Lowarch 0.1.1 (Savitri) - i486 Arch based Distro - Released

filoktetes · 2006-12-06 12:40:03

I needed to make a new release now, since the current repo address has changed, so the old install cd and floppies don't work for ftp install anymore (without changing the url, of course).

But there are of course package upgrades and bug fixes as well. And now all the install floppies are finished. There's also the ongoing process of deleting unimportant packages and adding new useful ones.

Quite a few people have joined and done some very useful testing. I'm always happy to hear about problems and other experiences with different systems (old and new). So give it a try if you have some free disk space, time and think it's fun.

cr7 · 2006-12-06 14:24:04

Ok, I am downloading the new iso 8)

cr7 · 2006-12-10 15:01:52

Doh, my md5sum is wrong!
I have to download the iso again :evil:

filoktetes · 2006-12-10 20:03:56

Yes, I double checked the md5sum on the download page, and it's correct.

cr7 · 2006-12-13 18:51:33

Now the md5sum is correct... Finally I can try your distro

filoktetes · 2006-12-14 01:22:33

I look forward to hear what you think about it. And if you encounter any problems.

cr7 · 2006-12-14 16:10:08

Fantastic, it works perfectly up to now, and it boots reasonably fast on my Pentium MMX 166mhz / 32mb RAM

Also the PCMCIA Lan card works!

Only one or two things, not real bugs: during the installation, when I choose the keymap and the font, they aren't in alphabetical order and is difficult to find what you need; once the system is installed, and when I need to customize my rc.conf, I have to set the keymap as "i386/qwerty/it.map.gz", instead of "it_IT" as in Arch Linux.

P.S. If I want to recompile the entire system for i586, with updated packages, how can I do? :?:

P.P.S. Wow, lxde is included in the repository 8)

filoktetes · 2006-12-15 01:24:25

cr7 wrote:

when I need to customize my rc.conf, I have to set the keymap as "i386/qwerty/it.map.gz", instead of "it_IT" as in Arch Linux.

Shouldn't it be just 'it', not it_IT? I thought it_IT is for locale. I use 'no' (Norwegian) without problems.

cr7 wrote:

If I want to recompile the entire system for i586, with updated packages, how can I do? :?:

I'm running lowarch on a Pentium M, and I can't say I have noticed any difference in speed between Arch and Lowarch on it. I doubt you will see any difference at all with the system compiled for i586 instead of i486.

But if you think it's fun to try out things, here's how:

Download http://www.lowarch.org/abs.tar.bz2 which is the current abs tree. (I don't have access to cvs server or similar, so I can't set up normal abs access.

Change the /etc/makepkg.conf
Extract the abs.tar.gz (it'll be called abs-clean because my abs tree has all the source files, so I have a script copying all the files except source files to abs-clean)
in the abs-clean directory use makeworld to build all the packages.
(On the 166Mhz It will last, oh, about, let's see /me is calculating ....ahh about an eternity...) If you'll use a i686 machine for the compiling, you should install lowarch on it, and use the uname hack (search for it, I don't have the link in my head, if you don't find it, tell me).

Then use gensync to create a custom repo of the files.

cr7 · 2006-12-15 15:27:59

Shouldn't it be just 'it', not it_IT? I thought it_IT is for locale. I use 'no' (Norwegian) without problems.

LOL, it's true

I'm running lowarch on a Pentium M, and I can't say I have noticed any difference in speed between Arch and Lowarch on it. I doubt you will see any difference at all with the system compiled for i586 instead of i486.
But if you think it's fun to try out things, here's how:
Download http://www.lowarch.org/abs.tar.bz2 which is the current abs tree. (I don't have access to cvs server or similar, so I can't set up normal abs access.
Change the /etc/makepkg.conf
Extract the abs.tar.gz (it'll be called abs-clean because my abs tree has all the source files, so I have a script copying all the files except source files to abs-clean)
in the abs-clean directory use makeworld to build all the packages.
(On the 166Mhz It will last, oh, about, let's see /me is calculating ....ahh about an eternity...) If you'll use a i686 machine for the compiling, you should install lowarch on it, and use the uname hack (search for it, I don't have the link in my head, if you don't find it, tell me).
Then use gensync to create a custom repo of the files.

Is there a way to compile packages directly from the Arch's ABS tree?

filoktetes · 2006-12-16 11:13:22

Yes, you just have to find a way to download it. I haven't been able to compile cvsup, but csup should work(i havn't tried). Change the /etc/abs.conf to the same as the one in Arch, and abs should work.
You'll probably encounter problems with old packages not compiling because of changes to the new glibc, gcc or other libs. Some downloads will also probably fail because they're deleted or moved or renamed.

cr7 · 2006-12-18 14:33:27

However, your distro works really fine, you have just to make a better choice of packages, and keep them reasonably up to date

tardo · 2007-02-14 18:22:27

I second building against uclibc instead of glibc. I just tried installing lowarch on a 586-ish processor with only 64mb flash hd and installation failed because of space issues (minimum I could get it down to was 64.8mb).

Perhaps build against both and have two seperate ISOs? I'm actually interested in helping you build the uclibc part... if you could just give me a tutorial or something :x

filoktetes · 2007-02-14 20:12:54

I almost haven't looked at uclibc yet, so I'm probably just as fresh as you when it comes to it. I guess starting to build a uclibc distro is an even bigger task than porting a lot of Arch to i486. But I really like the idea, and then the i486 part could start to be useful... But I'm not planning to start that project until I have a lot of spare time, and that's not right now. But some day soon I guess the itch will become unbearable, and I'll go ahead. That is if someone else doesn't do it before me..(hint )
Status for Lowarch now, is that I'm just waiting for the new kernel packages before making a "batch" upgrade, and new minor release.

gunnix · 2007-02-20 22:01:50

Interesting! Might try it out on an old p1 166mhz which is running debian testing atm...

great work!

Arch Linux

#1 2006-12-06 12:40:03

Lowarch 0.1.1 (Savitri) - i486 Arch based Distro - Released

#2 2006-12-06 14:24:04

Re: Lowarch 0.1.1 (Savitri) - i486 Arch based Distro - Released

#3 2006-12-10 15:01:52

Re: Lowarch 0.1.1 (Savitri) - i486 Arch based Distro - Released

#4 2006-12-10 20:03:56

Re: Lowarch 0.1.1 (Savitri) - i486 Arch based Distro - Released

#5 2006-12-13 18:51:33

Re: Lowarch 0.1.1 (Savitri) - i486 Arch based Distro - Released

#6 2006-12-14 01:22:33

Re: Lowarch 0.1.1 (Savitri) - i486 Arch based Distro - Released

#7 2006-12-14 16:10:08

Re: Lowarch 0.1.1 (Savitri) - i486 Arch based Distro - Released

#8 2006-12-15 01:24:25

Re: Lowarch 0.1.1 (Savitri) - i486 Arch based Distro - Released

#9 2006-12-15 15:27:59

Re: Lowarch 0.1.1 (Savitri) - i486 Arch based Distro - Released

#10 2006-12-16 11:13:22

Re: Lowarch 0.1.1 (Savitri) - i486 Arch based Distro - Released

#11 2006-12-18 14:33:27

Re: Lowarch 0.1.1 (Savitri) - i486 Arch based Distro - Released

#12 2007-02-14 18:22:27

Re: Lowarch 0.1.1 (Savitri) - i486 Arch based Distro - Released

#13 2007-02-14 20:12:54

Re: Lowarch 0.1.1 (Savitri) - i486 Arch based Distro - Released

#14 2007-02-20 22:01:50

Re: Lowarch 0.1.1 (Savitri) - i486 Arch based Distro - Released

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