[syslinux] Linux distribution targeted at 32-bit hardware

[Ady Ady]

> David Christensen wrote:
> > It seems that most Linux distributions I look at are dropping support
> > for 32-bit hardware.
> 
> Aren't you using Debian? AFAIK jessie supports i586, so if Pentium is
> old enough for you you're good to go for likely at least two more
> years.
> 
> After that I guess I'd be using old unsupported Debians for the
> ancient ones. I don't have this old hw on the internet.
> 
> 
> -- 
> MartinS
 
 
With the purpose of reducing the amount of "noise", I am replying in 
this one email to several posts.

"Pentium 4" is _not_ the same as "Pentium".

"Pentium 4" is _at least_ i686, certainly not i586.

Debian 8.x "Jessie" is supposed to support at least i586.

Debian 9.x "Stretch" is supposed to support at least i686.

I already posted, in a very recent email, possible Linux distributions 
that support 32-bit. The (non-exhaustive) alternatives, mostly ignored, 
included Antix, which specifically aims at old systems (and it is based 
on Debian).


Regarding Debian's installer not being able to continue at a certain 
point of the process, it is probably not finding the packages. D-I 
needs to know where that (list of) packages are. The content of the 
original ISO image needs to be "somewhere" (hint: the USB device if 
formatted as FAT32, thus it can be written). There might be some option 
/ parameter to "APPEND" to the kernel line, or there might be some 
other method in order to indicate to Debian's installer: "hey, the 
packages are at this/that (additional) location".

The above topics are off-topic in the Syslinux Mailing List, and yet, 
kind replies were provided. Such topics might have a place in some 
Debian mailing list or somewhere else.

Regarding the code to help troubleshooting isolinux.bin issues in 
isohybrid images (posted by Martin), I wish it would be available in 
some binary form, posted somewhere __outside__ the Syslinux Mailing 
List (not attached). A bonus would be to have also its source code, a 
patch (perhaps based on 6.04-pre1) and clear instructions for common 
users (usage, limitations, expected output/behavior, to which version 
of ISOLINUX it applies...).

Then David could help by testing the binary in his "problematic" 
system(s), and report back.

Hopefully now we can focus on the diagnostic code (Martin's or 
alternative ones), and receiving feedback, on its own (new) email 
thread.

Regards,
Ady.

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