“Turn That Old 486 into a Internet Server AND a Linux
Development system — Also, the JOE editor and solving DNS
Woes”
“In my first column, I started to describe some of the problems
you will have to overcome in setting up that old 486 box as a
Linux-based Internet server and gateway.”
“Not the least of these problems is what flavor (distribution)
of Linux to choose and how to boot the Linux on your machine for
the first time. The new GUI-based Linux distributions are very
comprehensive, but they always leave me uneasy. The installer does
a superb job working its magic, but I can’t help but worry about
the level of trust I had when I allowed it to take control of my
hard disk. It’s like jumping into a swimming pool hoping that you
will be able to swim. What if the Linux doesn’t boot? Will the 486
have enough power to run both the Linux and the GUI? What if I
can’t understand what the installer did? What low-level OS tools
will it install for me? What if I need to change something subtle
in the configuration?”
Web Webster has more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience in the tech sector. He’s written and edited news, demand generation, user-focused, and thought leadership content for business software solutions, consumer tech, and Linux Today, he edits and writes for a portfolio of tech industry news and analysis websites including webopedia.com, and DatabaseJournal.com.
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