Re: Older Equiptment

[Michael A Hamblin <michaelh@utdallas.edu>]

On Sat, 12 Dec 1998, Roman Suzi wrote:

> Thanks, Michael on your review.
> However, I have not found the most  obvious  solutions  in  it,
> which I wish I knew more:

These are the kinds of questions I'm trying to answer :)

> - DOS computer with TCP/IP stack and good enough (by Linux
>   standards) telnet.
> 
>   Is there any TCP/IP (or IPX? can IPX be used to telnet?)  stack
>   which could be boot from ONE 1.44/1.2 floppy? (diskless station)

Personally, I don't see why it couldn't be done from a 360k disk.  My
University has a liscence of LAN Workplace that I may be able to use to do
some experimenting with.

>   (The target computer has as little as 1 MB RAM)

I'm assuming 512k for DOS based apps.  This shouldn't be a problem.
Telnet software simply should not require that much RAM. Besides, 640k is
enough for anyone ;)

>   What other  protocol could be used over ethernet to
>   make terminal connection? Any solutions?
> 
> - serial cable (null-modem) to the Linux server.
>   Which terminal program is best (makes better terminal) ?

A lot of good questions that need answers.

> I am asking this in hope somebody here could  know.  You  know,
> this could be a very  effective  argument  on  "why  Linux"  in
> education! It could recycle really old equipment. (well,  I  am
> sure if it is good thing, considering dangerous radiation  from
> old displays...)

It's not just an argument, it's reality.  Do more, with less :) Who do you
know running an NT server can run a seperate terminal off of it (without
expensive software) so multiple people can use one machine at the same
time? And yet we're talking about doing it with completly antiquidated
equiptment.

[snip some good stuff]
> Even poor school could try to buy some server computer and thus
> put their 12 puters to more productive use! Who  will  say  'NO
> LINUX, THANKS' in this situation?! They will say "WOW!  WE  CAN
> ALSO INSTALL LINUX AND HAVE 13 Pentiums at once!"
> 
> (Its easy for a Pentium to serve 12 terminal users at once, you
> know. If they aren't into some CPU-hungry computations.)
> 
> So, this is my suggestion: lets have a  underlow-end  soft/hard
> solutions for Linux on the seul-edu web -  this  will  interest
> educators much!
[snip rest of good stuff]

I think that's the basic thing I'm getting at here. And I'm sure PCs are a
little harder to come by in Russia than here in the US... :)  All the more
reason to support this kind of stuff. Although we'll have to figure
something out for that monitor radiation problem ;)

--
Michael Hamblin            http://www.utdallas.edu/~michaelh/
michaelh@utdallas.edu      http://www.ductape.net/
UTD Linux User Group       TCS HelpDesk (x2911, assist@utdallas.edu)