My initial reaction was "surely Linux will not run on an old PC-XT", but
I decided to make sure before replying. Glad I did.
The ELKS (Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset
http://elks.sourceforge.net/faq/english-faq.html#1.4) could probably be
made to run but don't expect a point-and-click install or much
functionality after booting up.
Excerpts from the web site:
"Are there any ready-to-run distributions of ELKS?
Not yet. You need to use a standard Linux machine, download the sources,
and cross-compile to generate the 8086 target code. Boot and root disk
images are provided with the current version of ELKS, but all they do is
act as a platform for testing the system, and very little can be done
with them."
"it is already able to boot, provide virtual consoles, mount a root
minix filesystems floppy, provide basic serial and parallel I/O, connect
to another computer over a null-modem SLIP link, and start various small
programs.
I'm starting to believe that Linux will run on a fence post!
Ed.
Anita Pesola wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I just acquired a verrrrry old IBM system--a PCXT with the 5 1/4"
> floppy, an unknown size HD with an extra unknown HD and two very wide
> dot-matrix printers with an original IBM color monitor. If anyone's
> interested, please email me off list. I think (but not really sure) that
> this would make a very good Linux box or, in any case, someone might
> want it for parts or something. I know *I* can't use it....:-) At the
> very least, the case itself would make a very good boat anchor :-).
>
> Anita
>
>
>
>
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