Hello

[Mike Rambo]

Ben Pfaff wrote:
> 
> jtuma@ia4u.net writes:
> 
> >     I'm interested in using some form of Linux on a 486DX2-66 with 8 meg
> > to be an internet server on my projected home network.  I'm told the 486
> > is adequate for this purpose - I'm not interested in a fancy GUI - just
> > want to be able to dial up the net and feed it to my network.  I'd
> > appreciate any advice from anyone - my Linux knowledge is very limited,
> > but I'm interested in learning.  I understand I just missed an install
> > fest in December, but could make one of your Sunday night meetings -
> > please advise.  Thank you very much.
> 
> I'd start by installing a minimal distribution--perhaps Debian
> without selecting very many packages--then installing pppd and
> diald and setting up masquerading.  There is lots of information
> on diald in its documentation and on masquerading in the
> IP-Masquerading HOWTO.  I also have written up a brief
> description of what can be done on my website; check it out at
>         http://www.msu.edu/~pfaffben/writings/index.html
> --
> "Writing is easy.
>  All you do is sit in front of a typewriter and open a vein."
> --Walter Smith

...you don't even need diald anymore as the pppd daemon has had demand
dial support added.  It's much easier than diald too...

Ben's right about the minimal system too.  With only 8MB of ram you
probably don't want to even think about using a GUI as you'd get old
waiting for it to load plus it'd probably be quite unpleasant to use.

Many others in the group can recommend a debian version, though I
suspect it'd be whatever is the most recent stable version.  If you look
at RedHat you'd probably be best off to avoid the newest 7.0 version. 
Get 6.2 instead and apply all the updates.  We have a couple dozen 6.2
boxes that run very trouble free.  Version 7.0 can't say that from what
I've read.

I'd avoid Mandrake on the hardware you have listed.  If you could use a
GUI Mandrake might be the easiest to use after installing but without
the GUI tools it's not much different than RedHat and it is usually a
much bigger install for little or no significant gain otherwise as all
the bells and whistles are GUI oriented.

My 2 cents 8-).


-- 
Mike Rambo
mrambo@lsd.k12.mi.us