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Linux Server - Need Advice Fast

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18 replies

by tomsal

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Hi. I've stumbled across some old computers at work. They are in perfect working order, their only offense being they are old and slow (AMD K6 550 MHZ/128 MB RAM). I want to experiment with Linux applications, I do not have the luxury of a lot of time to invest in getting Linux up and running and actually working.

What is the most "painless" distro to use for a NON-Linux guru?

(PS. My first experiment includes attaching Linux to my Windows network for file serving duties, just so you knowthat I plan on networking it. Also this is just a test phase, therefore I have little to no budget for this. So if not a free solution, I'm looking for the closest you can get to free. ;) )

Thanks.

18 replies

by sgt_shultz

don't give me any points cuz I know this is not the answer you seek...but...I am doing a very similar thing and have selected Mandrake Linux. You can get it free...but...it is 6 downloads of 640MB each so don't be in a hurry to get it. I am also going to try RedHat. Those would be my two choices. I liked the look of the support on the RedHat website a bit better also...
good luck. btw, Mandrake recommends 128MB ram with 64MB required...don't know hardware requirements of RedHat...

by frank

SuSE Professional
every User should be able to set it up.
When you have more than one to set up, you can save the config to a floppy and load all computers with the same software packages.
You can download it for free, even install over the internet or buy for <$80.
All the out of the Box settings are resonable, so there is very little to do before you have a good running system...

by cactus pete

Are you looking for a desktop type machine, or a server type? My first dist. was Suse, but I have since switched to Redhat. That's for my firewall. I always heard that Mandrake was a good desktop, though. I'm about to try my first desktop now and am looking at Licoris.

by jcmcintyre

The stories you hear about Linux being difficult to install are overblown.

Almost all Linux distributions are now as easy to install as windows. I just did a redhat 8.0 install, and considering the set of apps and servers installed with the system, it is probably easier than Windows.

The two most common problems wtih Linux installation are disk partitioning, and configuring the boot loader. The LILO boot loader used to have problems working boot partitions over 1024 cylinders (approx 8GB). That problem has been solved with new version. GRUB is also a terrific boot loader, but if you're new to Linux, i reccomend sticking to LILO, until to get the sense of how Linux works. Lilo is much easier to re-configure.

The other common is disk partitioning. Stick to Disk Druid during the install. You don't need to know how many cylinders a partition requires. Just set the size in MB, and Disk druid will do the work for you.

Also, RPM-based distributions might make life easier for you. This is especially true when you need to roll back to an earlier configuration.

I hope this helps you

Cheers
Jim

by den_arion

Hello there...
I have seen, not worked, two distributions that looks like friendly, Suse and Mandrake (if those are for workstation), for you hardware no problem. Actualy for I have a RedHat Server like proxy/webserver/mail server con the next setup: Iryx procesor ( look like 286 intel), 128 Ram, HDD 20 Gb. and workd very good.

I hope those comment works for you.

Best regards.
Den

by ampl

If you are looking for:

Desktop : use Mandrake or SuSE, Lycoris may also be an option as it looks like XP

Server : Redhat is probably the best choice, and one of the most supported.

If you are new, stay away from Slackware, Beehive, Debian and the *BSDs (ie FreeBSD, OpenBSD).

If you can't download or afford to purchase most copies in a store, let me know and I can direct you to some cheap distributors (like $3~4/cd)

by mrcyphir

Hmm, heh, none of my computers run faster then a 475, so you lucky =p. But the easiest version of linux that I've seen is SuSE, right now, I'm trying to run Mandrake but it's not working, but that's because I'm not doing things the simple way. Like the others say Mandrake is probably one of the most user friendly, along with Red Hat.

by wittanone

Linux Red Hat is the one that I would suggest, but the problem with giving a good answer is that I do not know the size of the hard drive of the system you plan on using. Linux Red Hat can use around 3 to 5 gigs of hard drive space deppending on what options you install. update your question with as much info about the system as you can and the answer can be better suited for you.

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