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It's crazy for me to realize that Linux was created the same year when I got the first computer in my house running Windows 98. I didn't know Linux was this old

It's crazy for me to realize that Linux was created the same year when I got the first computer in my house running Windows 98. I didn't know Linux was this old. Another funny thing I just remembered is how I broke our house computer trying to install Linux (I have no idea how to actually do it, I was barely 10-12 years old back then). I bought one of those magazines which shipped with CDs with demo games and other software. I tried to install Linux on our home computer using that and completely messed the computer up because apparently my hardware didn't support it or something. Anyway, I got a pretty good beating from my Mom after that. EDIT: correction, as couple people pointed out Linux was created in 1991. I thought it was created in 1998 based on the publishing of this archived news article. I also grew up in a developing country where things came much later than the US.

mkl 7y ago
Did you make a typo? Linux was created in 1991.
- busymom0 7y ago
  Oh, my bad. I thought it was created in 1998 based on the publishing of this archived news article. I also grew up in a developing country where things came much later than the US.
- DrScump 7y ago
  These kids today have no idea that copyfests and installfests were things.
klez 7y ago
I highly doubt you had Windows 98 in 1991. Did you mean Windows 3.1?
- busymom0 7y ago
  Sorry, made correction.
- xxs 7y ago
  3.0, 3.1 came in '92
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
0815test 7y ago
There used to be a pretty easy way to install Linux on MS-DOS running computers (which includes Win 9x) without damaging the existing system in any way. You would place the Linux filesystem inside a C:\LINUX folder on the FAT partition, using the UMSDOS filesystem support that used to be included in the Linux kernel for fs metadata. Booting Linux would be accomplished by first getting to MS-DOS mode (which could be done either at boot or when shutting down Windows 9x) and then running LOADLIN.EXE, a bootloader that ran entirely under MS-DOS (similar to how modern bootloaders run in UEFI).
- busymom0 7y ago
  I am aware of that now. But back then, I was a dumb 10 year old kid with a magazine CD and our home didn't even have internet (this is in a developing country). I was so dumb, I used to keep launching the IE browser again and again hoping it would somehow magically connect me to the internet.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
- masonic 7y ago
  Didn't that limit you to conventional memory (640K)?
  - kristianp 7y ago
    No, linux would make use of the full memory once loaded. I had forgotten about loadlin, but I think I used it when I had installed slackware from a stack of floppies or redhat from a CD back in the day.
ianai 7y ago
I remember doing similar but to my own computers. I would install Linux over and over from those CDs until I finally got the right combination of software and configuration. Seems more than silly now. But I sure learned a lot!

mkl 7y ago

Did you make a typo? Linux was created in 1991.

busymom0 7y ago
Oh, my bad. I thought it was created in 1998 based on the publishing of this archived news article. I also grew up in a developing country where things came much later than the US.
DrScump 7y ago
These kids today have no idea that copyfests and installfests were things.

klez 7y ago

I highly doubt you had Windows 98 in 1991. Did you mean Windows 3.1?

busymom0 7y ago
Sorry, made correction.
xxs 7y ago
3.0, 3.1 came in '92

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

0815test 7y ago

There used to be a pretty easy way to install Linux on MS-DOS running computers (which includes Win 9x) without damaging the existing system in any way. You would place the Linux filesystem inside a C:\LINUX folder on the FAT partition, using the UMSDOS filesystem support that used to be included in the Linux kernel for fs metadata. Booting Linux would be accomplished by first getting to MS-DOS mode (which could be done either at boot or when shutting down Windows 9x) and then running LOADLIN.EXE, a bootloader that ran entirely under MS-DOS (similar to how modern bootloaders run in UEFI).

busymom0 7y ago
I am aware of that now. But back then, I was a dumb 10 year old kid with a magazine CD and our home didn't even have internet (this is in a developing country). I was so dumb, I used to keep launching the IE browser again and again hoping it would somehow magically connect me to the internet.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
masonic 7y ago
Didn't that limit you to conventional memory (640K)?
- kristianp 7y ago
  No, linux would make use of the full memory once loaded. I had forgotten about loadlin, but I think I used it when I had installed slackware from a stack of floppies or redhat from a CD back in the day.

ianai 7y ago

I remember doing similar but to my own computers. I would install Linux over and over from those CDs until I finally got the right combination of software and configuration. Seems more than silly now. But I sure learned a lot!