wireless USB Orinoco Nic and linux

[CU]

I have a wirelesss usb Orinoco NIC that is connected to my XP machine that allows me to access the wireless internet my apartment provides. My wifes computer is connected to my XP machine by a crossover cable, which I have my XP machine sharing the internet to. One problem when I take mine to lan parties no internet for her. I have plenty of spare computer parts 550mhz and down. I was thinking about setting up a linux box to be a internet server, printer server, and firewall. Will my usb Orinoco NIC work with linux and how hard would this be to set up. I have use linux before to share a modem connection with one other computer. I used Mandrake the last time. Is there any real advantage or disadvantage to using it over Redhat?

 

[CU]

Just a bump. Someone has to know this.

 

[rectifire]

I don't believe there are any linux drivers for the Orinoco USB to 802.11b clients. If it was a PC card, that's another story of course. Unfortunately, this kinda shoots down the whole premise for building your new linux box (sharing your wireless internet with your wife) if your network adapter doesn't work with it.

Can I ask you why you don't just take your Orinoco USB/Wireless NIC and attach it to your wife's computer so that she may have internet access while you are at the LAN party?

 

[CU]

The main reason for using linux was just to do it and I figured it would take alittle load off my machine (like it causes much). I would also use it as a firewall instead of XP's.

 

[NeoMadHatter]

are there any drivers out for 802.11b usb devices?