[plug] Basic Linux routers

[J Tonkin]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Tombleson" <brian at paradigmit.com.au>

> Most "floppy" -based routers just boot from floppy and load everything
into
> RAM/RAM-disk.  Pull the floppy out and keep it in your handbag and your
> router keeps running.  This way, you just need it to boot.  Put a decent
UPS
> on the system and you would almost never need to re-boot.  Copy the boot
> disk regularly if you're really paranoid that it'll decay.

Yes you're right but I would still have to go on-site and put the floppy in
the drive (assuming the client did something stupid like put the floppy on
the monitor). Expense is an issue but not a big one, reliability is way more
important. After the e-mail from Russell I did some checking and there is a
distributor in OZ that sells flash drives as well as fully ata 4 compliant
ROMs that plug straight onto the m/b. The only worry might be data
corruption from bad shutdowns but even this can be minimised. I don't have
to worry about  copying boot disks. Businesses don't mind a bit of extra
expense for reliability especially if they don't have to pay the Microsoft
license/lease. Just paying for me to go onsite and reboot the server a few
times will be more than the cost a flash card.
I am also not limited to just 1.44 Mb, they go from 8Mb ROMs upto 1.5 Gb
flash cards. I can build my own kernels, put them all onto the cards ready
to go in minutes with very little configuration. Seems almost too easy :)
and it is something that MS just can't do.

> Err .. my logic wouldn't necessarily run that way.
I could do the same with a cheap HDD and 512 Mb of RAM and still use the HDD
for user space and it will be a lot more reliable than a floppy. I am not
talking about using 486s and the like. It is not a competition on making an
OS that is small enough to fit on a piece of redundant hardware. Its an
excercise in making linux even more reliable and less dependant on imperfect
hardware. According to some of the specs (assuming they are accurate) the
flash cards will outlive most of the rest of the hardware.

J. Tonkin

P.S. I am surprised no one mentioned bootable CDs which was my original
plan, a little bit more expensive than a floppy but a heap more reliable
with 650+Mb of data storage and the media cost is negligable.


>
> Most "floppy" -based routers just boot from floppy and load everything
into
> RAM/RAM-disk.  Pull the floppy out and keep it in your handbag and your
> router keeps running.  This way, you just need it to boot.  Put a decent
UPS
> on the system and you would almost never need to re-boot.  Copy the boot
> disk regularly if you're really paranoid that it'll decay.
>
> Don't get me wrong, the ROM/EPROM alternative is superior - but the floppy
> drive alternative is so cheap and readily available that it is certainly
> worth considering.
>
> Just my thoughts.
> - Brian.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "J Tonkin" <blazer666 at dingoblue.net.au>
> To: <plug at plug.linux.org.au>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 8:40 PM
> Subject: Re: [plug] Basic Linux routers
>
>
> > Precisely what i was after, i am trying to reduce the need for moving
> parts.
> > less to go wrong, more run and forget.
> >
> > Floppy is just too fragile might as well be safe and use a HDD but if it
> can
> > be put onto rom.
>
>
>
>