# THE POTATO - CDDA on a 486DX
**URL:** https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022
**Category:** The Bunker
**Created:** [July 21, 2017, 8:40pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022 "2017-07-21T20:40:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Treah](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Treah)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2017, 7:38pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/21 "2017-08-17T19:38:10Z")
Well Debian 2.1 is only 7 floppies + 1 for drivers and 1 rescue one. So thats a total of 9 to get the system semi installed. You also needed a set of packages on a ISO file that is not hosted on the debian webpage anymore. However the acutal debian distro called POTAO was 2.2 so Im going to try and find me a ISO image with the binary files so i can do a full instal. I am also going to replace the HDD tonight when I get home with another one as this one is not showing up even in DOS and i cannot boot from it. I suspect there is something wrong with it.
Debain 2.2 is 17 floppies and also needs either a binary ISO file you burn onto a disc or you have to have internet access so that apt can pull them from the Debian archive. Since I do not have a ISA network card im going to try and track down the ISO.
The last 2 weeks I have been celebrating my birthday and was doing some other stuff so I wasent able to mess with this computer much.
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### Author:  [@noname1208](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/noname1208)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2017, 3:03pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/22 "2017-08-18T15:03:02Z")
This is awesome to watch, it makes me want to get the old Compaq laptop up and running. Not HP Compaq, just Compaq š
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### Author:  [@Someoneman](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Someoneman)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2017, 12:21am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/23 "2017-08-19T00:21:34Z")
For additional Potato Points, I want to see somebody play Cataclysm on a computer thatās literally powered by potatoes.
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### Author:  [@Treah](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Treah)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2017, 7:28am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/24 "2017-08-19T07:28:24Z")
> For additional Potato Points, I want to see somebody play Cataclysm on a computer that's literally powered by potatoes.
This could probably be done if you use something like a raspberry pi zero and a shitload of potato batteries.
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### Author:  [@Treah](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Treah)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2017, 10:35pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/25 "2017-08-21T22:35:18Z")
So no go on the bigger driveā¦ Looks like this computer has the 540mb limit for drives. I find it funny that the cdrom that was in these computers can hold 750mb but the biggest drive you can put in them is 540mbā¦ Man PB were some cheepo bastards back in the day. I could fix this with a drive overlay (shudder) or buy a expansion card but both of them seam extreme for just getting it working. For now i think ill just stick with using the original 540mb drive.
As a side note I did find the documentation on what all the jumpers do and connections on the board. Good news is there might be an external battery connection i can use and a jumper i can set to use it. This would allow me to not have to deal with re-soldering on a new bios battery.
I also on a whim emailed Phoenix Bios to see if they would be willing to send me the original BIOS asm source files for phoenix bios circa 1994, I highly doubt they will but you never knowā¦ š
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### Author:  [@kevin.granade](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kevin.granade)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2017, 11:04pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/26 "2017-08-21T23:04:36Z")
> [@Someoneman](#):
>
> For additional Potato Points, I want to see somebody play Cataclysm on a computer thatās literally powered by potatoes.
I have an ARM-based portable gaming console lying around somewhere that runs on AA batteries, just need to sort out 6V or so of potato power and weād be cooking.
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### Author:  [@TooDAMNMuch](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/TooDAMNMuch)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2017, 2:50pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/27 "2017-08-22T14:50:32Z")
man packard bell, that is an old memory, i remember that company, they installed some shitware OS over win 3.1 on ours which did nothing but make all programs fail to start aside from internet explorer.
man computers sucked back in those days, but it was a step up from the 3 shades of green floppy driven machines i used at school.
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### Author:  [@Mantar](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Mantar)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2017, 6:11pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/28 "2017-08-22T18:11:28Z")
> [@Treah](#):
>
> Well Debian 2.1 is only 7 floppies + 1 for drivers and 1 rescue one. So thats a total of 9 to get the system semi installed. You also needed a set of packages on a ISO file that is not hosted on the debian webpage anymore.
Hey, look what I found, debian-2.1r2-i386 isos: [Index of /debian-iso-archive/slink/i386](http://mirror.debianforum.de/debian-iso-archive/slink/i386/)
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### Author:  [@Treah](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Treah)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2017, 7:33pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/29 "2017-08-22T19:33:32Z")
Ohh man thanks for the link to the ISO images that will help immensly.
UPDATE: I was able to fix the drive and get an OS to boot direct from the drive. This was after making a new external battery and correctly guessing the polarity of the pins on the header. Crafted one up with some electrical tape ( very shitty job ) and got it connected. The bios now no longer bitches and clears when power is turned off.
Now that I got that working I am actually starting to ālikeā the potato. Its little quirks and limitations are amusingly challenging. Its like its 1994 all over again š
Oddly doing this fixed the drive and now DOS can see it and it boots correctly. I think im going to put on Debian 2.2 tho as its named potato and seams to have some features that normal linux hasā¦ 2.1 is just a bit too archaic.
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### Author:  [@Treah](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Treah)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2017, 7:47pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/30 "2017-08-23T19:47:12Z")
Network Card? We donāt need no stinky network card!
So since I am cheep and donāt want to bother buying a network card for this computer and the computer has some serial ports on it i figured screw it ill use some gold old PPP to get network working.
So at work I rustled me up a NULL modem cable. Going to get the potato connected to a laptop running linux that has a serial port on its docking station. This should prove interestingā¦
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### Author:  [@TheWumpus](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/TheWumpus)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2017, 4:59am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/31 "2017-08-26T04:59:10Z")
> [@Kevin Granade](#):
>
> [quote=āSomeoneman, post:23, topic:14022ā]For additional Potato Points, I want to see somebody play Cataclysm on a computer thatās literally powered by potatoes.
I have an ARM-based portable gaming console lying around somewhere that runs on AA batteries, just need to sort out 6V or so of potato power and weād be cooking.[/quote]
Take a dvom and check V drop across the potato. Then link them up in series until you have 6 volts, and connect your potato banks in parallel until you have desired capacity. Boom, literal potato power.
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### Author:  [@Treah](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Treah)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/32 "2017-08-29T21:18:09Z")
Problem is not the voltage on something like that but the current. Probably wouldnāt be able to get enough to get it running.
In other news I have opted to drop linux for this test as trying to get a working cata on a old linux is too much of a pain. I have switched to netbsd and will see if i can get it running there. I am not as familiar with it but it seams promising to load ok in the ram space I have and there are compile instructions for it in the game. Will build me a binary on a VM with more processor power and then upload and download from git to transfer it or via CD-rom
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### Author:  [@wad67](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/wad67)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2017, 5:16pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/33 "2017-08-30T17:16:32Z")
If it goes any slower than this, you win.
Takes around 10 minutes to sleep sometimes.
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### Author:  [@Zhilkin](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Zhilkin)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2017, 6:51pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/34 "2017-08-30T18:51:55Z")
[quote=āwad67, post:33, topic:14022ā]If it goes any slower than this, you win.
Takes around 10 minutes to sleep sometimes.
LOL, it runs almost in realtime.
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### Author:  [@TheWumpus](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/TheWumpus)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2017, 6:57pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/35 "2017-08-30T18:57:15Z")
> [@Treah](#):
>
> Problem is not the voltage on something like that but the current. Probably wouldnāt be able to get enough to get it running.
A good point. I think theoretically it could be possible using NPN transistors to amplify output current, especially if you built arrays in parallel. My circuit theory on anything besides simple D/C circuits is pretty rusty though, I donāt really get to play with anything else working on trucks.
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### Author:  [@Treah](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Treah)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2017, 2:51pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/36 "2017-08-31T14:51:11Z")
[quote=āwad67, post:33, topic:14022ā]If it goes any slower than this, you win.
Takes around 10 minutes to sleep sometimes.
Lol what are you running on that its running that slow?
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### Author:  [@vivat](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/vivat)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/37 "2017-08-31T19:57:39Z")
what i need to do for running C;DDA from DOS6.22? i think i have 486sx PC or maybe pentium PC.
what compiler is good for this? and which libraries may be needed?
is borland C ok?
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### Author:  [@Treah](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Treah)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2017, 4:06am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/38 "2017-09-05T04:06:11Z")
I would be able to give you some silver of information if I had yet got it working on my 486. I am pretty sure you wont be able to get it running on DOS unless you can import over a compiler that is C++11 compliant and get the other needed libraries moved over.
Curently i am trying to get it working on a Old version of linux. Debian ETCH.
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### Author:  [@kevin.granade](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kevin.granade)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2017, 5:58am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/39 "2017-09-05T05:58:11Z")
Your biggest problem is getting a dos nurses library set up, I have no idea if thereās a dos version of it.
A c++11 compiler that targets dos may or may not exist, if not itās basically impossible.
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### Author:  [@Zhilkin](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Zhilkin)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2017, 12:30pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/the-potato-cdda-on-a-486dx/14022/40 "2017-09-05T12:30:58Z")
[quote=āKevin Granade, post:39, topic:14022ā]Your biggest problem is getting a dos nurses library set up, I have no idea if thereās a dos version of it.
A c++11 compiler that targets dos may or may not exist, if not itās basically impossible.[/quote]
There is PDCurses - [https://pdcurses.sourceforge.io/](https://pdcurses.sourceforge.io/). As far as I know ADOM uses it.
Open Watcom V2 can probably compile to DOS, but I donāt know if it supports c++11 though.
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