[ncolug] Re: to further the misconception
- From: "David Rakestraw" <rakestrawdavid@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: ncolug@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 08:27:21 -0500
Everyone knows "old workstation hardware can be recycled into useable web
servers, firewalls and routers", but I'm saying if someone only has one old pc
at home or work it is still usable as a GUI workstation using certain linux
distos that are designed to do so (like Damn Small Linux).
For example, it uses Firefox, CUPS, SMBclient, vncviewer, rdesktop, sylpheed
email client and has pdf and MSWord readers. It uses fluxbox window manager by
default.
The literature on the website says it is designed to run on as little as a
486DX and 16MB of RAM. Anything older than that is probably a fire hazard.
(Not picking on you, Larry, just making sure everyone understand my
perspective.)
---------- Original Message -----------
From: larry <larry@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: ncolug@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Mon, 27 Feb 2006 19:37:41 -0500
Subject: [ncolug] Re: to further the misconception
> Which translates to,
> "old workstation hardware can be recycled into useable web servers,
> firewalls and routers" -
> which we all knew.
> (Not picking on you, David. Just trying to keep perspective...)
>
> David Rakestraw wrote:
>
> > I had a freak lightning strike (in early Jan.) that took out my Mikrotik
> > router. All of the network cards and the processor.
> >
> > I didn't have any usable spares lying around so I donated my four year
> > old
> > workstation to rebuild the router. We use the Mikrotik IDE flash card
> > and that
> > was undamaged so all I had to do was remove my hard drives and put in the
> > flash card and a few inexpensive NICs. It took all of 15 minutes and
> > we were
> > up and going.
> >
> > Anyways, what I have been using to administer all my Networks since
> > that time
> > is DSL (Damn Small Linux) and a PIII 600 with 128MB RAM. For several
> > weeks
> > I used the CDROM boot and then decided to use the built in install to
> > convert
> > it to a very small Debian testing box. It is extremely fast.
> > http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/
> >
> > It uses the 2.4 kernel because it is smaller and more nimble, but that
> > means it has better support for old hardware too.
> > I don't know how well it would work on a "486DX with 16MB RAM", but it
> > would be interesting to see.
> >
> > --
> > David Rakestraw
> > DavidRakestraw-at-ashland-ohio.com
> > Technical Services Division
> > City of Ashland, Ohio
> > 419.281.five.one.six.two
> > Our mission:
> > To promote the highest quality of life for our community by providing
> > leadership, service and opportunity.
> >
> > If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're
> > right.
> > Henry Ford
> >
> > ---------- Original Message -----------
> > From: "Mr. Knisely"
> > To: ncolug@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Sent: Sun, 26 Feb 2006 12:50:09 -0500
> > Subject: [ncolug] to further the misconception
> >
> > > To stir the pot of people saying, "I want to run Linux because I
> > > have this old computer..."
> > >
> > > See this article:
> > > http://www.linux.com/print.pl?sid=06/02/13/1854251
> > >
> > > For me, this idea is definitely true. Linux makes old computers,
> > > that I would any other way toss, into useful contributing members
> > > of my network.
> > >
> > > I've got an old PII as my firewall (Smoothwall). It works VERY well,
> > > and I'm now learning about the traffic shaping capabilitys of it so
> > > I'm sure I'll like it even more soon.
> > >
> > > I have a PIII 650 as my web server. Yes, it's overkill... I was
> > > happily running it on a Celeron 300 before.
> > >
> > > My old FTP server was running on a P-90 for a long time. The only
> > > reason I changed is because my 200GB HDD wasn't recognized and
> > > wouldn't run optimally even if it were seen. (Yes, I'm aware of
> > > that... ;o)
> > >
> > > Now, I DO feel that it is wrong to say, as a blanket statement, that
> > > an old computer with Linux on it is useful. Recently, I was at a
> > > friend's house and he wanted me to "put Linux on it." Well, I
> > > looked at his old 233 with 64MB or memory and laughed a little to
> > > myself. I tossed in Knoppix and booted it to a command line. Once
> > > it got up to the command line I said to him, there you go. He said,
> > > "That's not useful to me... where's my browser." I brought up links
> > > and said, "Surf away!" Again, he questioned the usefulness of it.
> > > I then explained to him how that was incredibly useful to me and
> > > explained to him the difference between Linux and Gnome/KDE. He
> > > bought a new XP system from BestBuy and we dual-booted Ubuntu. He
> > > is very happy with it.
> > >
> > > I now have his old computer in my basement and I can't wait to turn
> > > it into an Asterisk box. Useful with Linux? YOU BET IT IS!
> > >
> > > Mike K.
> > >
> > > To unsubscribe send to ncolug-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with
> > > 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
> > ------- End of Original Message -------
>
> --
> A lot of people who have kids should have had dogs instead.
>
> Dev
>
> To unsubscribe send to ncolug-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with
> 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
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