[plug] Headless server installation at workshop

[Bret Busby]

On Tue, 15 Mar 2005, Sibian wrote:

> 
> Hi all,
>
> Ryan Armanasco got me all fired up about Linux, he put me in touch with PLUG. 
> He said you have all been really helpful and solved heaps of problems for 
> him. I attended the last PLUG workshop and liked what I saw. I'm now looking 
> at installing Debian on a 266 with 64M RAM as a headless server. I started 
> downloading Woody and then realised that it's eight disks worth of download. 
> I'm happy to keep going with it if that's what I need for the installation. I 
> won't be needing the X, so if someone knows of a download minus the X that 
> would be groovy.
>
> I've been reading Sam's teach yourself Linux and I'll be writing out my 
> hardware profile for my machine before bringing it along. I've got time 
> before the next meeting to do some prep. Funds are limited, though the 
> passion's there. My aim is to use it as a firewall for my existing machine. 
> I've got a cable connection, a network between the two machines, a switch box 
> between them, a burner and I'm presently using XP on my main machine.
>
> I'm looking at moving my main machine over to a dual opperating system 
> through time (essential windows based applications through the bank). For the 
> moment I need to get used to using Linux. I figured setting up this second 
> machine and getting it stable would be a good first step. That way I'm not 
> playing with my main machine until I know how to solve basic problems.
>
> Any input in this is appreciated.
>
> Sibian
>
> Share what you have in abundance, grow and protect that which you need more 
> of.
>
>

There are people on this list that know much more about this than I do, 
but my suggestion for the "headless server" (sounds like a headless 
horseman, roaming about on full moonlit nights), if you  want it as just
a firewall, is to use Smoothwall, which runs on Debian Woody, and which 
is accessed remotely using a web browser on another computer. If my 
memory is correct, you just install a Smoothwall CD (or something like 
that), and the underlying OS is included in the installation. It has a 
small footprint, and no need for X-Windows, if my memory is correct.

I suggest that you look for a response to my posting, with someone more 
knowledgeable about Smoothwall, filling in some of the gaps, and 
correcting any errors that I have made here.

--
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............

"So once you do know what the question actually is,
  you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
   Chapter 28 of
   "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
   A Trilogy In Four Parts",
   written by Douglas Adams,
   published by Pan Books, 1992 
....................................................