Unable to Install on Toshiba Tecra730XCDT

[SgubyDew]

Hey everyone. I've successfully booted Puppy on an IBM Thinkpad, and a Gateway from the early 2000s, I now have this Tecra730XCDT I'd like to put it on, its got 32mbs ram and a 5gig harddrive, currently running windows 98. I've gone into the bios and didn't find an option for booting from a disk drive, and there are no USB ports in this machine. Kinda at a loss as to how to get this to work. Thanks!

[cthisbear]

TECRA 730XCDT Product Specifications

PROCESSOR
Intel Pentium  150Mhz (3.1v/3.3v) w/MMX Yes
External data bus width 64 bit
External data/address bus speed 60 MHz
Integrated Coprocessor Yes
Processor Cache 32KB: (16KB code; 16KB data)
LEVEL 2 (L2) CACHE Yes
Data Bus Width 64 bit
Data Bus Speed 60 MHz
DATA RAM: Yes
1 Mbit Pipelined Burst Synchronous SRAM (32K x 32bit, 3.3V) x 2
Access Time 8 ns
TAG-RAM: Yes
256Kbit Asynchronous SRAM (32K x 8bit, 3.3V) x 1
Access Time 14ns
SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
PCI BUS (v.2.1): (32-bit, 33 MHz) Connecting Devices: PC Card Slots, Expansion Bus, Graphics Controller
ISA BUS: 16-bit, 8 MHz Connecting Devices: BIOS, CD-ROM, FDD, HDD, KBC, Sound chip
MEMORY: 16Mbit EDO DRAM, 3.3V
Standard 16 MB
Maximum 144 MB
Speed 60ns
Hyper Page mode memory access Yes
Data width 64 bit

BIOS (256KB FLASH EPROM, 120ns, 5V) Yes
PnP 1.0a SUPPORT Yes
DISPLAY
Type 12.1

[jafadmin]

You'll need one of the older retro puppies for the hardware support. Burn the ISO to a LiveCD, then boot from that.

I have no idea which puppy version, but whichever one you decide on, you'll want to do a full install. I don't think you have enough ram for a frugal install.

[starhawk]

That thing's a relic. I wouldn't even use 98 on that box. Go with FreeDOS or similar and rock some old games...

If you must put Puppy on it, use ClassicPup, but be prepared for everything to take forever to happen and do not for any reason expose it to the modern Internet. That old heap simply doesn't have the guts.

[SgubyDew]

I have to say it's surprisingly fast to be honest, running on 98. lots faster than the two aforementioned ones were when they were running what they came pre-installed with (windows XP) .

LiveCD is how I've tried to boot so far - if I get the older version of Pup, will it take me to the installer when I insert it and restart? Thus far nothing comes up at all but I do know the drive works, I can see the files once I've booted into Windows...

I can always try an even smaller distro? DSL maybe? thoughts?

[starhawk]

DSL miiiiiiiight work. Dunno.

The biggest problem you're going to run into (after your rather severe lack of hardware resources) is a little thing called CMOV. Conditional Move. It's an instruction in the CPU that yours doesn't have because it's too old -- the Pentium Pro (i686) introduced that. Anything compiled for i686 and later will not run on your laptop. You need something that is entirely i486 and/or i586. Puppy doesn't really have that... one of the older Lucids will probably run, but anything newer will have CMOV issues by default.

[ardvark]

DSL miiiiiiiight work. Dunno.

The biggest problem you're going to run into (after your rather severe lack of hardware resources) is a little thing called CMOV. Conditional Move. It's an instruction in the CPU that yours doesn't have because it's too old -- the Pentium Pro (i686) introduced that. Anything compiled for i686 and later will not run on your laptop. You need something that is entirely i486 and/or i586. Puppy doesn't really have that... one of the older Lucids will probably run, but anything newer will have CMOV issues by default.

Thanks Starhawk, I just learned something new today...seriously!


Regards...

[SgubyDew]

Okay, found a distro I'm pretty sure will be compatible. Linux DeLi(cate), it needs only 16mb of ram to run - but on the Tecra730XCDT, do I have to use a floppy? As of yet, I've found no boot options at all, using the BootCD I burned.... since there are no usb ports, and I'm guessing it's not gonna boot from CD, there's no way to use PLOP either is there? Thank you..

[mikeb]

You could look at grub4dos info for manually setting up dual boot with 98 and whatever frugal setup you want.

98 lite would be the kindest thing to do with it.

Mike

[starhawk]

Pull the hard drive. Install your Linux using another machine. Put the hard drive back.

Might work. I know it works with Puppy. Never tried DeLi tho.

EDIT: failing that, yes, you should be able to boot from a floppy.

[darry1966]

http://www.cnet.com/products/toshiba-te ... hdd/specs/


[/img]http://nout2000.narod.ru/images/tecra500.jpg[/img]

[rokytnji]

there's no way to use PLOP either is there

My PLOP floppy works as well as a cd .

https://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager/plpb ... tml#runflp

I have also made a smartbootmanager floppy when needed when bios would not support booting a Compaq 1540DM laptop from the cd drive.

http://yatsite.blogspot.com/2008/09/com ... ws-95.html

You are going to get calluses on your forehead beating your head against the wall trying to make that laptop a usable appliance for web surfing or any other heavy lifting.

32MB of ram can be a very slim rope coated with grease to hang off of.
Dillo browser or Lynx or Links would be my browser if that gear was mine.

I think Mikeb suggestion of Windows 98 is a good one for this unit.

But that is just a opinion. When I sold that compaq. I put Windows 98 on it to sell it.
The lady that bought it would not have known what to do with Linux on it.

Edit: As starhawk can attest. I have some experience with older computer gear.

Code: Select all

Machine:   System: Matsushita product: CF-48V4HLUQM v: 004
           Mobo: Matsushita model: CF48-4 v: 001
           Bios: Phoenix K.K. v: V4.00L13 date: 12/12/2002

Here is a link you may wish to bone up some of your own personal knowledge with
https://kmandla.wordpress.com/

The person in the link above is a minimalistic wizard.