resource-poor host for cross-development

[Francois-Rene Rideau]

>: Paul Dufresne

> Anyway, since my machine is a relatively small one
> (386sx-16Mhz, one 40Mb HD, another 80Mb HD, 3Mb of RAM)
> I am using plain DOS.

Ouch, I admit that while our intent is
that Tunes should run fine on such a machine,
but I admit I've not bothered about cross-developing from DOS.
   Using DOS poses several compatibility problems:
since DOS is not remotely Linux-compatible,
it is difficult (though possible) to find or port
tools that emulate current Linux-based cross-development tools.
But even that is the easy part.
   The hard part is overcoming the braindead
CP/M-inherited (ah, inheritance again!) 8.3 filename limitation.
Anyway, I don't think we should comply to this braindead limitation.
Those of us with a real OS wouldn't accept that.

A conservative approach would be that you read and modify files at home,
then find a way to automatically have them properly renamed
in their way to the repository,
by maintaining a MANIFEST file and conversion tools.
Perhaps UMSDOS tools might help there.
   But could you not install Linux anyway, or perhaps VSTa?

A minimal Linux install with all needed command-line & networking tools,
an editor (jed), and a scheme interpreter, could fit 20-30mb.
The advantage of Linux is that it can run on your same msdos partitions
yet have all the capabilities of a unix thanks to umsdos.
   VSTa could be be a slightly less resource-hungry (save 5-10mb),
but hairier system to install; you'd have to port a scheme interpreter,
but that shouldn't be the hardest part.
   In any case, count at least 10mb of longnamed user space
to maintain several versions of tunes, your own configuration files,
and some temporary workspace.
   Count 10mb or more if possible for swap space.
   Add or remove space depending on what packages you'll need
(i.e. 10mb for a working gcc,
less for smaller&faster but nonoptimizing lcc).

Either solution would be quite slow due to swapping, of course,
but I can't say how much (un)usable that would be;
I can't be (much) slower than DOS, anyway,
and will provide a system where you can actually do some work,
and get familiar with a real OS (however badly designed).

NB1: If you want me to compile a some software for you
(e.g. a Linux kernel, a stripped-down libc or some other downsized tool),
just tell me what, where to get it,
and send me the local configuration files needed to build it.

NB2: Another interesting project, independently from Tunes,
would be to build a network of computers that have extra unused
cpu cycles and other resources that they'd give away or rent.

NB3: After all, this is not independent from Tunes,
once you consider security and scheduling concerns;
well, I've just added stuff about that in the Migration/ pages.

NB4: these added stuff will not be made available until next release
(tonight?).

== Fare' -- rideau@ens.fr -- Franc,ois-Rene' Rideau -- DDa(.ng-Vu~ Ba^n ==
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