a look?

Good luck, have fun! __{{emoticon}}__

DJiNN

beachboy · posted: 2009-05-01 21:46

DJiNN,

Thanks for your reply.
I will look into your suggestions.
I used a Debian netinstall.iso when I installed Lenny some time ago. You are dead right-I learned an awful lot by doing that!
I have heard of Slitaz but never tried it. Perhaps I will give it a go or maybe try the antiX base install first.
Thanks again,
beachboy

anticapitalista · posted: 2009-05-01 22:10

If you can find a way to make the partition I suggested over at Mepislovers (and a swap one too), I think antiX will boot and install fromiso. From googling it appears there is some hardware conflict that is stopping a livecd from booting. (Try knoppix, that usually boots on anything)
Some google posts suggest floppy drive interference, disabling things in the bios ... and others.

Good luck

beachboy · posted: 2009-05-02 07:15

djiNN,

SLITAZ IS BRILLIANT!!

DJiNN · posted: 2009-05-02 19:38

Hi beachboy. __{{emoticon}}__

LOL!! It is rather cute isn't it? It's amazing just how much they manage to get onto such a small iso image..... incredible!! Such a complete desktop as well. For people who have machines that are lacking in resources, it's perfect..... or indeed, just to use as a USB install & carry around with you etc?

Did you try the antiX base install? If you're after a more"complete" distro with plenty of apps, speed AND stability, then antiX should definitely be at the top of your list. But slitaz is cool and has it's place. __{{emoticon}}__

Let me know how you get on when you get a chance? (What machine are you running it on?)

DJiNN

beachboy · posted: 2009-05-03 11:45

DJiNN,

As you say, for pcs with limited ram or as an OS on a stick, SliTaz is just the ticket.

I did not try the antiX base install simply because the laptop's battery gave up the ghost and refused to take any charge, despite being left on overnight.

I much prefer antiX for its repos and access to a much larger number of apps.

SliTaz is very well designed and it deserves to succeed. SliTaz is definitely cool and certainly has its place.

The laptop actually belongs to a friend of mine. I wanted to display the advantages of Linux over his crummy Windows installation. It is an old Pentium P2 which originally had 64MB of ram to which an extra 64MB was added.
I have been flogging away for several days, on and off, trying to install a suitable Linux OS for his machine.
Just when I had finally installed Xubuntu 9.04 Alternate CD (text-based) and run it for a while, the battery packed up!
Amazingly the old laptop did run Xubuntu okay, but slowly, naturally.
I was planning to install SliTaz instead but I was thwarted!

I have suggested that my pal looks on ebay for a half-decent used laptop with at least 512MB of ram.

The good thing to come out of all this is that I have learned an awful lot more about mini-Linux OSs and, thanks to you, discovered SliTaz.

Cheers!
beachboy