How about ISA card that has Linux boot image in 1MB flash and loader in
ROM. IIRC, BIOS jumps to ISA roms during boot, the loader simply copies
boot image to memory and runs it (and never completes BIOS boot --
shouldn't be a problem since Linux does its own init and doesn't use BIOS
at all).
-- Rich

On Wed, 10 May 2000, Alan B Pearce wrote:

> Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 09:10:06 +0100
> From: Alan B Pearce <A.B.Pearce@RL.AC.UK>
> Reply-To: pic microcontroller discussion list <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
> To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
> Subject: Re: very [OT] linux masquerading a lan
>
> It strikes me that the version of Linux router that fits on a floppy should be
> put into flash memory with a PIC controlling it to look like a floppy
> controller. Note that I say controller, and not drive, so this would involve
> disabling (or possibly removing) the floppy controller if it is on the
> motherboard.
>
> Then you would have a totally silent "disk drive" that would have no mechanical
> moving parts, no media to wear out under the heads, and could be built into an
> extremely small space.
>