home lan with a linux server

[Linux-Gnostic]

I have started to RTFM but I am still unclear about WFM to start with... I'll figure out as I go along.

This is my first post here and I just wanted to introduce myself.

I have an old win98 box and I just had to completely reinstall win98 because of a corrupt file.

Within a few weeks, I'll purchase a brand new computer (Intel PIII/PIV? with 30-40G harddrive) and plan to run Linux on it though I am not yet sure whether to have a dual boot linux/WinME or not.

I wish to have the new computer linked to the internet (adsl line?) on one side and to the old computer (win98) on the other side.

In the future, I'd like to learn enough to have a BSDM backed web site running on linux.

I am currently browsing around to find the answers to the following questions:

Q1- What would be the best strategy: have the new computer completely allocated to linux or have a dual boot, sharing it with windoze.

Q2- Can I buy about any computer and install linux or do I have to pay close attention to every single piece of hardware for compatibility.

Q3- If I decide not to purchase at all the windows OS, what am I left with besides the hardware? BIOS?

Q4- Would the BIOS be enough to run and install a distro?

Q5- then I would have to learn how to connect the box to the net via modem (first) and then via a ADSL line.

Q6- a last, I'd have to find out how to create a house LAN, connecting my two computers...

I will browse around, a bit every day, and hope to find the answer to all of those questions either on this board or elsewhere...


Greetings to all,

Linux-(not yet)Gnostic.

[JALU]

Welcome To LNO! :)

Dual booting is a good thing if you are a gamer at all, but I got along very well for a long time with nothing but mandrake on my box. As for worrying about compatibility, you might want to build your new box yourself. That way you can research everything you have an can be certain as to if it is compatible with Linux. Not to mention that you can generally get a better box for the same or less money if you do it yourself. You sound like you are wondering if the PIII or PIV is your best bet, might I suggest a nice Athlon, which will cost a lot less and smoke those Pentium chips. IMHO that is the way to go. Hope things go smooth for you.

[Pakrat]

"Q1- What would be the best strategy: have the new computer completely allocated to linux or have a dual boot, sharing it with windoze."
I want to say my opinion. If you can, load Linux on seperate box. I've been telling myself I'm going to learn linux for a long time, then I loaded a small distro (Peanut Linux) on my 2nd machine at work and I've learned more in 3 days than in the past 6 months. I did not have a dual boot before, but it felt like it because of desk space limitations.

"Q2- Can I buy about any computer and install linux or do I have to pay close attention to every single piece of hardware for compatibility. "
You have to be more careful about which hardware you get.

"Q3- If I decide not to purchase at all the windows OS, what am I left with besides the hardware? BIOS?"
Yea, pretty much. The people that build it may be nice enough to make the HD bootable (DOS).

"Q4- Would the BIOS be enough to run and install a distro?"
Linux CD's are bootable, so in your BIOS set it to boot from the CDROM and you'll go right into installing. Some distro's have bootdisks available. Make a 'startup' disk on your 98 box, it may come in handy.

"Q5-"No answer for you.

"Q6- a last, I'd have to find out how to create a house LAN, connecting my two computers..."
This is the fun part!

HOWTO's (http://howto.tucows.com/LDP/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDEX-3.html#ss3.1)

[DMR]

Welcome to LNO, Linux-Gnostic!
Here are a few of my thoughts on the subect:

I have started to RTFM but I am still unclear about WFM to start with.
-> There are a lot of resources online, a few of them right here at LNO.
-> Check out the LNO Bookshelf (http://www.linuxnewbie.org/bookshelf/bs-1.html) for suggestioned reading on wide range of Linux-oriented topics.
-> Read the NHFs (http://www.linuxnewbie.org/nhf/intel/index.html) for newbie-oriented help on specific subjects.
-> A wealth of information, including the HOWTOs, guides, man pages, and FAQs, can by found at The Linux Documentation Project (http://www.linuxdoc.org)

Q1- What would be the best strategy: have the new computer completely allocated to linux or have a dual boot, sharing it with windoze.

-> You don't have to dual boot. If you have no specific reason for installing Windows on the new box, don't; it isn't necessary.


Q2- Can I buy about any computer and install linux or do I have to pay close attention to every single piece of hardware for compatibility.

-> I'll go with JALU on the Athlon advice; its probably what I'll get when I build my next box. As far as hardware goes, yes, compatibility is an issue (thought not as much as it used to be). Most Linux distributors' Web sites include hardware compatibility lists, and you should read them before you purchase. Also, when considering a piece of hardware, you'll be better off buying from a company that explicitly supports Lixux. Read their Web pages or call them directly to get a feel for their commitment to Linux.

Q3- If I decide not to purchase at all the windows OS, what am I left with besides the hardware? BIOS?

-> I'm not quite sure what you're asking here, but the BIOS won't be any issue.


Q4- Would the BIOS be enough to run and install a distro?

-> OK, I think I understand now. Linux is full blown, stand-alone OS. It doesn't need Windows or anything else in order to run, you install it just like any other OS.

Q5- then I would have to learn how to connect the box to the net via modem (first) and then via a ADSL line.

-> Yes. Read the HOWTOs on networking and Cable/DSL setup, and check the networking NHFs (http://www.linuxnewbie.org/nhf/intel/network/). Networking is also a popular subject here in the support forums, and you can use the Forum Search to find threads relating to particular problems you encounter.


Q6- a last, I'd have to find out how to create a house LAN, connecting my two computers...

-> See above answer.

Good Luck!

[ 04 May 2001: Message edited by: DMR ]

[Linux-Gnostic]

Thanks to all for you advice.

I don't do games. I just need standard office , internet and web building tools, so I guess I can rule out a dual boot.. That would free all of the new box resources for Linux! I want to emulate an internet server on my new box so that I can learn about web building.

I'll check out everything about the Athlon processor. Thanks.

About building my own box... I am not sure that it comes cheaper where I live (Republic of China, Taiwan) so price is not an issue. I'll seriously consider this option though it seems like a daunting task to me because I hadly know anything about hardware to start with (or about OS's for that matter).

About the Bios/OS relationship... I take in I don't even need DOS to boot linux... but I guess I'll find out soon enough.

For the rest, I'll read more around...


Thanks to all for your help.

[655321]

Originally posted by Linux-Gnostic:
<STRONG>About the Bios/OS relationship... I take in I don't even need DOS to boot linux... but I guess I'll find out soon enough.
</STRONG>

Right, no dos at all. Linux is like dos in that it is a command line based OS, independent of other OSes, but otherwise, it is nothing like it. It is actually a "unix-like" operating system. The graphical "program" comparable to windows is called Xfree86. Xfree86 allows you to run many windows or desktop managers such as kde, gnome, blackbox, etc. Almost every distro of Linux will come with Xfree86 and probably will come with kde, gnome, or both.
You should check out the distro NHF located here. (http://www.linuxnewbie.org/nhf/intel/distros/distronhf.html)

Good Luck, and have fun with Linux.

[ 04 May 2001: Message edited by: 655321 ]

[JCopin]

go forth newbie boy!! go forth and buyith that Compaqith!!!

P4 ..LOL
P4=POS ;)

[Linux-Gnostic]

Thanks again to all...

I keep doing my homework...

1- Choice of processor.
2- What motherboard?
3- Can other computers access the Internet 'through' Linux?
4- Build own computer?


1- Choice of processor.

The Athlon CPU seems to be a home name here, though I must admit that I never hear of it before.


I found the AMD site but didn't find much interesting information there: http://www.amd.com/

I have been lucky to find the weekly comparative price study of the AMD and Intel processors: http://www.sharkyextreme.com./hardware/weekly_cpu/
(click to the next page to see Intel...)

This table gives me a nice idea of the currently available processors (until today, I was at a loss to say the difference between p3, celeron, athlon, duron, k6...).

Incidentaly, I live in Taiwan! so I'll have to see what are the retail prices here. ADM, unlike Intel, doesn't seem to have a production line here, so they might not be that much cheaper.

Should I go for a high end, expensive P4? or a Athlon, as suggested here?

Would Athlon be compatible with all the applications (openBSD?) I might want to try in the future?

One thing I haven't yet figured out is what 266 means in "Athlon T-bird 1.33GHz/266". I understand that 1.33gigaherz is the clock speed.

BTW, I also found this: http://athlonlinux.org/

----
2- What motherboard?

I understand that CPU do not come alone but already pre-mounted on a motherboard... I'll have to see what's available here...

----
3 - Can other computers access the Internet 'through' Linux?

That's basically the question I was asking myself for it's what I had in mind to do...
The answer came here: http://www.linuxnewbie.org/cgi-bin/faq/faqw.py?req=show&file=faq04.004.htp
(with link to nice HOWTO file)

So I know now that I should be able to do this in due time.

----
4- Build own computer?

This idea, I must admit, scares me a little...

I found a related, very informative Howto: http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Unix-Hardware-Buyer-HOWTO/index.html

but it does little to calm my fears...: I even have to worry about the choice of case and fan. Up to today, I didn't realise that heat was such a problem... and since i live in a tropical country, I'd be wise to think about good ventilation (no overclocking for me... another thing I learned about today... I told you I RTFM!!!)

My brother in law, who is a hardware ingineer (and who doesn't know anything about Linux) told me it wouldn't be cheaper for me to build my own box...

So I am still left with the option to ask a retailer to install the linux os on a box and demonstrate it to me before I sign the deal and take it home...


All in all, I am not yet close to try Linux for real...
BUT there is already one thing I like about Linux: it is the community spirit of all its users...

I have already said thanks several times, and I repeat it because that's the main message I want to convey (to those who reply to me or to other people like me on this message board and to all those who took the time to write all the Howtos and other documents I read...)


I write all this also as a way to document the kind of questions, problems and answers a complete newbie can go through in the process of switching from windows to linux...

Blessings...

Linux-(now a slight hint of)-gnostic.

[JALU]

The 266 means the front side bus speed which is really 133X2 meaning that it transfers on the rise and the fall of the signal. It is "twice" as fast as the old 133 fsb. At least I think that's what it is. Correct me if I am wrong people.

[Linux-Gnostic]

Thanks again, Jalu

:-)

[Stackrat]

Originally posted by JALU:
<STRONG>The 266 means the front side bus speed which is really 133X2 meaning that it transfers on the rise and the fall of the signal. It is "twice" as fast as the old 133 fsb. At least I think that's what it is. Correct me if I am wrong people.</STRONG>Errr, I thought the 1.33GHz was the front side bus and 266 (2x133) was the speed of the data I/O busses (back-side bus?). In other words... Internally, the processor runs at 1.33GHz, but it communicates with the motherboard at 2x133MHz. I could be wrong, though.

I'd check Tom's Hardware Guide, but its 3:30am and that's my bedtime. I get to sleep late tomorrow. Wife lets me sleep till 8am on Sundays. I usually get up at 6:30 for work.

[Tyr-7BE]

Just a note on AMD...on virtually all tests performed by CNet and other sites like that, AMD absolutely STOMPED Intel into the ground. AMD performs faster and better than Intel. I believe it has to do with a higher floating point, resulting in floating point mathematical superiority (in case you're wondering, that accounts for virtually all of the CPU's workload). I'd go with AMD, even if you have to pay a few more bucks where you are (here in Canada, AMD is cheaper so everyone wins).
As for the motherboard, it's totally up to you. I don't know of any differences between brands, so just get a good one! :)
As for building your own computer, it's not that bad. The tough part is connecting everything together with IDE cables and stuff like that. You'll be pouring over motherboard manuals for weeks for your first system. It is cheaper though and it's fun too :)
Once you get your box, I'd recommend either Debian, Slackware, or a very small distro as a server. If you install something like RedHat or Mandrake or SuSE, you'll get over 1 GB of bloat and programs you'll never use on a server. Go with Debian (35 megs for the basic install) or Slack (dunno...never used it) as you can really customize these two to your liking. I use Debian and I love it.
http://www.debian.org/ http://www.slackware.com/

The problem with these two is that they're typically looked upon as more "advanced" distros. The only really tough part about them is the install. Get a Debian textbook or a Slackware manual or something like that and it'll see you through just fine and dandy. Good luck and welcome :)

[Linux-Gnostic]

As I have been advised, I am now trying to build my box around the Athlon CPU.

I have made a follow up to this thread on the hardware section.

The link below includes a survey of the Athlon users.
http://www.linuxnewbie.org/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=005307


thanks