[nflug] Possible notes for forum FAQ? (and some thoughts on old distros)

[Richard Hubbard]

JJ Neff wrote:
--snip--

>So how about we add as a list policy that e-mail be AASCI **ONLY** when sent to
>the list and once folks correspond with one another directly they are free to
>use any !!<blink>Extra</blink>!! text they want (as if there was any way to
>monitor it- unless you are Bill Gates and can monitor when I forward this
>e-mail to 15 people!!!).
>
>  
>
sounds reasonable
--snip--

>As to old distros.  I understand the need to get Linux to work on old hardware
>- I still have an AMD 266 cpu with 8MB video card. I CAN run WM on it for
>graphics!  But I do so by eliminating all apps I don't need and all processes -
>NOT by running VERY outdated kernels and applications that are no longer
>supported and have very well documented script kiddy readable security holes!  
>
>  
>
of course, everyone seems to be assuming the machine will be plugged 
right into the internet via his own personal t3. When I was reading the 
original post, especially when it came to security, I was assuming that 
the user was already behind a firewall. (When they only cost a few bucks 
on pricewatch.com I believe it was a reasonable assumption.) This means 
that (especially with the standard firewalls like the linksys etherfast) 
_every_ incoming packet is stopped. Just a little care in which browsers 
you use and which emails you run the scripts on (should be none) and you 
will have a reasonably secure machine, even with something as old as 
redhat 7.2

>The point of running current versions (and using a version specific to your
>hardware) is to keep maintained software and application versions - you
>(general to anyone reading this list not #YOU# in particular - OK calm
>now...good)  do owe it to the rest of the Internet to do your best to help
>reduce the amount of Bots and if you install WAY outdated distros you might as
>well stick up a Windows 98 machine!!!
>
>  
>
The point of asking for an old distro is to just get the @#@#@#$% thing 
to install. I tried fedora core on a compaq server the other day. POST 
said it had 1/2 gig ram, but fedora didn't see it. (this server has 1/2 
gig ram, 4 gig hd, 2x200 pentium cpus, but it's a compaq, and we all 
know how much compaq likes to adhere to standards...) Having said all 
that, since I was only going to install a firewall on it, tomorrow I'm 
changing the install to smoothwall.

>If the distro you are looking at has minimum requirements that are TOO high for
>your hardware - rather than go back in that distros history until you find the
>version that was popular when your hardware was HOT - switch Distros!  There is
>a current distro that will run on your hardware without forcing you to use
>outdated/unsupported unpatched software.
>
>  
>
which is what I am doing, but then again, i've been dealing with linux 
since 1995, and have installed/used several different distro's. Not 
everyone has that experience, and those people that don't shouldn't get 
flamed for it. the whole purpose of the lug is to help each other out 
with linux issues, not to belittle those people that someone 
(erroniously) thinks is less intelligent.

>My $1.02 (seems like more than just $.02 :-)
>
>Thanks for even reading this far...
>
>JJN
>
>
>		
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>  
>
my $0.02
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