What exactly are they trying to do?

I can tell you right now the machine can handle a lot as long as a "kitchen sink" install isn't performed...

If it is a 66MHz 486... well umm. Wow. No.

Well, if they can figure out a way to get a boot floppy for Debian Sarge, they can install it.

If it is a 486, Mandrake WON'T ever load on it.