Comp (486) + Linux=WebServer, Possible?

[Pepsione1]

Hello everyone, I am interested in using Linux. However, I have no experience with it whatsoever. What I need is a Web Server. This server won't be under a heavy load and everything is static and simple. But I only have a 486 that I can use to do this, its only got a 172mb hd and 4mb ram.
So is it possible to run a linux webserver on this machine with only 4mb ram and 172mb hd? If so, which distro should I use. Remember, I don't need anything fast or fansy. I am willing to learn using command line instead of using GUI if not possible. So can anyone recommnad something that is easy to use and easy to help with (don't want to be using something that no ones knows about).

[fuzzy]

The answer is yes.
Slackware or Debian would be good or perhaps a super-mini distro (fits on a floppy or two) like Floppix. IF you go with Slack of Deb, just choose the VERY MINIMUM and I think you can get by... but not with X windows (the GUI type thing for linux). Takes up WAY too much space on your itty bitty hard drive.
But the answer, again, is yes. Even on that 486. That's what I use. http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif But I have and 850 Mb hard drive.

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Politicians have one thing in common with baby diapers...
They both need to be changed regularly for the same reason.
--Anon.

[milanuk]

Well... It's possible, yes. Rather painful, and probably not worth the effort, also yes.

The processor isn't really an issue. For what you want, a 486 is fine. A little slow, but not a big deal for static stuff.

The problem lies w/ the hard drive, and the RAM. Not many new distros will install in under 200MB easily. It can be done, though. Debian or Slackware would probably be the way to go here, since they are probably the 'leanest' overall by default, i.e. they don't go ahead and install a bunch of X stuff when you specifically tell them otherwise. Other distros like RedHat & SuSE, you can probably shoehorn the distro onto the disk, but you'll most likely have to go back and clean out a lot of extra stuff that got installed for you. Mandrake, w/ the Pentium optimization, is pretty much out of the question.

The real kick in the butt is the RAM. Yes, it is theoretically possible, but just about every account I've ever heard of telling about putting linux in such a small memory space can be summed up as 'too slow to be usable'. For realistic uses, 8MB is about the minimum RAM, and 12-16 is more likely to be really useful.

So see if you can scrounge up another small hard drive for peanuts, and some more ram, and you'll be in business. But you will be totally command line until you get over 16MB RAM, most likely.

nuk

[ph34r]

Yah, I have a 486sx33 with 4mb of ram running linux - it aint even enough to run bash as a shell. I use ash, and it can handle *****X and ssh - I basically ssh to my real box and use it as a second console/term.

[Pepsione1]

So the only problem is the lack of ram right?
Would upgrading to 8mb be enough. Or should I just save the money and buy a used P75 with 16mb ram or something?

[guitarlyn]

The Linux Router Project would work great, just open port 80 and direct it to the harddrive with the web pages on it. This distro is not for newbies, so plan to take atleast a month to get the idea how to set it up. (Possible, but not pratical in your case.....better off with Pentium and setting up a full web/file&print server this way).


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~Guitarlynn

[milanuk]

Originally posted by Pepsione1:
So the only problem is the lack of ram right?
Would upgrading to 8mb be enough. Or should I just save the money and buy a used P75 with 16mb ram or something?


8mb is the bare minimum for working with... you'd be better off w/ the latter option. Complete PC's of the 486/Pentium vintage can be gotten for $50-100 off of E-Bay. If you want, I have a Compaq P60 w/ (I think) 16MB ram w/ a non-functioning scsi hd... if you want it, or just the memory & processor, you can have it for shipping costs, in the name of a good cause.

Monte

[FoBoT]

for <$10 you could add 8 MB of RAM, check this
http://www.compgeeks.com/products.asp?cat=RAM

they also have a 365MB HD for $8 or a 1GB for $30
http://www.compgeeks.com/products.asp?cat=HDD

[Pakrat]

Thought I would add my two... FreeSCO (http://www.freesco.org), although meant as a router, has a webserver on it. Designed for floppy but can run on HD. But I think it wants 6 megs ram. Maybe you could trim it, kill everything but the webserver. They have a forum also.

I just looked up mini-distros. Jailbait (http://jailbait.sourceforge.net/) is 16mb and has X and webserver... It doesn't mention how much ram you need though.

[Pepsione1]

Originally posted by guitarlyn:
The Linux Router Project would work great, just open port 80 and direct it to the harddrive with the web pages on it. This distro is not for newbies, so plan to take atleast a month to get the idea how to set it up. (Possible, but not pratical in your case.....better off with Pentium and setting up a full web/file&print server this way).



Yes, that would be a great idea too. But I already have a router as a firewall and I plan on keeping the file and web servers seperate for security sakes. I am trying to setup a stand-alone webserver and then put it on the DMZ so it can be isolated from the rest of the internal network.

[FoBoT]

if your 486 takes 30-pin simms and has any open slots, i think i have 4 1mb sticks in a box somewhere, i would send them to you for free if you give me a stamped envelope

[This message has been edited by FoBoT (edited 28 November 2000).]

[Pepsione1]

Originally posted by milanuk:

8mb is the bare minimum for working with... you'd be better off w/ the latter option. Complete PC's of the 486/Pentium vintage can be gotten for $50-100 off of E-Bay. If you want, I have a Compaq P60 w/ (I think) 16MB ram w/ a non-functioning scsi hd... if you want it, or just the memory & processor, you can have it for shipping costs, in the name of a good cause.

Monte



Is your email as shown in your profile. Please check your email. http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif

[Pepsione1]

Originally posted by FoBoT:
for <$10 you could add 8 MB of RAM, check this
http://www.compgeeks.com/products.asp?cat=RAM

they also have a 365MB HD for $8 or a 1GB for $30
http://www.compgeeks.com/products.asp?cat=HDD

I've running around town looking for some old parts lately like a mad man but found nothing (nothing cheap at least).
Thanks for the links. http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif

[Pepsione1]

Originally posted by FoBoT:
if your 486 takes 30-pin simms and has any open slots, i think i have 4 1mb sticks in a box somewhere, i would send them to you for free if you give me a stamped envelope

[This message has been edited by FoBoT (edited 28 November 2000).]

I wish my system would take some 30-pin simms ram. But it only take "4MB 72-pin SIMM, Parity Fast Page (1x36)".

But thanks for offering though. http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif

[bleg26]

I also have a few 1MB, 2MB, and 4MB 30-pin SIMMs. Some of them are for Mac, so it might take a little while to sort out. Might also be willing to give out a 450MB IDE HD.

EDIT: OOPS...It took me too long to post..scratch my offer for the SIMMs. I also have a 486-66DX processor, if yours is slower.

[This message has been edited by bleg26 (edited 28 November 2000).]

[Keyser Soze]

I got some 4's and 8's...Do you need EDO or non, send me your address and I will send you some...Need anything else? No charge, usually I can't give the stuff away.

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Ummm. What do you mean why did I put fiber in at home? I just got bored, and the only way to make it better is to just make it complicated as hell, and then I forget I'm bored. What other reason for a segmented, routed, linux+Novell+NT+2000 hybrid ethernet/FDDI/Token ring network for your home is there?

[Pepsione1]

Does anyone have a ISA network card I can buy it off from?

[Keyser Soze]

Read above...You can have the blood hardware, but you have to email me with an addy.

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Ummm. What do you mean why did I put fiber in at home? I just got bored, and the only way to make it better is to just make it complicated as hell, and then I forget I'm bored. What other reason for a segmented, routed, linux+Novell+NT+2000 hybrid ethernet/FDDI/Token ring network for your home is there?

[Craig McPherson]

I have some old ISA network cards (most are 10BT/Thinnet combos). If you want one you can have it for the shipping cost.

[nholowat]

On the freebie front, I have several 4 MB 72 pin simms. Came out of an IBM 386 SX. I'll donate them to whoever wants, hate to just throw them out. Just let me know where to send them. I think I might have a 8 or 16 laying around also MB 72 pin. And while we're at it, have a 486 33 sx, well 2 actually and a 486-100 that came out of a Dell. Hey, what can I say, it's Christmas.

[Pepsione1]

Wow, thanks people for giving out all the free hardwares. I went to a lot of local computer store and they want $50 for a ISA network card and $40 for a 486 with motherboard.

You guys are lifesavers.

[Pepsione1]

What is your email address?


Originally posted by nholowat:
On the freebie front, I have several 4 MB 72 pin simms. Came out of an IBM 386 SX. I'll donate them to whoever wants, hate to just throw them out. Just let me know where to send them. I think I might have a 8 or 16 laying around also MB 72 pin. And while we're at it, have a 486 33 sx, well 2 actually and a 486-100 that came out of a Dell. Hey, what can I say, it's Christmas.

[Pepsione1]

nholowat:

I still need your email address because I think I am just going to upgrade my 386SX to 486DX100 and upgrade the 72pin RAM too. This should be sufficient to run my webserver off from.

[Pepsione1]

I am still waiting for an answer. http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif

[atl2ptown]

just curious, but where did you go that wanted $50 for an isa ethernet card?

[Pepsione1]

Originally posted by atl2ptown:
just curious, but where did you go that wanted $50 for an isa ethernet card?


I was just looking for some used ones in local computer stores and they offered me this new one. And I was like.... um... yah.... $50..... http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif

By the way, I am still waiting for you email address nholowat.

[SkyNet]

Originally posted by Pepsione1:

I was just looking for some used ones in local computer stores and they offered me this new one. And I was like.... um... yah.... $50..... http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif

By the way, I am still waiting for you email address nholowat.



Around here I can get 10Mbit 3c509 ISA cards for about 5-10 bucks...and a 10/100 ISA Netgear for 20 bucks. So don't buy from that store they are trying to rip you off...

btw I'm looking for about 4-8 more MB of 72 pin RAM for my 486 router if anyone is willing to donate some. Just send me an e-mail if you are.

[nholowat]

My e-mail is nholowat@csc.com. I checked and have 5 4MB 72 pin, 2 486SX33 and one 486DX 100. I think I have a ne2000 card, will check and let you know.

[This message has been edited by nholowat (edited 05 December 2000).]

[Pepsione1]

I thought they are ripping people off too. So I just left and came on to this forum for help.

[Death on Wheels]

I've got a web server running on a 486/25 with 3.5 megs of RAM and a 408 meg hard drive. I'm not using Apache (Boa instead--uses a LOT less memory), of course, but it runs great.

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Kurt Weber
Shell scripts? Shell scripts? We don't NEED no stinkin' shell scripts!
White, heterosexual, middle-class, and proud!
I've never understood why Bill Gates would name his company after his penis.

[Pepsione1]

Originally posted by Death on Wheels:
I've got a web server running on a 486/25 with 3.5 megs of RAM and a 408 meg hard drive. I'm not using Apache (Boa instead--uses a LOT less memory), of course, but it runs great.


Really, its good to hear that. Just out of curiosity, how many hits does your get server each day?

Do you have ICQ, I think maybe I should run the same setup as yours too. But I am a total newbie to linux so I might your help on a lot of the things. So drop me line at pepsione1@usa.net