Ok, im asking again becuase I'm actually ready to start this project now, and becuase I actually know what I'm dealing with here.

Ok. I need a good linux distro (small) which will go on my old laptop (which is being turned into a gateway for my network. I dont need a GUI or games ir anything. All I need is a small distro thats great at handling network connections, and isnt too impossible to work with (im a gnubie).

I dont need a GUI becuase the screen on this laptop is broken anyway.

SO yea, I know for sure that my PCMCIA cards have been tested and work under:

Slackware 7.1
Slackware 7.0
Redhat 6.2
Redhat 6.0
Caldera 2.3
Caldera 2.2
SuSE 6.1

I've heard good things about SuSE, is that the one to go with?

The next question would be where can I get it (maybe a download?), whats it gonna cost me? (under $20 I hope)

[This message has been edited by Dr Spock (edited 09-26-2002).]

The internet is a plethora of knowledge. I would try here ;)
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?cgiurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2F&krd=1&from=R8&MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&ht=1&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&query=linux

I hear slakware is a good one. Although I am just learning myself.

another good site:
http://www.linuxiso.org/index.php

you can DL ISO's of full OS's Great if you have a good connection. As for me I got mine from ebay. $10 dollars with shipping

~GV

yeah, you can get pretty much any *nix distro off the next... as for my recommendation, I"ve always liked redhat... it's been good to me... and if you feel adventurous, try a BSD like FreeBSD, OpenBSD or NetBsd... basically it's unix for x86... perfect for x86 server applications... but again, that's if you're feeling like a geek from time to time(like me) and want to claim to your buddies that you're running a bsd box bsd is small to if you only instally what you want...

that's my 2 cents... have fun though I love playing with os's...

[This message has been edited by macdonalder (edited 09-27-2002).]

Ive actually settled on SuSE 6.1, becuase it's known for being good with network applications, and its been tested for compliancy with my hardware.

So can anyone write up a quick overview of how to do a suse install via FTP? I have the disk images, btu there seems to be some converting to do...

With the disk images, all you need is a FAT32 partition to put them on and you can install from harddrive using the ISOs. How? I hear you ask? Well they fine people at slackware.com told me about loop devices. Here is the description. Basically should work with any distro.
http://www.slackware.com/faq/do_faq.php?faq=installation#1

This helped me out quite a bit when I was installing slak before I had a burner.

cheers. <-(I don't say that often, if ever).

Wait a month for Win2k2 to come out, it's based on the 2.4 kernel...

Windows wouldn't be a good choice based on what hes asking. Something small, efficient, and doesnt need some fancy GUI. Though windows maybe efficient, think of all the space it will take up for useless crap he doesnt need. Including all the shit for its GUI, which he doesnt need!

Jaded, your response and cense's seem to share a common problem. Not only does this thing only have 16 mb ram, it also has on 750 mb of HD space. I couldnt fit an install of windows on there if i tried. even win95 is over half the disk!

Cense: You mean to install off of the hard disk, onto the same hard disk? I dont know if I can do that becuase I have so little space. Perhaps it can be done (if the ISO is under 270 mgs) by downlaoding it, but anyhting 300 or larger is out of the question if windows remains on the system.

Once I format, how will I move this ISO onto the hard drive?

and how can I make that ISO file with the resources here?: ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/suse/discontinued/i386/6.1/ Can I download that, make an installer, and then have enough drivers on the boot disk to run my external PCMCIA cd drive?

Windows 2002 preview: http://www.geocities.com/stormways/

see, I make a joke about the next release of windows being based on the linux kernel, and nobody gets it...


*sigh*

I run slack, its great. Although I'm a bit late in saying this, go slackware!!!
www.slackware.com

Can you set up a temp network with your computers? Boot the box with network capabilites...maybe an old DOS dist. Install off of another computer to your box...then do whatever it is you are going to do. :)

~GV

[This message has been edited by GV (edited 09-29-2002).]

quote:

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Originally posted by Jadedfool:
see, I make a joke about the next release of windows being based on the linux kernel, and nobody gets it...

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*disguises as Wintermute*

I love you Jaded� ..

go eat some grass you hippy...