i have about 20 IBM 350 P 166 and I can stuff 192 meg or ram if needed 2 gig hard drives floppy and no Cd rom most don't have nics.
I am looking to set them up as a training lab or internet cafe deal .
I looked at the terminal service deal here
http://hs.riverdale.k12.or.us/terminal/install.html and I don't have the beefy server needed to support terminal services
I have 2 P233 which I intend to use for the firewall and a server which I can put 384 meg of ram in each so they should work OK
The machines will just be surfing the net and creating open office capable docs etc ..
I would prefer to do a net boot install or I can ghost them..
What distro would you use and why ??
Remeber no cdrom's and I dont have the money to buy 20 and It's probably better not to have them then i dont have the sound card issues LOL
How are they going to ghost/net boot/browse the net if most of them don't have NICs?
As for which distro, I like Slackware because it's very clean -- not a lot of extra "wizards" and other stuff that slow it down. I've also heard good things about Lindows, but I don't think they offer a free download of that distro.
I like Debian because it has a thoroughly documented bug database and a useful package management tool (apt-get).
zm
I'm yet to find any Linux distro that truly offers replacement value for Win on the desktop giving regard to the applications I use and need on a daily basis - most distro's are great for web surfing, games or Email etc. however when you get down to business (financial management application software etc.) they just don't stack-up... however what I do like (and use daily) are a number of special-purpose Linux distro's like Smoothwall and FREESCO (a free Linux 'Cisco' router) - these type of distro are particularly useful, offer a good return on TCO and generally meet real and identified business requirements without all the junk and extensive administrative headaches that comes with most 'generic' distro's.
Cheers, Don
They have nics or wilL have soon..
I hear what your saying Don and for the run of the mill NPO's I agree..
But these are destined for either an internet cafe which they will just be surfing the net .
or a in training lab for kids.
typing and simple stuff like that ..
And more than liely a zero budget to work with
The machines have win 98 on them and I guess I could just stuff them up with RAM. And just run open office and see how it works out
Hi Ozzie,
In this case you might like to check-out Debian - this is what we use in our local youth cafe' / telecentre on donated computers and it has proven to be quite successful and adaptive - there is an article on the project
Here
(PS the project leader mentioned in the article works for me, so if you have any questions please let me know and I'll pass them on - I'm sure he would be happy to advise or help)
Rgds, Don
Joined on 12-14-2003
TechSoup Member
Simputer has a project coming up in charlottte,N.C.
what do you need to help.thanks
Roger
This project came about because I got about 25 PC's donated for another project and they did mot meet the min specs for the other project.
The last thing I wanted to do was junk them and I have a work space and few folks I can recruit.
So it seems to be the right thing to do to make a couple of complete turn key systems of 10 PC's and this way we can give a couple of spares.
I have a couple of hubs lying around and some cables and stuff..
I just need to rustle up a couple of PII's for the other system..
Don
What were spec's on the PC's they used ??
Hi Ozzie,
P1's and P2's with 64K, the server has 128K and the firewall is (I think) an old 486... nothing flash in this lot but they work very well for the requirements of a CTC / Youth Cafe' (web surfing, games, Email, basic letter-writing and spreadsheets etc.)
Rgds, Don
you mean 64 meg of ram LOL
64 K and it still would be lost in POST some where (sigh)
looking at the debian ISO's I guess I can get away with the first 3 cd's ???
LOL - yep, 'M' not 'K'
(a typo or was I really just unconsciously reminiscing back to the 'good old days'... Froyd would have a field day :-)
Joined on 08-19-2003
TechSoup Member
I think all major linux distros are too bloated and therefore not-so-well suited for those old computers; we use gentoo (www.gentoo.org) and crux (www.crux.nu) with good results; slack is fine also; stay away from KDE or GNOME, use iceWM or windowmaker (or openbox, or...) instead (we use windowmaker, nice gui, low resource needs)
oz
what do you mean rustle up few p2's cpus only or full systems.?
jeff
In order to have complete 10 workstation systems I need some PII for firewalls and servers..
I just really need the PC as we have monitors etc..
Then I have 2 complete systems with 10 workstations firewall and server..