computoman

What operating system do you put on a legacy Pentium one computer. Let's see Mac os/x will not work. None of the latest Microsoft offerings of 8, 9, or 10 will work. Most linux major linux versions need at least a Pentium II. Enter Slackware 14. You can install it on a Pentium I thereby keeping lots of older computers viable a while longer. They would be good starter computers as a stop gap to keep a IT budget in line.  One thing that should mentioned is Slackware can go on a variety of systems including the Raspberry Pi and is definitely not limited to older systems. Traditionally to install an operating system, you need a cd/dvdrom or a boatload of floppy disks and a hard disk for the operating system to be installed on for each system. We used a compact flash with an ide to compact flash adaptor for the hard drive. We also wanted to avoid all the making of media, though we did need to make a minimal floppy disk to get the  install started. On floppy cou...

Your router/firewall died and all the stores are closed. What do you do? What do you do?  Time to go to the old parts bin and resurrect some parts. One unique idea about this set up is that instead of using an old fashioned hard drive, we well be using a compact flash card as the drive. For three reasons we do this. First is to cut down on the noise. A quiet pc is an ignored pc. Secondly, we want to cut down on the heat in the machine.  Cooler parts should last longer. And the lastly, to reduce the electricity consumption till you can get a replacement unit if you decide to get one. What is a firewall again. It is a set of hardware and software that insulates your home network from the internet. Just as a firewall is used to keep a fire from spreading, the network firewall is expected to keep your local area network secure to a degree. Nothing is perfect. You can get all kinds of units to protect your network. The network modem in most cases will not protect you. You...