OT - Linux, serious MS alt. or nerds paradise

[fatsteve]

Since PHLand is full of merry IT staff (rather, glim IT staff at the mo')...

I've just spend the last 2 hours trying to get a DSL modem working (USB) with Linux, reason being - cheap firewall / router. No fecking chance.

Now I hate MS shite the as much as the next guy (Solaris, Oracle, Java person by trade). But this really is a frigging pain in the arse to configure - or am I being a complete fkucwit?, the net result is that I will be purchasing a hardware fw, bollocks to the £100 odd quid, rather that then my loss of sanity.

I've read numerous white papers about Linux's rise, particularly in the commercial server sense. But is it a real alternative or just another Unix clone designed by a bunch of anti capitalist geeks?

Discuss.

Off to bed 'cos head hurts..


Steve

[ErnestM]

Your DSL doesn't have an ethernet port?

Linux and Unix are both challenging but fairly bulletproof if (a)You don't mind the command line and (b)you set them up right...

ErnestM
IT Dabbler

[bodo]

I replaced my Win98 with Linux one year ago, and I don't regret it at all!
I deleted Windows completely from my harddrive, so there was no way back, and I was forced to cope with every minor problem that appeared. Not being an IT-, I was familiar with the most important software packages (OpenOffice, Gimp, Mozilla, XMMS and KDE-tools) after four weeks.

One month ago, I bought a new workstation with all-new hardware. Every chip was recognized by the installation routine, but I had problems to install the bootloader on a striped RAID - The Grub simply supports only RAID 1.

As for usability it's absolutely great: I'm using the SuSE-distribution, and it installed completely in just 20 minutes and that includes all software applications I need. IMHO, it's at least as numpty-proof as Windaz If you're using one of the distributions, you don't need to be a command-line- I'm only using it to make things faster.
IMHO Linux is more scaleable than Win or Mac; it uses the hardware more effectively, doesn't crash so often, is safer and works on all platforms.

Bodo

btw, Steve, if you're using SuSE as well, this might help re the USB-adapter

[fatsteve]

Cheers guys,
I'm running RH8, the modem is a crappy BTOpenworld freebie, hence a SpeedTouch USB, no ethernet. I agree, if it had ethernet then it would be a piece of cake.
The bottom line is that this is a home project and I really can't be arsed to faf around (spend all bloody day at work doing that). There is a couple of good websites that show you (providing you've a PHD!) how to do it.

Steve

[CarZee]

The HW firewall is definitely the way to go... it's a waste of time arsing about with a linux box when you can have a HW solution.. unless you really can't stretch to the £100 for the DLink jobbies.

Edit: That said, the Alcatel stingray thing *should* work with Linux though.. I've seen it working.

>> Edited by CarZee (moderator) on Monday 23 December 10:47

[tuffer]

Fatsteve

Download a copy of Smoothwall or IPCop, this is a cut down Linux Kernel. Install that on your spare PC (ensure you read ALL the documentation) hook that up to your usb modem and away you go. www.smoothwall.org www.ipcop.org If you need a hand drop me an email.

[fatsteve]

Hmm as Carzee states, it is the stingray thingy, and yes, I've also seen it work but again I can't be arsed to sweat over a PC on my holiday.

Carzee, just waiting for someone to stock the D-Link DSL-604+ which is the mother of all gadgets, namely an ADSL modem / router / fw / wireless AP / 4 port switch....hmmmmm, drool

Steve

[fatsteve]

tuffer said: Fatsteve

Download a copy of Smoothwall or IPCop, this is a cut down Linux Kernel. Install that on your spare PC (ensure you read ALL the documentation) hook that up to your usb modem and away you go. www.smoothwall.org www.ipcop.org If you need a hand drop me an email.

Cheers tuffer, I might do that aswell, since the PC in question is only a weeny P200MMX so other than a door-stop, a fw is the only other use.

The frustration I've had is getting the modem to work. I thought the nightmare would be getting USB working, but that was a piece of cake (Belkin 2-port USB PCI card - fecking sweet!!)

Steve

Edited to say, right bollocks, off to pub (since I'm not at work today!!! - suckers!!)


>> Edited by fatsteve on Monday 23 December 13:56

[CarZee]

Good choice Steve.. you know it bakes mince..

[fatsteve]

Oh, really OT now, but has anyone had any experience with wifi in a music studio (hence what I'm doing - sharing DSL connection). Any nasty interference?

I fired up a bluetooth adapter the other day and my mixer went ape shit, rather like leaving a mobile phone on the top of an amp!!

Steve

[CarZee]

Can't speak specifically of a studio environment but I've never experienced interference from WiFi - we use 2 cards and a base station.

[WalterU]

I converted the whole company - servers and workstations - to Linux about 4 years ago.

Bulletproof. My servers have uptimes of a year. They get booted at Christmas, run for a year, get shut down, opened and hoovered, powered on again. Then they run until next Christmas or next update. Nuff said.
I still need one Windows box for the fcukwits that send me word documents that my filters cannot convert.

Rgds, WalterU

>> Edited by WalterU on Monday 23 December 14:41

[tuffer]

Hey FatSteve

D-Link DSL-604+ UUUuuuuuummmmmm Yes please Santa thats just what I was after.