Yuki "neige d'aout" Hazuki 葉月膤 ❄️ 🏳️‍⚧️Feb 18, 2025
TIL about ELKS, which is basically an actively maintained fork of Linux that works on a 8086

https://github.com/ghaerr/elks

Now we just need to plug a package manager in there and we'd have the lightest Linux distro in existence? Who's with me?
GitHub - ghaerr/elks: Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset - Linux for 8086

Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset - Linux for 8086. Contribute to ghaerr/elks development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHub
Show threadYuki "neige d'aout" Hazuki 葉月膤 ❄️ 🏳️‍⚧️Feb 18, 2025
Ideally I want a distro you can install and distribute with its packages from a set of floppies, the package manager should maybe even be able to install packages split on more than one floppy

Considering a minimal Linux kernel compiled with barely just enough options to be usable with a very minimal initramfs barely fits on an extended format floppy, much less a standard one, the ELKS kernel might fit the bill better
Show threadBjornsdottirsFeb 18, 2025
@Yuki i wonder how far linux can be cut down with custom fuckery
Show threadBjornsdottirsFeb 18, 2025
@Yuki like, further than the minimal floppy you mentioned, but not ELKS
Show threadYuki "neige d'aout" Hazuki 葉月膤 ❄️ 🏳️‍⚧️Feb 18, 2025
@bjornsdottirs yeah it's possible to strip down almost everything with make tinykernel, the problem would be cutting off the size and optimizing the individual drivers, and now that'd probably require some fucking around
Show threadBjornsdottirsFeb 18, 2025
@Yuki http://web.archive.org/web/20240930193825/https://bits.p1x.in/floppinux-an-embedded-linux-on-a-single-floppy/
Show threadYuki "neige d'aout" Hazuki 葉月膤 ❄️ 🏳️‍⚧️Feb 19, 2025
@bjornsdottirs yeah, I tried to make one myself too, and there's @OS1337 too
Show threadOS/1337Feb 20, 2025

@Yuki @bjornsdottirs yeah, a 1440kB minimal build for #i486 is in the works, abeit slow.

Tho feel free to contribute: https://os1337.com

_OS/1337

Show threadKevin Karhan Apr 1, 2025

@OS1337 @Yuki @bjornsdottirs well, it does work given aggressive #xz compression.

Problem is rather to shove more on a 1440kB FDD than initramfs+kernel.

Tho a bootfloppy w/ #syslinux that then bootstraps multiple splitted initramfs parts in RAM from multiple disks should be possible.

#TinyCore shows that a minimalist distro can be featureful!
http://tinycorelinux.net

Tiny Core Linux, Micro Core Linux, 12MB Linux GUI Desktop, Live, Frugal, Extendable

Welcome - Tiny Core Linux

Show threadYuki "neige d'aout" Hazuki 葉月膤 ❄️ 🏳️‍⚧️
@kkarhan @OS1337 @bjornsdottirs Yeah agressive zstd, along with a very minimal 512-byte bootloader and a similarly minimal initramfs with just enough to bootstrap in RAM or mount another floppy, along with DMF formatting so you can get up to 1680 KB, this should do the job
Apr 1, 2025 at 11:54pmWeb
Show threadKevin Karhan Apr 2, 2025

@Yuki @OS1337 @bjornsdottirs no need to go beyond 1440kB when using mlb instead of #syslinux (which wastes 200kB on it's own!)

  • Also including the #initramfs into the #Kernel can save more due to better compression than two seperate files.

Needless to say the core idea is to be a continuation of #tmsrtbt and a "minimalist #linux distro" as in "#SSH #Terminal #Firmware"...

GitHub - OS-1337/mlb: Minimal Linux Bootloader

Minimal Linux Bootloader. Contribute to OS-1337/mlb development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHub