Can Red Hat or any other linux function as a router?

[Titan386]

I personally would choose Debian, because its package management system makes it easier to mantain and its a bit more flexible (IMO) when it comes to which packages to install. The default install is 50 megs, so you wouldn't have a disk space issue.

The two distros are aimed at mostly a similar audience, so either is well suited for your needs. If I was you, and I didn't have any prior experience with either of them, I'd give them both a try. Assuming this isn't a project that needs to be up ASAP, its good to play around with different distros to get a feel for them.

 

[TommyDee291]

I personally would choose Debian, because its package management system makes it easier to mantain and its a bit more flexible (IMO) when it comes to which packages to install. The default install is 50 megs, so you wouldn't have a disk space issue.

The two distros are aimed at mostly a similar audience, so either is well suited for your needs. If I was you, and I didn't have any prior experience with either of them, I'd give them both a try. Assuming this isn't a project that needs to be up ASAP, its good to play around with different distros to get a feel for them.

Ok, Since I have slackware downloaded and burned already, I guess i'll give that a try. Where can I download Debian?

 

[Titan386]

http://linuxiso.org/distro.php?distro=4

You only need the first disk, as you'll be able to apt-get most packages after the install. If you not on broadband, apt-getting will be time consuming, and might not be practical, in which case you might want to stick with Slack.

 

[TommyDee291]

I was looking at that site you gave me and I was looking at knoppix. It runs directly off of the cd and has all the stuff etc... Is that any good also? I am in no rush to get this done so I am going to experiement.

 

[Titan386]

Knoppix is good for playing around with and getting familar with Linux. I believe it can also be installed onto your hard drive, and is based off Debian. Probably takes up more space than you have available though, and I'm not sure how much flexibility it offers in terms of which packages are installed.

Personally, I wouldn't want to use Knoppix as a server, but its a very valuable learning tool.

 

[klingens]

A Knoppix HD install takes up 2G since it installs a lot of stuff which is not strictly needed for a server.
Knoppix is not a server distro, it´s aimed at desktops.

With debian, install the x-window-system (can be installed after installation with "apt-get install x-window-system". After you have installed Debian, and managed to get on the net with it, just run "apt-get install ipmasq" and then your Debian box is a router

 

[TommyDee291]

A Knoppix HD install takes up 2G since it installs a lot of stuff which is not strictly needed for a server.
Knoppix is not a server distro, it´s aimed at desktops.

With debian, install the x-window-system (can be installed after installation with "apt-get install x-window-system". After you have installed Debian, and managed to get on the net with it, just run "apt-get install ipmasq" and then your Debian box is a router

Ah! Thanks for mentioning that. As I have never ever used linux before, where to I type in or go for "apt-get install ipmasq"?

 

[TommyDee291]

Just outta curiousity, is there any Windows program or something that can act as a router or "ip mask"?

 

[Titan386]

Ah! Thanks for mentioning that. As I have never ever used linux before, where to I type in or go for "apt-get install ipmasq"?

The command line. After you install Debian, it will reboot the system, you'll do some configuration, and then you'll be dumped to the command line. At this point, your system is ready to use, but you'll probably want to install some other packages first (like X and such). That would be a good time to install ipmasq too.

 

[klingens]

From Windows98 onward there is something called "ICS" Internet Connection Sharing. It was never very robust or featureful. Just enough for light web browsing and email.
Couple that with the additional hazards of having a Windows box directly on the net, and it´s a recipe for disaster imho

 

[TommyDee291]

The command line. After you install Debian, it will reboot the system, you'll do some configuration, and then you'll be dumped to the command line. At this point, your system is ready to use, but you'll probably want to install some other packages first (like X and such). That would be a good time to install ipmasq too.

What would I type to install the GUI? Or "X" as you call it.

 

[klingens]

either you call "startx" or you install a display manager like kdm with "apt-get install kdm"

 

[Titan386]

I like to install X by installing the window manager I plan to use, which will install X as well, because its a dependency. For example, if you want fluxbox:
apt-get install fluxbox

Somewhere someone posted a link to a site that compared the various window managers, with screenshots of each. I can't seem to find it, but you might want to search for it before choosing a window manager.

You'll probably have to run "xf86config" after installing X, which asks you a series of questions about your video hardware. Make sure you know the chipset of your video card and the vertical and horizontal refresh rates of your monitor (check the documentation). I personally always start by using the generic "vesa" driver for X, because it almost always works and lets you eliminate driver issues if you have trouble. You can pick a better driver later.

You may also need to alter your /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file. I suggest checking out the XF86Config-4 man page to see the format of the file, and the recognized options. You'll be able to bring up this manual by typing "man XF86Config-4".

After you configure the X server, attempt to start it by typing "startx". If all is well, you'll be sent to some sort of a desktop environment. If not, you'll get an error message. Don't panic if you do, just record the message (as well as the last several lines of output before it) and post it here.

 

[klingens]

You don´t run xf86config in Debian. Instead you run dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86