Virtual Hardware

In the past I’ve used Bochs for trying old Debian releases however this entire project used Qemu. I used the default i386 hardware. The machine type used was the default on Debian testing/Sid as of 5th May 2020:

$ qemu-system-i386 --machine help | grep def
pc-i440fx-4.2        Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996) (default)

Update on 9th Jan 2025 on on Debian testing/Sid:

$ qemu-system-i386 --machine help | grep def
pc-i440fx-9.2        Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996) (default)

Disk devices

This is old, and before the block device unification, so only real scsi devices appear are /dev/sda. I have used IDE disks throughout which appear as /dev/hda and /dev/hdb.

Disk layout

The machines have two IDE disks, the first is the OS disk and the second is a disk with a mirror of the repository. This is done to make the installation easier, eg the deb files are just on a local disk, so no messing about with disk CD’s or networking. The OS disk has one big partition for the root (/) dir. This is 1G in size except for ersion 0.91 where it is smaller. The repo disk varies in size and is based on the size of the repo.

Virtual Network Card

The network card for all the machines is a ISA NE2000. The reason for this is that it’s supported in QEMU and across all the versions of Linux that are in all the Debian releases. Being an ISA card, the io and irq ports needs to be given as parameters when the Linux Kernel module is loaded. There were ways the probe these but it’s far easier to just hard code them these to the correct vaules by giving the module these parameters: “irq=9 io=0x300”.

Networking and DHCP

A DHCP client didn’t land in Debian until 2.2. Thus to keep all the machines consistent all the machines are statically configured with the IP 192.168.122.10 which is in the default libvirt network of 192.168.122.0/24.

Filesystems

To create an ext2 file system that is readable on old Linux (1.2) the main option that is needed for mkfs.ext2 is “-E revision=0” to set the file system revision to 0 (note that older versions of mkfs.ext used “-r 0” for this functionality). However to create a file system that is most similar to the one created in Debian 0.93 use:

# mkfs.ext2 -b 1024 -E revision=0 -i 4096 -F <device>
# tune2fs -E hash_alg=legacy <device>

Tricks with sfdisk

The sfdisk utility can be used to save and destroy partition tables. To save a partition run “sfdisk -d ”. This can be restored in a shell script thus:

cat << EOF | sudo sfdisk /dev/sda
label: dos
label-id: 0x00000000
device: /dev/sda
unit: sectors

/dev/sda1 : start=          63, size=     2064321, type=83
EOF

This can then define the required layout needed.

X11 Configuration

Over the years the method to configure X11 has changed and throughout it’s been somewhat a dark art combined with a lot of trial and error. I have created a template XF86Config and individual XF86Config configuration files for each Debian release. They are avaliable here: https://gitlab.com/thomasdstewart/retrobian/-/tree/master/files

Choosing the X server

In the olden days there were multiple binaries for the X server, one for each type of graphics card. So there is a symbolic link (/etc/X/X11) pointing to the one to be used which by default is /usr/X11R6/bin/X_VGA16. This can be set or changed with:

ln -s /usr/X11R6/bin/X_VGA16 /etc/X11/X

List of Random Websites that were usefull

Install

Debian 0.91

This is the oldest Debian release I can find. It’s not stored on http://archive.debian.org/ but on http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/historic-linux/distributions/debian-0.91/. It’s unclear why, I assume both are just people finding old disks with mirrors on.

Of all the installations this was the most tricky, much like Arch Linux the installer drops you at a shell prompt. The installer itself is a shell script. Once installed there is no dselect, just dpkg which is a shell script! The entire system and archive is relatively small, but you so end up with a working X environment, email and a compiler.

Install

Debian 0.93R6

This is the oldest Debian release on the http://archive.debian.org/ servers. The installation process is much more seamless than 0.91. It seems to have taken the install shell scripts and turned into what looks a lot more like the “boot floppies” installer which is common throughout all the installers up until the wonderful “debian-installer” came along.

Once installed, you get a much more modern dpkg and dselect to pick packages. The amount of available programs has increased alot.

Install

Debian 1.1 (Buzz)

This follows on from 0.93 and the installation process is much the same. However the archive really expanded two and a half times. Bizzarly this is the only devian version released that dose not support a PS/2 mouse as the psaux kernel module was neither compiled in or asuppled as a module. A serial mouse is used insead.

Screenshots

1.1-boot.png 1.1-login.png 1.1-x.png

Installation notes

At boot prompt enter: “linux root=/dev/fd1”
At “Insert Root Disk” prompt press Enter
Select Color
Select Next
Select Exit
Select “Next Partition A Hard Disk”
Select “/dev/hda” and OK
Create One big partition
Select “Alternate Do Without a Swap Parition”
Select Yes
Select “Next Initialize A Linux Disk Partition”
Select “/dev/hda1”
Select No for Bad Blocks scan
Select Yes to Confirm initilize
Select “Yes” to mount as root filesystem
Select “Alternate1 Mount a Previously-Initialized Disk Partition”
Select “/dev/hdb1” and OK
Type “/mnt” and OK
Select “Next Install the Base system”
Select “Yes” to confirm install
Select “Next Install the Operating System Kernel”
Select “/dev/fd0”
Select OK
Select “Next Configure Device Driver Modules”
Select “net”
Select “ne”
Select “Install”
Type “irq=9 io=0x300” and OK
Expect Installation succeeded, Enter to continue
Select Exit
Select Exit
Select “Next Configure the Base System”
Select No to configure keyboard
Type “uk.map” and Enter
Type Europe Enter London Enter
type y to set system clock to GMT
Select “Next Configure the Network”
Press Enter to set hostname to debian
Select yes to use a network
Type “lan” and Enter to set domain
Select Yes to confirm fqdn
Enter IP: 192.168.122.10
Enter netmask: 255.255.255.0
Enter network: 192.168.122.0
Enter broadcast: 192.168.122.255
Enter Yes for Gateway
Enter 192.168.122.1 for gateway
Select “2 Another system will be the DNS server”
Enter Name Server: 192.168.122.1
Select Yes to confirm
Select Yes to use Ethernet
Select “Next Make Linux Bootable Directly From Hard Disk”
Select Yes to install MBR to /dev/hda
Select Yes to boot system on /dev/hda1
Select to Create boot floppy
Select “Next Reboot The System”
Select Yes to reboot
Set root password
Create user account
dselect, select quit
login as root
run: lilo
run: ln -s /usr/bin/perl /bin/perl #for kernel-image inst scripts
run: mv /mnt/netscape* /tmp
run: dselect
Select Access, mounted, enter /mnt, enter none for non-free, enter none for local, return
Select Update, Enter
Select Select, space, enter, space, enter
Select Install, when prompted install a lilo, choose y to use existing lilo.conf
Select Config
Select Remove
Sekect Select, choose: sudo, autoconf, tcl74, tcl75, tk40, tk41, vim, gnuchess, xboard, xfig, gnuplot, screen, bind, cern-httpd, lynx, tcpdump, wu-ftpd, a2gs, ghostview, All Optional section x11, hdparm, minicom, python, samba, xntp, xsysinfo, ddd-dmotif, gimp-dmotif, netscape, and enter
Select Install, when promped for for default Xfree, pick VGA16 and enable xdm
Select Config
Select Remote
Select Quit
run: dpkg -i /mnt/main/binary-all/x11/*
run: cp /mnt/XF86Config /etc/X11
run: sed ’s^/dev/hdb^#/dev/hdb^’ /etc/fstab > /etc/fstab.new
run: cat /etc/fstab.new > /etc/fstab
run: shutdown -h now

Install

Debian 1.2 (Rex)

This release was only 6 months after the previous, I think it feels like a lot of polish was added over 1.1. It also added some more X11 Window managers including fvwm95 as seen below.

Screenshots

1.2-boot.png 1.2-login.png 1.2-x.png

Installation notes

At boot prompt press Enter
Select Color
Select Next
Select Exit
Select “Next Configure the Keyboard”
Select “us”
Select “Next Partition A Hard Disk”
Select “/dev/hda” and OK
Create One big partition
Select “Alternate Do Without a Swap Parition”
Select Yes
Select “Next Initialize A Linux Disk Partition”
Select “/dev/hda1”
Select No for Bad Blocks scan
Select Yes to Confirm initilize
Select “Yes” to mount as root filesystem
Select “Alternate1 Mount a Previously-Initialized Disk Partition”
Select “/dev/hdb1” and OK
Type “/mnt” and OK
Select “Next Install the Base system”
Select “Yes” to confirm install
Select “Next Install the Operating System Kernel”
Select “/dev/fd0”
Select OK
Select “Next Install the Device Drivers”
Select “/dev/fd1”
Select OK
Select “Next Configure Device Driver Modules”
Select “net”
Select “ne”
Select “Install”
Type “irq=9 io=0x300” and OK
Expect Installation succeeded, Enter to continue
Select Exit
Select Exit
Select “Next Configure the Base System”
Type Europe Enter London Enter
type y to set system clock to GMT
Select “Next Configure the Network”
Press Enter to set hostname to debian
Select yes to use a network
Type “lan” and Enter to set domain
Select Yes to confirm fqdn
Enter IP: 192.168.122.10
Enter netmask: 255.255.255.0
Enter network: 192.168.122.0
Enter broadcast: 192.168.122.255
Enter Yes for Gateway
Enter 192.168.122.1 for gateway
Select “2 Another system will be the DNS server”
Enter Name Server: 192.168.122.1
Select Yes to confirm
Select Yes to use Ethernet
Select “Next Make Linux Bootable Directly From Hard Disk”
Select Yes to install MBR to /dev/hda
Select Yes to boot system on /dev/hda1
Select “Next Make a boot Floppy” and OK
Select “Next Reboot The System”
Select “Yes” to confirm reboot
Set root password
Create user account
dselect, select quit
exit and login as root
run: mv /mnt/netscape* /tmp
run: dselect
Select Access, mounted, enter /mnt, enter none for non-free, enter none for local, return
Select Update, Enter
Select Select, space, enter
Select Install
Select Config
Select Remove
Sekect Select, choose: sudo, autoconf, vim, gnuchess, xfig, gnuplot, screen, bind, cern-httpd, lynx, tcpdump, wu-ftpd, a2gs, ghostview, All Optional section x11, hdparm, minicom, python-base, samba, xntp, xsysinfo, ddd-dmotif, gimp-dmotif, netscape, lesstif and enter
Select Install, when promped for for default Xfree, pick VGA16 and enable xdm
Select Config
Select Remote
Select Quit
run: cp /mnt/XF86Config /etc/X11
run: lilo
run: sed ’s^/dev/hdb^#/dev/hdb^’ /etc/fstab > /etc/fstab.new
run: cat /etc/fstab.new > /etc/fstab
run: shutdown -h now
edit: /etc/ld.so.conf and add /usr/X11R6/lib
edit: /etc/fstab add “noauto” as mount option

Install

Debian 1.3 (Bo)

The installation follows along the same lines. The archive has doubled in size again in only 6 months.

Screenshots

1.3-boot.png 1.3-login.png 1.3-x.png

Installation notes

At boot prompt press Enter
Select Color
Select Next
Select Exit
Select “Next Configure the Keyboard”
Select “uk”
Select “Next Partition A Hard Disk”
Select “/dev/hda” and OK
Create One big partition
Select “Alternate Do Without a Swap Parition”
Select Yes
Select “Next Initialize A Linux Disk Partition”
Select “/dev/hda1”
Select No for Bad Blocks scan
Select Yes to Confirm initilize
Select “Yes” to mount as root filesystem
Select “Next Install Operating System Kernel and Modules”
Select “Yes” to confirm install
Select “hardisk” and OK
Select “/dev/hdb1” and OK
Select “default” and OK
Select “Next Configure Device Driver Modules”
Select “net”
Select “ne”
Select “Install”
Type “irq=9 io=0x300” and OK
Expect Installation succeeded, Enter to continue
Select Exit
Select Exit
Select “Next Configure the Network”
Press Enter to set hostname to debian
Select yes to use a network
Type “lan” and Enter to set domain
Select Yes to confirm fqdn
Enter IP: 192.168.122.10
Enter netmask: 255.255.255.0
Enter network: 192.168.122.0
Enter broadcast: 192.168.122.255
Enter Yes for Gateway
Enter 192.168.122.1 for gateway
Select “2 Another system will be the DNS server”
Enter Name Server: 192.168.122.1
Select Yes to confirm
Select Yes to use Ethernet
Select “Next Install the Base system”
Select “hardisk” and OK
Select “/dev/hdb1” and OK
Select “default” and OK
Select “Next Configure the Base System”
Type “Europe” Enter “London” Enter
type y to set system clock to GMT
Select “Next Make Linux Bootable Directly From Hard Disk”
Select Yes to install MBR to /dev/hda
Select Yes to boot system on /dev/hda1
Select “Next Make a boot Floppy” and OK
Select “Next Reboot The System”
Select “Yes” to confirm reboot
Set root password
Create user account
dselect, select quit
exit and login as root
run: mount /dev/hdb1 /mnt
run: cp /mnt/netscape* /tmp
run: cp /mnt/XF86Config /root
run: umount /mnt
run: dselect
Select Access, harddisk, enter /dev/hdb1, enter ext2, enter /, enter none for local, return
Select Update, Enter
Select Select, space, enter
Select Install
Select Config
Select Remove
Sekect Select, choose: sudo, autoconf, vim, gnuchess, xfig, xpaint, gnuplot, screen, bind, cern-httpd, lynx, tcpdump, wu-ftpd, a2gs, ghostview, hdparm, minicom, python, samba, xntp3, xsysinfo, ddd, gimp-dmotif, netscape, xbase, xserver-vga16, fvwm95 and enter
Select Install
Select Config
Select Remote
Select Quit
run: cp /root/XF86Config /etc/X11
run: lilo
run: shutdown -h now

Installing xserver-svga is left as an exercise for the reader.

Install

Debian 2.0 (Hamm)

Screenshots

2.0-boot.png 2.0-login.png 2.0-x.png

Installation notes

At boot prompt press Enter
Select Color
Select Next
Select Exit
Select “Next Configure the Keyboard”
Select “uk”
Select “Next Partition A Hard Disk”
Select “/dev/hda” and OK
Create One big partition
Select “Alternate Do Without a Swap Parition”
Select Yes
Select “Next Initialize A Linux Disk Partition”
Select “/dev/hda1”
Select No for Bad Blocks scan
Select Yes to Confirm initilize
Select “Yes” to mount as root filesystem
Select “Next Install Operating System Kernel and Modules”
Select “Yes” to confirm install
Select “hardisk” and OK
Select “/dev/hdb1” and OK
Select “default” and OK
Select “Next Configure Device Driver Modules”
Select “net”
Select “ne”
Select “Install”
Type “irq=9 io=0x300” and OK
Expect Installation succeeded, Enter to continue
Select Exit
Select Exit
Select “Next Configure the Network”
Press Enter to set hostname to debian
Select yes to use a network
Type “lan” and Enter to set domain
Select Yes to confirm fqdn
Enter IP: 192.168.122.10
Enter netmask: 255.255.255.0
Enter network: 192.168.122.0
Enter broadcast: 192.168.122.255
Enter Yes for Gateway
Enter 192.168.122.1 for gateway
Select “2 Another system will be the DNS server”
Enter Name Server: 192.168.122.1
Select Yes to confirm
Select Yes to use Ethernet
Select “Next Install the Base system”
Select “hardisk” and OK
Select “/dev/hdb1” and OK
Select “default” and OK
Select “Next Configure the Base System”
Type “Europe” Enter “London” Enter
type y to set system clock to GMT
Select “Next Make Linux Bootable Directly From Hard Disk”
Select Yes to install MBR to /dev/hda
Select Yes to boot system on /dev/hda1
Select “Next Make a boot Floppy” and OK
Select “Next Reboot The System”
Select “Yes” to confirm reboot
Set root password
Create user account
dselect, select quit
exit and login as root
run: mount /dev/hdb1 /mnt
run: cp /mnt/netscape* /tmp
run: cp /mnt/XF86Config /root
run: umount /mnt
run: dselect
Select Access, harddisk, enter /dev/hdb1, enter ext2, enter /, enter none for local, return
Select Update, Enter
Select Select, space, enter
Select Install
Select Config
Select Remove
Sekect Select, choose: sudo, autoconf, vim, gnuchess, xfig, xpaint, gnuplot, screen, bind, cern-httpd, lynx, tcpdump, wu-ftpd, a2gs, ghostview, hdparm, minicom, python, samba, xntp3, xsysinfo, ddd, gimp-dmotif, netscape, xbase, xserver-vga16, fvwm95 and enter
Select Install
Select Config
Select Remote
Select Quit
run: cp /root/XF86Config /etc/X11
run: lilo
run: shutdown -h now

Install

Debian 2.1 (Slink)

Screenshots

2.1-boot.png 2.1-login.png 2.1-x.png

Installation notes

At boot prompt press Enter
Select Color
Select Next
Select Exit
Select “Next Configure the Keyboard”
Select “querty/uk”
Select “Next Partition A Hard Disk”
Select “/dev/hda” and OK
Create One big partition
Select “Alternate Do Without a Swap Parition”
Select Yes
Select “Next Initialize A Linux Disk Partition”
Select “/dev/hda1”
Select No for Bad Blocks scan
Select Yes to Confirm initilize
Select “Yes” to mount as root filesystem
Select “Next Install Operating System Kernel and Modules”
Select “hardisk” and OK
Select “/dev/hdb1”
Enter “/” and OK
Select “list” and Enter
Select “disks-i386/2.1.12-1999” and Enter
Select “Next Configure Device Driver Modules”
Select “net”
Select “ne”
Select “Install”
Type “irq=9 io=0x300” and OK
Expect Installation succeeded, Enter to continue
Select Exit
Select Exit
Select “Next Configure the Network”
Press Enter to set hostname to debian
Select yes to use a network
Type “lan” and Enter to set domain
Select Yes to confirm fqdn
Enter IP: 192.168.122.10
Enter netmask: 255.255.255.0
Enter network: 192.168.122.0
Enter broadcast: 192.168.122.255
Enter Yes for Gateway
Enter 192.168.122.1 for gateway
Select “Another system will be the DNS server”
Enter Name Server: 192.168.122.1
Select Yes to confirm
Select “eth0: Ethernet or Fast Ethernet”
Select “Next Install the Base system”
Select “hardisk” and OK
Select “/dev/hdb1”
Enter “/” and OK
Select “list” and Enter
Select “disks-i386/2.1.12-1999” and Enter
Select “Next Configure the Base System”
Type “Europe” Enter “London” Enter
Enter for Continue message
Select yes to set system clock to GMT
Select “Next Make Linux Bootable Directly From Hard Disk”
Select Yes to install MBR to /dev/hda
Select Yes to boot system on /dev/hda1
Don’t Select “Next Make a boot Floppy” and OK # This Fails
Select “Next Reboot The System”
Select “Yes” to confirm reboot
At boot: prompt enter “linux root=/dev/hda1”
Set root password
Create user account
Turn on shadow password
Remove pcmcia package
Type Y to select package selections
Select “Word_std” and OK
Press Enter to continue and run dselect
Select Access, harddisk, enter /dev/hdb1, enter ext2, enter /, enter none for local, return
Select Update, Enter
Select Select, space, enter, choose: ssh, space, enter
Select Install
Select Config
Select Remove
select quit
login as root
run: mount /dev/hdb1 /mnt
run: cp /mnt/netscape* /tmp
run: cp /mnt/XF86Config /root
run: umount /mnt
run: dselect
Sekect Select, choose: autoconf, gnuchess, screen, cern-httpd, tcpdump, wu-ftpd, hdparm, minicom, python-base, samba, ddd, gimp-dmotif, netscape4, xbase and enter
Select Install
Select Config
Select Remote
Select Quit
run: cp /root/XF86Config /etc/X11
run: lilo
run: shutdown -h now

Install

Debian 2.2 (Potato)

Screenshots

2.2-boot.png 2.2-login.png 2.2-x.png

Installation notes

#check bases on 2.1 notes below

At boot prompt press Enter
Select Color
Select Next
Select Exit
Select “Next Configure the Keyboard”
Select “querty/uk”
Select “Next Partition A Hard Disk”
Select “/dev/hda” and OK
Create One big partition
Select “Alternate Do Without a Swap Parition”
Select Yes
Select “Next Initialize A Linux Disk Partition”
Select “/dev/hda1”
Select No for Bad Blocks scan
Select Yes to Confirm initilize
Select “Yes” to mount as root filesystem
Select “Next Install Operating System Kernel and Modules”
Select “hardisk” and OK
Select “/dev/hdb1”
Enter “/” and OK
Select “list” and Enter
Select “disks-i386/2.1.12-1999” and Enter
Select “Next Configure Device Driver Modules”
Select “net”
Select “ne”
Select “Install”
Type “irq=9 io=0x300” and OK
Expect Installation succeeded, Enter to continue
Select Exit
Select Exit
Select “Next Configure the Network”
Press Enter to set hostname to debian
Select yes to use a network
Type “lan” and Enter to set domain
Select Yes to confirm fqdn
Enter IP: 192.168.122.10
Enter netmask: 255.255.255.0
Enter network: 192.168.122.0
Enter broadcast: 192.168.122.255
Enter Yes for Gateway
Enter 192.168.122.1 for gateway
Select “Another system will be the DNS server”
Enter Name Server: 192.168.122.1
Select Yes to confirm
Select “eth0: Ethernet or Fast Ethernet”
Select “Next Install the Base system”
Select “hardisk” and OK
Select “/dev/hdb1”
Enter “/” and OK
Select “list” and Enter
Select “disks-i386/2.1.12-1999” and Enter
Select “Next Configure the Base System”
Type “Europe” Enter “London” Enter
Enter for Continue message
Select yes to set system clock to GMT
Select “Next Make Linux Bootable Directly From Hard Disk”
Select Yes to install MBR to /dev/hda
Select Yes to boot system on /dev/hda1
Don’t Select “Next Make a boot Floppy” and OK # This Fails
Select “Next Reboot The System”
Select “Yes” to confirm reboot
At boot: prompt enter “linux root=/dev/hda1”
Set root password
Create user account
Turn on shadow password
Remove pcmcia package
Type Y to select package selections
Select “Word_std” and OK
Press Enter to continue and run dselect
Select Access, harddisk, enter /dev/hdb1, enter ext2, enter /, enter none for local, return
Select Update, Enter
Select Select, space, enter, choose: ssh, space, enter
Select Install
Select Config
Select Remove
select quit
login as root
run: dselect
Sekect Select, choose: autoconf, gnuchess, screen, cern-httpd, tcpdump, wu-ftpd, hdparm, minicom, python-base, samba, ddd, gimp-dmotif, netscape4, xbase and enter
Select Install
Select Config
Select Remote
Select Quit
run: mount /dev/hdb1 /mnt
run: cp /mnt/netscape* /tmp
run: cp /mnt/XF86Config /root
run: umount /mnt
run: cp /root/XF86Config /etc/X11
run: lilo
run: shutdown -h now

Install

Debian 3.0 (Woody)

Screenshots

3.0-boot.png 3.0-login.png 3.0-x.png

Installation notes

http://archive.debian.org/debian/dists/woody/main/disks-i386/current/images-2.88/bf2.4/rescue.bin