linux for really old pc

[semo]

we are looking at a p1 100mhz proc, 32mb mem and 1.2gb hdd speed demon here. so i guess suse is out of the question. my biggest concern is driver availability. last time i tried several linux distros on my machine it was either my monitor, graphics card, sound card or modem.

anyway this time i have a dedicated machine for linux so all i need is support for the net card i, be able to assign an ip address to the net card and some terminal emulation software.

 

[n0cmonkey]

What kind of terminal do you need to emulate?

 

[semo]

???

i'm looking for something like hyperterminal. to console into a cisco router. stuff like that.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: semo
???

i'm looking for something like hyperterminal. to console into a cisco router. stuff like that.

Oh. cu or tip should come with pretty much any useful linux distro.

I'd recommend Debian, with no gui unless you can get more ram.

 

[nweaver]

ser2net is a great terminal server app, and easy to use. May not be what you want though...

 

[semo]

i'm downloading ubuntu. would that do if not can somebody tell me where to go from here: http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/torrents/3.0_r5/ . i actually prefer cli mode. gui and user friendly my foot. i don't like pretty icons and flashy images (not from some os)

 

[semo]

Originally posted by: nweaver
ser2net is a great terminal server app, and easy to use. May not be what you want though...

could you elaborate a bit more plz. why might it not be what i want? can i run it in cli mode?

 

[LiLithTecH]

Couldn't you just Telnet into the router?

 

[nweaver]

ser2net takes data from your serial port and makes it visible as a TCP port. So on computer 1, you have Cisco device->Serial console to /dev/ttys0, on computer 2, you fire up minicom/hyperterm/etc and point it to ip.address.of.comp1ortdefinedinser2net and it acts just like it is connected via serial. I had preproduction printers in the lab, with serial port connections to get real time data for the developers. I would just record the data, and then submit it with the defect. They then wanted access to the serial ports, so I moved it to a linux box running ser2net, cause I could pile serial cards in a box and just ser2net them.

 

[semo]

Originally posted by: nweaver
ser2net takes data from your serial port and makes it visible as a TCP port. So on computer 1, you have Cisco device->Serial console to /dev/ttys0, on computer 2, you fire up minicom/hyperterm/etc and point it to ip.address.of.comp1ortdefinedinser2net and it acts just like it is connected via serial. I had preproduction printers in the lab, with serial port connections to get real time data for the developers. I would just record the data, and then submit it with the defect. They then wanted access to the serial ports, so I moved it to a linux box running ser2net, cause I could pile serial cards in a box and just ser2net them.

i get it. there must be something simpler like hyperterminal though.

just downloading debian now but not sure which cds are the debian os. i don't want to dl all 7. and what's the deal with the nonus image?

 

[nweaver]

with hyperterm you would have to be at the box. With ser2net you can remotely access the serial port, using hyperterm in windows.

Minicom or kermit would probably work if you want to access the box's shell direct.

 

[semo]

yeah that's what i want. i don't want remote access. it's all a simulation for my cisco lab. i don't need remote access since the pc is next to my knee, with one foot on a 2503, the other resting on a 4700 and my 2610 doubles as a mousepad...

so this minicom, kermit... easy to set up... or should i wait and find out the hard way.!>?/

 

[nweaver]

I have tried minicom and struggled with it....haven't tried kermit. I used ser2net bacause then I could use my main box for logging and stuff...plus I found it easier to configure. Kermit in windows gave me some trouble, but is was a craptastic custom build for HP.

 

[n0cmonkey]

cu or tip should be available, and they're simple to use. Just hook the serial port up, use one of those programs to connect to it, and you're set.

telnet isn't an option because it sucks.

Sounds like ser2net also passes stuff in plain text so it shouldn't be used by anyone.

 

[nweaver]

You are right nOc, it's just telnet to the ser2net port....

I sometimed forget about that, as I work in isolated test labs for the most part. You may be a n0cmonkey, but I am a labm0nkey

 

[redbeard1]

Vector linux is one distro that is made to run on old pc's. It was not one of the simpler installs last time I used it, but that was a while ago.