Small Unix install

[John Nielsen]

Quoting DAve <dave.list at pixelhammer.com>:
> I am looking for a small install for an old laptop. I have an old but
> quite reliable Toshiba 330CDT that used to be my personal laptop. I ran
> FBSD 3.x/4.x on it for years but it has been wiped and in a closet for
> years. I want to use it again just to access a few web forums and read
> my email. I don't do POV RAY or 3D, I don't need Open Office, I don't
> watch any Tubes. Mutt, Fluxbox and a minimal browser would make me happy.
>
> I don't have the time or inclination to roll my own again. PCBSD can't
> finish the install due to only having 96mb of memory. Desktop BSD wants
> more than 4gb of drive space just to complete the install.
>
> I currently have 98SE on it only consuming 300mb and it runs fine, but
> it's 98SE ;^) Does anyone know of anything ready to install? BSD, Linux,
> I don't care.

Is there a reason a standard installation of FreeBSD 4/6/7 won't work 
for you? Just do a minimal install of the OS from CD or network then 
install [parts of] X, fluxbox, and your other apps from ports or 
packages and away you go. You could weigh the benefits [possible memory 
savings] of compiling your own kernel against the time and disk space 
required, but you shouldn't ever have to build world or ports unless 
you feel so inclined, especially now that freebsd-update is part of the 
base system.

JN