Minix 2.0.2 on a laptop 286 COMPAQ

Hardware : Laptop COMPAQ LTE 286, 640 kb, 40 Mb, 1.44 Mb floppy drive.

OS : Minix 2.0.2 (under BSD licence).

• 1) Download the Minix files from http://www.cs.vu.nl/pub/minix/2.0.2/ :


- TINYROOT.MNX
- TINYUSR1.MNX
- TINYUSR2.MNX
- USR.TAZ
- SYS.TAZ
- CMD.TAZ (optionnal)

• 2) Create the floppies. From Win95/98 or MS-DOS, use FDVOL.EXE (see the Minix page) and type: fdvol 1440 a tinyroot.mnx. You will need 2 or 3 floppies for the big files like USR.TAZ.

• 3) Boot with the TINYROOT.MNX floppy


Press the key =

• 4) Insert the TINYUSR1.MNX floppy


Type fd0 at the end of the line to complete /dev/ (it will give /dev/fd0).

Login as root

Type exec setup

If needed, make Enter to displays all infos

Choose keyboard. In my case, I type french

On the partition tables : /dev/hd0 appears, type r to load it if you choose to use all the disk (it is my case).

With the arrow keys, go to the TYPE partition of hd1 and change the number with the keys + and - to 81 (Minix) instead of 06 (MS-DOS). Hd1 must have the flag "*" which indicates that it is bootable.

Type q and y to the question "Save the partition table?"

Complete the name of the new Minix partition : hd1 (to give : /dev/hd1).

You have now :
Root subpartition: /dev/hd1a 1440 kb
/usr subpartition: /dev/hd1c rest of hd1

Make ENTER : Minix is installing on the HD

The script asks for memory size. Here this is : 640

Login as root

Insert the TINYUSR2.MNX floppy

Type mount /dev/fd0 /fd0

Type cpdir -v /fd0 /usr

Type umount /dev/fd0

Type mount /dev/hd1a /root

Type cp -p /usr/tmp/* /root/minix

Type halt

• 5) Reboot without floppy : it works :-)


Login as root

Insert the USR.TAZ floppy 1 (there are 3 USR.TAZ 1.44 floppies)

Type exec setup /usr

Insert the SYS.TAZ floppy 1 (there are 2 SYS.TAZ 1.44 floppies)

Type exec setup /usr

It's done ! 28 Mb are free on the HD.

• 6) Change the ROOT password : login as root and type passwd . Enter your new ROOT password (don't forget it !).


Create a new user called "dueze" : adduser dueze other /usr/dueze