Slackware

----- Original Message -----
From: "Frank Mandato" <linuxfrank@cox.net>
To: <plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us>
Sent: Monday, July 14, 2003 12:07 AM
Subject: Re: Slackware


> I have been following this thread with great interest. My knowledge of
> *nix is rather limited. I did take some unix admin courses at the local
> community colleges --- and they both used Red Hat.

Red Hat is the most commercially successful distro - it makes sense to learn
it.

> I just wonder if it is possible for someone with limited knowledge to
> do a gentoo install and compile the whole thing.

I am not sure how well documented Gentoo is - I bought a book called Linux
Unleashed (long out of print) that came with a Slackware distro (3.0,
maybe?). It was a wonderful (albeit painful) learning experience. You
might consider buying one of the books that comes with a distro at your
local geek bookstore or from Amazon. This one
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0672325888/qid=1058160275/sr=
-1/ref=sr__1_etk-books/102-3708429-0762516?v=glance&s=books&n=283155) comes
with RH9, and I know for sure that RH 9 plays nice with two NICs right out
of the box. This one
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0764539906/ref=pd_sim_books_1
/102-3708429-0762516?v=glance&s=books) is written by John "maddog" Hall and
he is a Linux legend.

> Now, I do have a spare machine, but it only has a 100mh Pentium and 40
> mb ram, so from what I read it would take a few days to get the system
> up and running. I do have the time, though.

It depends on what your time is worth. I would go nuts on a machine that
slow.

> Oh, I would use that machine basically as a firewall/router. RH 7.3
> has problem detecting both nic cards, 1 an ISA the other PCI.

Get RH 9 - it should work better.

> Presently I am using my computer as the firewall/router, but I need
> more felxibility with it. When I shut mine down, my home network is also
> down.

Get one of those cheapie $69.00 broadband routers and beat on your PC freely
without interrupting other users.

Thomas