While I'm still trying Linux Mint 13
Cinnamon on my notebook I've started a new project: configure a full
NAS operating system based on Debian within 256 MB to store on the
internal flash memory of my Acer EasyStore H340.
The starting point
is a very stripped down Debian distribution called Voyage Linux (here
the link!) able to run on low-end platforms (486, Geode, Alix, etc.).
The typical installation (both 386 and AMD64 versions) requires less
than 128 MB (120 to be honest) and comes with 3.2 kernel, syslinux,
atftpd nfs-kernel-server, pxe-server, bzip2, sg3-utils and
minicom.
I decided to keep (and use) nfs but
purge the remaining packages (I don't use...) so I gained more free
space. Than I installed mdadm, hddtemp, smartmontools, hdparm,
jfs-tools and configured the 4 disks in Raid 5 with jfs file system.
After an update (it uses the Debian
Squeeze repositories and a Voyage one) the total installation is
using 130 MB... not bad!
Ah... I forgot! Voyage was created to
run on embedded machines with compact flash so after the boot the
file system is kept in read only mode.
See you!