[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Hello, > > I have been using Windows for many years and now want to try an open > source OS. I have an old HP Vectra (I think) in the back with a PII 266 > and 32 (I think, or it might be 24) MB of ram (don't know what type). I > recently saw a feature on TechTV about FreeBSD, and am thinking of > installing that instead of Linux. I have tried running Mandrake, but it > is very slow on the system and often crashes. I also am thinking of > running a web server (I am on Cox cable internet, but someone said that > they can't detect Linux.) I am also considering Vector Linux since it > is supposed to run on systems with limited resources. Any suggestions > are greatly needed and appreciated. > > Thanks, > > Steven P. > > Attached is a comparison chart of Linux and FreeBSD that I have found at > TechTV.
FreeBSD will work well for a server. I recommend that you don't install XFree86, as a GUI will eat up a lot of resources. I run something very similar to FreeBSD called OpenBSD on a 486 with 16MB of RAM and use it as my firewall and Internet gateway and it does the job. However, learning a Unix-like operating system such as FreeBSD or Linux without using a GUI will be a big learning curve. You should really look into putting more RAM in your box so that you can install a GUI. -- John Hebert System Engineer http://www.it-group.com
