Re: Old Binary Packages/Sources (NetBSD/i386 1.5.3)?

["Thomas Mueller" <mueller6724%bellsouth.net@localhost>]

> We recently installed NetBSD/i386 1.5.3 on our very youthful 486DX2 (~25MHz 
> with a massive 16MB of RAM) replacing the Slackware 7.0 distribution which it 
> was acquainted.

> One reason we went with NetBSD/i386 1.5.3 was that [ 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetBSD ] states that 1.5 was released "December 
> 6, 2000" and [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slackware ] states that Slackware 
> 7.0 was released circa 2000 (a little before if we can read the figure 
> correctly).

> The Slackware 7.0 ISO9660 image had the corresponding binary packages that 
> were available during it's release and whilst lurking around [ 
> ftp://ftp-archive.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD-Archive/ports/i386/ ] we've noticed 
> that FreeBSD seem to archive their old packages too.

> As [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pkgsrc ] seems to hint that pkgsrc fork()ed 
> from FreeBSD ports in 1997, we are assuming that there should be pkgsrc 
> binaries (and sources) for December 6, 2000 i.e. for NetBSD/i386
> 1.5.3, however we have yet to find them on [ ftp://ftp.netbsd.org ].

> Please could some wise people (or other entities) point us in the correct 
> direction and shed some light/insight into where these binary packages (and 
> their corresponding /usr/pkgsrc/distfiles sources) may be hiding?

I wonder if you could use a current pkgsrc and build the packages against the 
old libraries.  But two limiting factors are shortage of RAM and probably disk 
space.  You'd be crazy to try to build or run Seamonkey, GNOME or KDE, but lynx 
text-mode browser shouldn't be too RAM-demanding.  For X window managers, you 
could try icewm or jwm, or other lightweight/featherweight window manager.  A 
light spreadsheet like sc or teapot might be feasible, but not Gnumeric or 
OpenOffice.org .  Building packages, except the small ones, might be 
monstrously slow on your 486DX2 with 16 MB RAM.

Just for curiosity, I did browse the FreeBSD archive URL, and I found old 
packages listed but didn't try to download any.

Perhaps NetBSD 4.0.1 would fit in your 16 MB RAM, but not NetBSD >= 5.0.  But 
you would not be advised to try any of the fatter packages like KDE and GNOME, 
or Firefox or Seamonkey.  I remember there was a CD for NetBSD i386 4.0 that 
included some packages already built.

Tom