Quoting Maurice Kinal to Nancy Backus on 08-May-2019 03:50 <=-

Richard got around that by partitioning the drive into segments
that DOS could handle.... of course, this pentium's drive is
less than 1G... ;)

Yes but that only takes care of the DOS limitation and not the bios's.
In the case of the 486 the bios couldn't handle drive sizes bigger
than 520M so I had to lie about the geometry to the bios in order for
it to get past the bios to the boot loader in order to boot whatever.

Not sure but what that might also be the case here... I just checked,
and the largest "drive" is under 520M, about 490M to be a little more precise... that's the one designated c:\

However the only one that could boot successfully was lilo installed
on the root partition (not the mbr) so that the kernel could correct
the obviously 'haked' geometry and therefore utilize the entire drive
no matter how it was then partitioned.

Okay... you're speaking Wizard here.... and mine isn't around at the
moment to translate... <G> I do have a rough Idea what you are saying, though.... ;)

Also no bios upgrades back then. The only upgrade possible at that
time was to solder on a whole new chip which is something I wasn't
about to do. Anyhow I retired that computer not too long afterwards
since it lacked any 32 bit pci slots which was the only sensible way
to upgrade a pc with whatever looked to be attractive at the time,
mostly network cards at that time.

I'd guess that my requirements for a computer are a lot simpler than
yours are.... ;)

ttyl neb

... Everything put together falls apart sooner or later.

--- EzyBlueWave V3.00 01FB001F
* Origin: Tiny's BBS - http://www.tinysbbs.com (1:229/452)

Hey Nancy!

the largest "drive" is under 520M, about 490M to be a little
more precise... that's the one designated c:\

Is the size due to DOS limitations or is that the actual size of the disk? In the case of booting linux (slackware back then) the bios was limited but once the kernel got hold of the system then the full real size of the disk was available for whatever purpose was needed at the time. Usually I have seperate
partitions for the root system, /home, archives/backups/source, and a spare partition for pure play usually next generation type activities. The one I am currently writing this reply on has 7 partitions and cannot boot the old fashioned i386 method via the mbr so a boot partition is required as well as swap space which I normally don't have a need for.

you're speaking Wizard here

I thought it was voodoo? Anyhow my mojo was working and it did work on it (ye olde 486 with the static bios). Only Linux though. :-)

I'd guess that my requirements for a computer are a lot simpler
than yours are.... ;)

From this angle it looks to be exactly the same. We just have different approaches to the task at hand, as well as I tend to make simpler things appear
more complicated then they need to be, such as taking a raspberrypi and creating a pure 64 bit system for it to do fidonet messaging, this reply being a prime example.

Speaking of which, this is the first message/reply ever from the new pure 64 bit boot I like to call aarch64-raspi3b+-linux-gnu.

-={ '<Esc>:read !/lib/libc.so.6' starts }=-
GNU C Library (GNU libc) stable release version 2.29.
Copyright (C) 2019 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.
There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Compiled by GNU CC version 9.1.0.
libc ABIs: UNIQUE ABSOLUTE
For bug reporting instructions, please see: <http://www.gnu.org/software/libc/bugs.html>.
-={ '<Esc>:read !/lib/libc.so.6' ends }=-

Most definetly voodoo.

Life is good,
Maurice

... Cybertoasts of note:
2020-01-01 is 231 days from now and falls on a Wednesday.
2024-11-05 is 2001 days from now and falls on a Tuesday.
--- GNU bash, version 5.0.7(1)-release (aarch64-raspi3b+-linux-gnu)
* Origin: Little Mikey's CanadARM - Ladysmith BC, Canada (1:153/7001.2989)

Hello Maurice,

15 May 19 16:34 at you wrote to Nancy Backus:

Speaking of which, this is the first message/reply ever from the new
pure 64 bit boot I like to call aarch64-raspi3b+-linux-gnu.

I have two RPi 1s and one RPi 3B+ fully setup and working with Slackware/ARM just sitting here with nothing to do. I'm thinking about taking one of the RPi 1s and turning it into a full-time BOINC machine.

I'm waiting to use the RPi 3B+ until the new version of Slackware/ARM (v15) that will be using hard-float so I can actually use it for what I want it to. The RPi 3B+ is surprisingly fast for such a little machine.

Their NetBIOS names: OOHPI and YAYPI for the RPi 1 boxes and MMMPI for the RPi 3B+. :D

Later,
Sean

... Biology grows on you.
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20180707
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)

Hey Sean!

one RPi 3B+ fully setup and working with Slackware/ARM just
sitting here with nothing to do.

I used SlackwareARM, actually the SARPi Project, to build the first pure 64 bit
aarch64-raspi3b+-linux-gnu which this reply is a product of. I couldn't come up with a use for it so fidonet compatibilty became the goal. I do occasionally use the wireless chip to provide an A channel wireless connection for a chromebook that occasionally rears it's ugly head here from time to time.
Other than browsing chromebooks are totally a waste of hardware in by my latest guesstimation of them.

The RPi 3B+ is surprisingly fast for such a little machine.

I started this latest upgrade on Sunday and just finished it yesterday (Thursday) by installing it's latest kernel;

-={ '<Esc>:read !uname -a' starts }=-
Linux armando 5.1.1-raspi3b+ #1 SMP PREEMPT Thu May 16 17:21:26 UTC 2019 aarch64 GNU/Linux
-={ '<Esc>:read !uname -a' ends }=-

On the main x86_64 I can usually pull off a base custom install in around two days, from toolchain to final boot product. However that isn't a full 24 hour day(s).

I am not sure if I'd buy any more of these but if I do it'll probably become a cluster of aarch64-raspi3b+-linux-gnu's.

Life is good,
Maurice

... Don't cry for me I have vi.
--- GNU bash, version 5.0.7(1)-release (aarch64-raspi3b+-linux-gnu)
* Origin: Little Mikey's CanadARM - Ladysmith BC, Canada (1:153/7001.2989)

Hello Maurice,

17 May 19 17:19 at you wrote to me:

rears it's ugly head here from time to time. Other than browsing chromebooks are totally a waste of hardware in by my latest
guesstimation of them.

Chromebooks are now coming with a virtualized Debian machine in them to make them more useful. I like a Chromebook when I was travelling for my work. Everything just worked. Now with the Debian VM, I'll be able to add a lot more functionality (say, adding Qodem and MultiMail) that will make it worth my while to own a new Chromeboox.

I am not sure if I'd buy any more of these but if I do it'll probably become a cluster of aarch64-raspi3b+-linux-gnu's.

I haven't built a custom Linux setup in years...just don't care anymore, I guess.

Later,
Sean

... The reward of a thing well done is to have done it. - Ralph Waldo Emerson --- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20180707
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)

Quoting Maurice Kinal to Nancy Backus on 15-May-2019 16:34 <=-

the largest "drive" is under 520M, about 490M to be a little
more precise... that's the one designated c:\

Is the size due to DOS limitations or is that the actual size of the
disk?

Probably the DOS limitations, that was one of four partitions of the
disk drive itself.... C, D, E, and F, with the last three each about
250M and the first what was left over of the original drive...

In the case of booting linux (slackware back then) the bios was
limited but once the kernel got hold of the system then the full real
size of the disk was available for whatever purpose was needed at the time. Usually I have seperate partitions for the root system, /home, archives/backups/source, and a spare partition for pure play usually
next generation type activities. The one I am currently writing this reply on has 7 partitions and cannot boot the old fashioned i386
method via the mbr so a boot partition is required as well as swap
space which I normally don't have a need for.

I'm not sure exactly what all Richard has set up here... E has the games
and such, D is the one where most of the ongoing things happen, I think
C is where all the executables and archives are... I use F to store
things to get them off D to make space for more incoming, not sure what
else he's tucked in there...

you're speaking Wizard here

I thought it was voodoo? Anyhow my mojo was working and it did work
on it (ye olde 486 with the static bios). Only Linux though. :-)

Oh, right... somewhere (I suppose on yet another partition) Windows 95
used to reside to be called up when called for... now that's been taken
off, and Linux put in to replace it...

I'd guess that my requirements for a computer are a lot simpler
than yours are.... ;)

From this angle it looks to be exactly the same. We just have
different approaches to the task at hand, as well as I tend to make simpler things appear more complicated then they need to be, such as taking a raspberrypi and creating a pure 64 bit system for it to do fidonet messaging, this reply being a prime example.

I just need it to work (of course the Wizard is in charge of that aspect
of things... [g])...

Speaking of which, this is the first message/reply ever from the new
pure 64 bit boot I like to call aarch64-raspi3b+-linux-gnu.
-={ '<Esc>:read !/lib/libc.so.6' starts }=-
GNU C Library (GNU libc) stable release version 2.29.
Copyright (C) 2019 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.
There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Compiled by GNU CC version 9.1.0.
libc ABIs: UNIQUE ABSOLUTE
For bug reporting instructions, please see: <http://www.gnu.org/software/libc/bugs.html>.
-={ '<Esc>:read !/lib/libc.so.6' ends }=-
Most definetly voodoo.

Agreed. :)

ttyl neb

... Witches ride brooms because Nature abhors a vacuum

--- EzyBlueWave V3.00 01FB001F
* Origin: Tiny's BBS - http://www.tinysbbs.com (1:229/452)