[Preston] Linux on a 486

[Stephen Taylforth]

You'd probably be better running one of the 486s as a server (without x-wi=
n) and saving the 233 as a workstation=2E In my experience linux without x=
 windows will run an any old piece of junk but putting a gui on even a qui=
te high end machine can make it creak under the load=2E  Your best chance =
is finding a really early copy of linux which was around when the machines=
 first saw light of day (circa 94 /95 from the spec) but I can't suggest a=
nything that old=2E

You shouldn't have any trouble making a 486 into a firewall / router or a =
mail server providing you don't expect to run a gui or handle a lot of tra=
ffic=2E You should manage this with a quite modern linux provided it will =
run on a 486

My experience with firewalls is with later versions of linux with a 2=2E4 =
kernal and iptables=2E I have set up back office boxes with early pentiums=
 (90 mhz with 8meg) and they work fine provided you don't expect too much=2E=
 (they are much happier with 16 mb) 

I think that with such old machines you'd better get your hand in with the=
 command line=2E (or retire them gracefully=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E)


Stephen Taylforth

IT Technician Ribblesdale School Clitheroe


>I've just inherited a small number of 486 machines and want to play aroun=
d 
>with networking them=2E I plan to set up a server using a PII 233 and Red=
 Hat 
>7=2E3 and want initially to play around with the 486's as work stations, =
but 
>maybe later use one as a firewall / router and one as a mail server=2E
>
>Can anyone advise on the best version of Linux to use on these machines, =

>bearing in mind they are quite low spec:
>  a=2E=2E 486 DX2 66 / DX2 50
>  b=2E=2E 340 / 540Mb HDD
>  c=2E=2E 8 / 16 MB RAM
>  d=2E=2E Thin net ethernet cards (although I do have some 10 base T card=
s so I 
>may change them later)
>  e=2E=2E No CD Drive (so I'll have to do a network install, but I think =
I'm OK 
>with this)
>
>Ideally, I would like to use an earlier version of KDE / Gnome or some 
>other x-windows system (even though I do need to get to grips with the 
>command prompt)=2E I am thinking about an earlier version of Red Hat, but=
 
>having checked their site, the earliest version available for download is=
 
>6=2E2 and this appears to need more hard drive space than I have availabl=
e=2E 
>What about earlier versions of Red Hat than this? Where can I download th=
em 
>from? Alternatively, if anyone has a suitable version that they don't wan=
t, 
>or will let me copy it, that would be even better=2E
>
>As far as firewalls go, the top two would appear to be Smoothwall and 
>IPCop, anyone got experience with either and / or have any particular 
>preferences? Also, will they support the hardware I describe above or do =
I 
>need something higher spec?
>
>On a separate point, I haven't been to any meeting for the past 3 months =
or 
>so due to a number of work and personal commitments, but it sounds like I=
'm 
>not the only one=2E What is currently happening, is the group dying a slo=
w 
>death?
>
>Phil Edwards
>
>