Again within the early days of Linux, there have been a number of floppy disk distributions. They made helpful rescue or tinkering environments, and so they packed in a stunning quantity of helpful stuff. However a model 1.x kernel was not massive in at present’s context, so how does a floppy Linux fare in 2025? [Action Retro] is right here to search out out.
Following a information from GitHub within the video beneath the break, he’s in a position to get a contemporary model 6.14 kernel compiled with minimal choices, in addition to simply sufficient BusyBox to be helpful. It boots on a gloriously minimalist 486 setup, and he spends some time making an attempt to refine and add to it, but it surely’s evident from the errors he finds alongside the way in which that managing dependencies in such a small house is difficult. Even the floppy itself is problematic, as each the drive and the media at the moment are lengthy within the tooth; it takes him some time to search out one which works. He guarantees us extra in a future episode, but it surely’s clear that is extra of an train in pushing the envelope than it’s in making a helpful distro. Floppy Linux was enjoyable again in 1997, however we are able to inform it’s extra of a curiosity in 2025.
Linux on a floppy has made it to those pages each few years throughout most of Hackaday’s existence, however maybe as an alternative of pointing you in that route, it’s time to toss a wreath into the ocean of abandonware with a reminder that the floppy drivers in Linux at the moment are orphaned.
