Running Linux, Third Edition

Preparing for Installation of Linux Alpha

We can now return to the steps we listed earlier to get Linux running. You must also decide how you want your Alpha to boot after Linux is installed and configured; Alpha systems support a number of alternatives.

Minimum Hardware

You can run Linux on Alpha systems using as little as 8 MB of RAM, but most installation programs, like the Red Hat installer, require a minimum of 32 MB. The mininum disk space for the installation is 170 MB. To run the full X Window System and a desktop comfortably and have adequate storage for applications, you need a minimum of 16 MB RAM and 500 MB of hard-disk storage.

Many users of more recent Linux distributions have found that 24 MB or 32 MB of RAM is required to complete the installation. While it should still require no more than 16 MB to run Linux on a properly configured Alpha system (with a kernel compiled to support just that system’s features), you may need more memory to install some distributions. An alternative is to install an earlier, smaller kernel.

Installation takes a huge amount of RAM because of the combined memory requirements of the bootstrap loader and Milo and the loading Linux kernel image, not because of the memory requirements of the Linux kernel itself. If you cannot complete your initial installation, you can also try to use an earlier and smaller Milo to boot your Linux distribution or a Milo that has been stored in nonvolatile RAM. You can select compact applications to conserve ...