(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

The links that I have in my signature all offer thin-client-able Puplets. Setup for Citrix and other clients are searchable here in the Forum.
http://minipc.org/safepup
http://minipc.org/pup

Any x86 machine with at least 200 mhz processor and 64 MB RAM, and bootable from USB or PXE will work well with Puppy. Your must have at least 400 mhz CPU for video or telephony. (Note that AMD Geode GX466 displays "333 mhz" but runs at over 400 mhz).

Raffy

Thanks
Do you know if the HP T5700, Transmeta Crusoe TM5800
processor will run puppy/thin client?
Aitch

Hmm, I have not tried a Crusoe yet, although it's x86 compatible, right? Then it should be able to run Puppy.

chicks wrote:$10 each, 140 available:

http://cgi.ebay.com/MaxSpeed-Maxterm-51 ... dZViewItem

MaxSpeed Maxterm 5140 thin client, slot for CF card to boot Puppy.

300MHz x86-compatible processor
64MB RAM
Modem
Ethernet
1280X1024 max resolution
Very low power

Add $10 shipping for first, $5 ea. for more.

I haven't ordered one (yet), but no reason it wouldn't work as a Green Puppy PC.

Well, I ordered one, and it arrived today. Really primitive WinCE 3.0, ugly, ugly, ugly. IE barely works, no Flash player, primitive "Windows Media" player.

Decided real quick that it needed to be running Linux. Popped it open (two screws), the MB slides out the back. The RAM looks like standard (but very old) SIMM PC100, should be easy to upgrade to 256MB or so. Looked for a flash chip, surprised to find it on the CF adapter, in a socket on the opposite side of the board - a standard 32MB CF card.

Beginning to think this was going to be easy...

Slid a 256MB Puppy CF from a Maxterm 3500, booted, and..... errors. Doesn't fully boot, don't remember the exact error, but looks bad. Tried several other CF's with Puppy, same error on all.

Tried a 64MB CF with DSL. Finally, we fully boot, but to a black screen. Even when selecting text mode, screen goes black, even though the DSL graphic logo comes up at boot.

Not encouraging, my hard-earned $10 may have just bought a brick...
Will try a tiny, non-GUI distro tomorrow...

Have not figured out how to open the BIOS console, have hit F2, F10, Del, all the "normal" keys at bootup, with no response. Nothing but a blank screen until "loading linux"

Yes, the BIOS holds the key, as I have seen thin client BIOS with booting option like "WinCE". So if this is the default, it has to be changed.

I ordered one (before I read these posts) and am hoping to get linux on it. Please make a how to or PM me if you find out how to make it work.

I've tried a few distros, without luck. It might be possible to get DSLinterm working, since it's meant for this processor, but I haven't a clue how to convert it for this configuration - its loader looks for the image on a USB drive, whereas this device has the loader and image on an internal CF.

It will usually fully load the image, but then nothing...

WHy won't this unit work while the 3500 does?

Brandon wrote:WHy won't this unit work while the 3500 does?

The 3500 is much newer, has a VIA 1GHz processor, and a "real" fully configurable BIOS.

These units have a 300MHz Geode GX1 processor, and a minimial BIOS, which I have been unable to get into. The BIOS might be the problem, although syslinux does load the image. I've read a bit about the GX1 having quirky video, so perhaps that's the problem. I just don't know enough low level hacking to get any further. Perhaps an embedded Linux wizard will spring for one of these (just $10 + $10 shipping), and help out.

This might be helpfull: http://www.amd.com/jp-ja/ConnectivitySo ... 63,00.html and http://www.larwe.com/technical/geode_linux.html

Hi Brandon
Just had a browse of your webpage, but I couldn't resist
"you shouldn't have came" HO HO
Back to the dead cows for you!!

Aitch

Well, I did get the $10 PC to boot FreeDOS, using the "File Copy" method here: http://www.pcengines.ch/freedos.htm

Whoopie...

Also tried the PCENGINES ALIX BUILD from here: http://www.imedialinux.com/

but it says the CPU doesn't have 1:31, whatever that means. This linux build is supposedly specially build for the Geode LX and GX.

I'll follow up on their forum.

Hi Brandon
Just had a browse of your webpage, but I couldn't resist
"you shouldn't have came" HO HO Smile
Back to the dead cows for you!!

Aitch

Fun Huh?
chicks:

I figured that it uses laptop IDE for the CF cards.I have a spare 30GB Hard Drive so from another PC I installed Puppy 3.01 and when I tried to boot grub didn't work, I install MS-DOS 6.22 and it booted fine. I also tried Windows 98, which wouldn't boot, I just got a blank screen.

Well, I did finally get it to run Linux. An ancient, very small distro called MuLinux. Even got X running on it.

MuLinux is based on a very old kernel, and doesn't find the ethernet adapter, but it did find the PS/2 mouse, keyboard and sound card. Even uglier than the stock WinCE, though. Still booting into FreeDOS, then boot MuLinux from a batch file.

Just have to find a more modern distro that will run on this thing, one that looks a lot more like Puppy...

Kolibri

Nice one Sage

For those interested Kolibri is a floppy based EDIT: OS
written in assembly language, ideal for small systems

See 'how to' video here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep9SroXp ... re=related

Aitch

Edit: I stand corrected

Aitch wrote:For those interested Kolibri is a floppy based linux
written in assembly language, ideal for small systems

It's not linux; it's a fork of MenuetOS, written from scratch and isn't unix or posix based.

http://www.menuetos.net/

PS for those interested, Kolibri forked off to focus on x86-32 bit CPUs, as the original MenuetOS developer decided to focus on 64-bit CPUs.

You can still get a 32-bit version of MenuetOS to try on an old machine too.

Assembler has to be the way forward - ready-made market for embedded devices. Unless, of course, you're skilled in binary arithmetic......

chicks wrote:Well, I did get the $10 PC to boot FreeDOS, using the "File Copy" method here: http://www.pcengines.ch/freedos.htm

Whoopie...

Also tried the PCENGINES ALIX BUILD from here: http://www.imedialinux.com/

but it says the CPU doesn't have 1:31, whatever that means. This linux build is supposedly specially build for the Geode LX and GX.

I'll follow up on their forum.

Do you have it working with 128M or 256M PC100/PC133?

If you can get any machine Linux booted you can load a NIC manually and enter the settings ditto. In the alternative, all such machines will respond to a proper DUN modem. Getting connected is the most basic function that *nixes address. Only one man tried to evade the raw technology and then there were Winmodems......