First of all, perhaps this post should not be on the Flat Assembler forum, but up to now, I don't know where to post this kind of messages. If any of you can help me and tell me where I should ask for this kind of help, I will appreciate it.

I'm new to Linux, but I'm really interested in starting and eventually, I want to start programming in assembly for Linux. I've always been a DOS programmer, but now it's everyday more difficult to survive with DOS and I definetly hate windows and I'm NOT going to turn completely into that horripilant OS. I want to start with Linux. What should I do? Which are the hardware requirements to use Linux? Which is the best version for a programmer like me? I'd like something that makes me feel as "directly connected" to my computer as DOS, a system that I (myself) can control, not a bunch of drivers and high level applications.

I will appreciate your help very much. Thank you in advance.

Hardware requirements vary widely. If you want to use Gnome or KDE as your desktop, you're looking at 600MHz+ speed, ~1GB of hard drive space, and 128MB or more of RAM. You *can* run a lighter desktop on a 386 with as little as 4MB of RAM though. Lots of options exist (Console mode works great on anything...) One warning: don't count on the modem in your PC being useable unless it's an external model. Very few winmodems are supported.

I like the Slackware and Debian distros the best. If your PC is fairly new (made around 2000 or newer), try Knoppix; it has excellent hardware detection, ~2GB of apps, and can run from a CD-ROM or be installed to a hard drive. Slackware is very clean and consistant. Debian can be a pain to install, but it is very stable and fast. Try looking at distrowatch.com for reviews and help in choosing a distro.

You won't be "directly connected" to your hardware. Like most "modern" OSes, the kernel won't let you directly access the ports and raw memory locations. Once you learn the syscalls though, it's very easy to get around those limits though

I hope this helps a bit...

Sounds like www.gentoo.org or www.slackware.com to me

Thank you very much! I'll follow your suggestions

One more question....
Do all Linux applications work both under the text and the graphic environment or is it like windows that requires the GUI for most applications? It is my intention to avoid the GUI as much as possible. Remember I'm used to DOS. Anyway, I'm willing to start on Linux no matter what.

Thank you again!!!

Most applications are writte for use with a GUI, though there are some that can be used in both text and GUI environments. You can do pretty much anything in text mode (some apps like editing images need a GUI), but audio, programming, email, text editing, web browsing, and so on all have excellent text mode tools. I haven't used a GUI with Linux in over six months.

if you had used to use dos, linux is much better than dos.

imho, it's super-dos! :)

For example, i posting this message using elinks text browser.

also, i can view images through links browser with option like this.

debian:~# links -g -mode 800x600

of course this is with the help of svgalib.

you can use emacs, vim, bash(1000 time better than dos' command.com).

--
But, about touching hardware, the point of view is different, to understand it, see "the art of unix programming", it's free document on internet.

I'm saving money to buy a new PC, but so far I'm here with my old Pentium 200MHz with 32M of RAM. Is there any little version of Linux that I can install here to go testing it and learning it until I've got my new PC? What do you guys suggest?

I have a K6-200 with Gentoo installed.
It takes a while to compile, but I can stay with it.
I use Enlightenment as window manager. I have a riva tnt2 as video board and it's pretty fast. I can also watch divx on it.

Gentoo or Slackware are good for a programmer, because most of the time you are -forced- to compile and understand how it works in the low-level, if you want to make it work

I love Gentoo, but I wouldn't tell any linux newbie to start with it if they wants a "just ready" OS.

*my two cents...*

Axel

ha ha ha! :)

I am here with my old Pentium 166MHz with 32M of RAM.

i am running debian in this machine.
i am satisfied. for more see below.

--
http://www.debian.org/distrib/netinst

Slackware works great on older hardware. I used it (with the Afterstep window manager) on a 386 with all of 4MB ram for several years before getting my current box.

All versions of Linux get the kernel from the same source - ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/

Most Linux distributions come with "high level applix" that runs on X-Windows. Many window-environments such as KDE and Gnome also requires X-Windows to run.

If you are a DOS programmer, and you don't need the Windows' graphical environment-type of GUI, then my advice is to run Linux without X-Windows enabled.

But if this is the first time you want to play with Linux - not necessary program in it, then my recommendation is to go to those "easy distros" that are caterred for novice endusers - Mandrake and Lindows fall into this categories.

You can "play" with Linux first, and then if you really want to dig deep into Linux kernel stuffs, then you can get either Gentoo or Fedora distro to help you do that.

Slackware is good, so is Debian. Redhat is good too, but it's kind of hard to get the latest version without paying for it. If you want security, get the version that is hardened by NSA.

All in all, the variety of Linux will surprise you. And if you want to know more about Linux, my suggestion is to go to the Linux-Kernel Mailing List at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html

People there are very helpful.

Good luck !!


PS. After digging and more digging, I found a Linux-only assembly mailing list. The url for the announcement is at http://www.os-help.org/linux-assembly_mailing_list-532925-4683-a.html and the mailling list subscription url is at https://mlists.in-berlin.de/mailman/listinfo/linux-assembly

Try Puppylinux

It's small 53mb

boots from CD

http://www.goosee.com/puppy/

Thank you, guys!
As a matter of fact, I want Linux for programming low level, but not to program the kernel. I mean, I want to program applications, in assembly. This is.... I'd like to do under Linux what I do under DOS. Of course, I will also need to know the interrupt services very well, I suppose.