muLinux http://mulinux.sunsite.dk/

A nice minimal Linux that can be installed in less than 60 megs on a HD or run entirely from RAM. It is based on Libc5 so it's not a cutting edge linux, but it is crammed full of features and functionality. Perfect for that old 486 you have laying around (or a P75 laptop). Turn an old slow pc into a linux box.

Download: http://mulinux.sunsite.dk/download.html

A Quick note on the use of "Install" and "Cloning" in muLinux:
The word "Installation" should be not used in muLinux , because muLinux runs primarily in RAM. It boots from a set of floppy disks (base floppy + add-on).
muLinux reserves the word (installation) to describe the process where thedownloaded disk images are transferred floppies (see: Linux Install, and Dos Install).

Nevertheless, it can be cloned on permanent media, such an hard-disk.
In order to clone muLinux in some destination target machine, you must follow these steps:

Cloning:

1. Create your muLinux Floppy Set, in your source machine (Linux, or Win9x)
2. Take these floppies to the target machine (the machine that will run muLinux)
3. Put floppy #1 in the floppy-drive and reboot the target machine,
   

Soon, you will have muLinux running in RAM. You now have the chance to configure it as you like.

Once you get to a UNIX prompt, you must type "clone" on the command line then select the type of cloning you want. In other words: clone the RAM contents (the OS), AS-IS, to the HD.
restart your target computer and start muLinux. This is the single floppy instance of muLinux, a very basic UNIX system. During this stage, it will ask you if you wish to load additional add-on floppies.
put remaining add-on floppies into the drive, at request.


An interesting feature of muLinux is its possibility to be cloned as UMSDOS. In this form it is copied in the c:\linux directory, sharing disk space with Win9x. Obviously, this applies only if you have DOS/Win9x in the target machine.
If the target machine has no OS in it, standard Linux EXT2 cloning is available: this will reformat your hard-disk with the EXT2 Filesystem and use LILO (linux-loader) in order to boot.

If you'd like to clone muLinux to a hard disk instead of running it from Ram:

1. Boot from the muLinux boot disk (do not load any additional disks.....yet)
2. You may have to answer a few questions, but should eventually get to a unix prompt. Type "clone" at the prompts.
3. The "clone" command will ask you if you want to do ext2, UMDOS or a cd iso clone.
4. Select your choice

Now if you already run a FAT filesystem, or have an existing OS (DOS, Win95/98) you probably want to run a UMDOS version. UMDOS is slow. I chose Ext2 filesystem for mine.

If you chose Ext2, you will be asked if you want to run fdisk. I typically follow this procedure:

1. Boot from the muLinux boot disk (do not load any additional disks.....yet)
2. You may have to answer a few questions, but should eventually get to a unix prompt. Type "clone" at the prompts.
3. I select Ext2 Filesystem
4. clone to the HD (/dev/hda1 if you used the Primary master, hdb1 for Secondary master)
5. Install LILO to a new blank floppy. Reboot (leave this disk in)
6. Upon boot muLinux will ask you to load additional floppies... This is the time to load all the disk packages you want to use.

Note: you can install LILO to the masterboot record, but do this at your own risk, it took me a few tries to get it right, hence the boot floppy... just in case.

Linux Install (This does not install the OS, this makes the floppy disks that run load the OS into RAM)

1. In Linux, use the script called "mu". Please, obtain help with "mu -h".
2. mkdir /root/mulinux
3. Put your archives (mulinux-13r2.tgz and addons) in /root/mulinux
4. run "cat mulinux-13r2.tgz | gzip -dc | tar -xf-" (without quotes)
5. Insert a good floppy-disk (without bad blocks)
6. Become root (su) and run "./mu -i" to start the creation of the floppies.

DOS/Windows Install (This does not install the OS, this makes the floppy disks that run load the OS into RAM)

You will need:

1. Some 1.44Mb diskettes, formatted OR unformatted, but without bad blocks.
   (1 for the installation disk, 1 for the boot disk and 1 for each addon you wish to add)
2. A preexisting OS (DOS, Win3.11, Win95, Win98, WinNT, Win* already installed.)

UNPACKING THE archives
Create a new directory (eg. c:\mulinux) and move DOSTOOLS.zip, mulinux-13r2.tgz and the addons into it.

1. Unzip DOSTOOLS.zip using pkunzip or equivalent (Winzip).
   eg: c:\mulinux> pkunzip DOSTOOLS.zip
2. Run unpack.bat
   c:\mulinux> unpack
   This will unpack the main archive mulinux-13r2.tgz

METHOD 1: using the Installer Disk (Suggested for WinNT)

1. Run makefi.bat (formerly makefd.bat) in a DOS window:
   c:\mulinux> makefi
   This will create the "Installation Disk". It is formatted normally, i.e. 1440k.
2. Put this disk in the drive and reboot
   

METHOD 2: PC without floppy drive

1. Restart in "full DOS mode" and run boot.bat:
   c:\mulinux> boot
   Using this method, no InstallerDisk is needed.

Or use the bootable muLinux ISO burnt onto a cd.

METHOD 3: lowmem machine, 386 with RAM < 4M (new!)
Starting from muLinux 11r3, you can install with 4M also using methods 1 or 2. But if they don't work, try with this.

1. Run the maker.bat (make root) script:
   c:\mulinux> maker
   This will create the ROOT (1722k) disk, ext2fs mountable.
   It works only if your floppy drive supports 1722k super-formatting.
2. Run the lowmem.bat script:
   c:\mulinux> lowmem
   This will start Linux and will not use ramdisks at all. This is the only script that does not use additional RAM for the filesystem itself.
   After booting, you will be asked to enter the ROOT floppy: please, enter the floppy you made in a).
   

NOTE 1: SCSI disks
The installation Disk will also work with SCSI peripherals supported by AIC7xxx series cards, i.e. you can put DOSTOOLS.zip, mulinux.tgz and addons in SCSI partitions or a ZIP floppy with SCSI interface, and run 'makefd'.

NOTE 2: SCSI disks
If you wish only to make the standard single floppy Linux, i.e. the boot+root+usr traditional diskette, from DOS, please use
the "makebru" (make boot,root,usr) script:
c:\> makebru
It works only if your floppy drive supports 1722k super-formatting.

Tips and Tricks:

To manually create a swap file:

# .... mount a partition (partition you want to use for a swap file or use an already mounted partition)...
# dd if=/dev/zero bs=1k count=4000 of=linux.swp
# mkswap linux.swp
# sync
# swapon linux.swp

(you may have to do a swapoff if there is already an existing swapfile)