Linux Journal: Welcome to Linux, 2004

“I’m glad to read that you’re interested in starting out on
Linux, using an ‘old PC’–a Pentium II-based system with 64MB of
RAM and 8GB of disk space–to run a Web site, a mailing list server
and a router for your home wireless network.

“The good news in the hardware department is everything you need
to do your projects should be supported in current Linux
distributions. The most common hardware compatibility problem is
the ‘dreaded Winmodem,’ which is a modem manufactured without
critical parts to save a small amount of money. A Winmodem offers
some functionality ordinarily offered by hardware in the driver. If
you plan to use a modem with your Linux system, check and see if
your existing modem is a complete modem, and replace it if not.
There are ways to get the ‘dreaded Winmodem’ working under Linux,
but they’re tricky and not as rewarding for a new user as the
projects you’re interested in…”

Complete
Story