Last Update: 15 March 1999 Last Update: 15 March 1999
Introduction
This document set explains how to install and setup RedHat m68k Linux on your Amiga. I assume you have some experience with Linux, otherwise I recommend that you purchase any of the books written for newcomers to Linux- there are dozens of such books, most are very thick and include an (intel) Linux CDROM that doubles as a convenient drink coaster.
If you are new to Linux, please take a few moments to browse the entire contents of this document set before charging into the install process. By doing so you will save yourself a lot of time and trouble.
If all of this seems to be a bit too much- don't worry. There is lot of information presented here, much more than you probably need, but my intention is to help the rank beginner as well as the seasoned kernel hacker who is new to the Amiga. No two people will have the same questions or problems, so I'll try to cover a wide range of conditions. Those with some Linux experience may skip ahead whereas the Linux newby will benefit from reading all the provided background information.
RedHat m68k Linux is still an evolving project. As such, it still has a few rough edges, but it is fully functional and remarkably complete.
Major features of RedHat m68k Linux include:
Able to read and write AFFS (Amiga Fast File System) disks.
Able to read and write MsDos hard and floppy disks.
Internet connectivity ( via network, modem, or serial port ).
Samba (for Win95, NT connectivity). [ I use this a LOT at work ]
NCP (Novell) filesystem support (present in the 2.2.x kernels).
X11 (X-Windows).
Full set of software development tools (C, C++, assemblers, linkers, Tcl/Tk, Perl, debuggers, etc.).
Virtual memory system. Programs are not limited by the amount of physical RAM.
FTP, HTML, TELNET, NFS, PPP, Samba, named, (and many other) servers and clients.
Support for most Amigas and peripherals.
Complete kernel source with configuration utilities.
Source code compatibility with several hardware platforms (intel, alpha, sparc, mips, etc.).
Tons of free software (with source) is available via the Internet, including cdrom authoring tools.
A chance to bring that ol' Amiga back to life.
None of your money goes to uSoft (the Evil Empire in Redmond).
Please check the References section of this document as well as the official m68k Linux Home Pages for FAQ's, news, helpful hints and a record of previous questions and answers regarding m68k Linux.
If you aren't comfortable with command-line utilities, disk partition management, manual FTP sessions, disk backup/restore practices, or networking, I'd recommend finding a friend who can help answer basic questions and help if you run into trouble. Lots of folks are also listening on the m68k linux newsgroup.
In addition to Linux, I assume that you still want to run AmigaDos ( I sure do ! ). This way you can continue to run all your favorite Amiga programs and learn about the increasingly popular world of Linux.