Ubuntu/Debian text mode installer's partitioner is confusing me

[MisterLambda]

So yeah. What option is safest here? I want to dual-boot with Windows 98 here, and have one FAT32 partition that's using the entire disk. I want to make room for Linux, and preferably use only the installer.

I'd prefer to use Debian, as it has a smaller footprint. But if Ubuntu can be shrunk too, that'd be cool. 64 MB RAM also here.

[grief -l]

Unfortunately you're not going to get anything ubuntu to run on that amount of RAM - I talk from experience as I'm typing this an a PII with 64MB RAM. You may have more success with Debian but I have not tried vanilla Deb so I can't answer.

I'm running TinyCoreLinux and have also used Puppy and DamnSmallLinux successfully.

[thegod_slayer]

yeah damn small linux is pretty good.
you can try that.

[MisterLambda]

I'm not crazy enough to use a full graphical desktop, I'm going to have a text-mode install.

Right now I'm prefering Debian to be installed.

Also, DSL sucks. But I like Tiny Core, but prefer to have Debian installed to an HD, as Tiny Core is meant to be run of the CD from sctratch.

[grief -l]

I tried installing the minimal CD and got complaints about kernel panic = not enough mem - YMMV

[MisterLambda]

I can get the Debian installer to run just fine, just that I get a brain fart about what to do when I hit the partitioner.

[MisterLambda]

Bump.

[MisterLambda]

Bump... I've also backed up any data.