I can not install FreeBSD 5.3 in an old Pentium 100 MHz

[Ramiro Aceves]

Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:

> Ramiro,
> 
>   Don't I qualify as a guru, I did after all write a book on it:
> 
> http://www.freebsd-corp-net-guide.com/

Thanks Ted for your mail. I am very happy of beeing able to speak with 
people that knows well the FreeBSD system.
> 
>   Also, as for your problem with the CMD640, I myself have a dual-processor
> P100 board with this same IDE controller on it, that is running FreeBSD.  I
> have a SCSI controller installed in it, the IDE controller is disabled.
> This
> controller was unfortunately used a lot in Pentium 60/90/100 motherboards.

:-(
> 
>   To be honest the biggest problem with your post is that you didn't
> identify the make and model of machine or at least motherboard that you
> were working with.  If for example you had said the motherboard was a
> "ASUS 123XYZABC456" then most anyone experienced here could have easily
> looked up the specs for the motherboard, saw it was a CMD640 job, and
> steered

Yes, sorry, I understand. Next time I will be more accurate. Indeed, 
when I posted my first message, I did not know that I was the owner of 
that ugly 640 disk controller. I discovered it when I booted linux and 
whatched kernel messages

> you to the FreeBSD 3.xx series which has support for this controller.
> (which by the way, supports it by basically destroying all the go-fast
> disk code in the disk driver, leaving you with a usable, but dog-slow,
> system)  In any case FreeBSD 3.x is obsolete now of course, so it's no
> good exposed to the Internet (you can in fact, crash it by hitting it
> with a stock nessus probe) but it is fine for pooting around with behind
> your firewall.

You are right Ted, when I had Linux installed on that pentium machine it 
worked even slower than a 486 machine that I also have.
Tonight, I downloaded FreeBSD 4.10 mininst cdrom and I successfuly 
installed in the dog-slow-pentium. I seems to work but it is slow as you 
said.

> 
> 
>>Thank you Brian, at least I know that there is people at the list, and
>>If I have not received any answers apart from Ted's, I have only two
>>ways of solving my problem:
>>
>>1- install 4.10 and forget upgrading anymore.
>>2- throw the pentium away
>>3- install Debian again (it will mean that I have lost the fight)  :-( .
>>
> 
> 
> 4) Disable the onboard IDE controller and install a SCSI controller and
> disk, or even one of the caching IDE controllers.
> 
> By the way - if you are willing to pay shipping, many of us have basements
> full of junk computers that we don't use anymore that are undoubtedly
> better than your P100.

Thank you dear Ted for your offer. If I need it I will tell you in the 
future. This dog-pentium is a Fujitsu model that I hate, cause it is on 
a "landscape" shaped box (I do not know the english word, it is for 
staying on a table, and the monitor on top of it) and graphic card is 
buit-in on the motherboard. It is very difficult to work inside (there 
is no room)and make changes. It was a computer that a friend did not use 
and gave to me, to experiment. Another friend, is going to give me an 
old pentium 75 MHz soon, so I am praying for it not having a CMD 640 
controller :-)
As you can see, I am collecting old machines just to play. I do the same 
with valve black and white TV sets. I have got my first TV with 35 years 
old working in a room at my house in the countryside :-)

Thank you for your help.
Ramiro.