----- Original Message -----
From: Clive Crous <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 1999 8:24 AM
Subject: Networking Basics
> I recently bought a new p2 and now have my old 486 sitting in a dark
corner
> of my house with nothing to do, so I decided I would get it up and running
> and teach myself networking @ the same time, but I have _no_ idea where to
> start.
>
> I have all the hardware required (or so my m$ networking buddy tells me )
> but no idea at all where to start etc w/ setting up a network.
The first thing you need to do, is get the computers talking to each other.
More than likely you are using Ethernet cards, there is a Ethernet-howto
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Ethernet-HOWTO.html)
and I would also recommend the Networking-howto
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/NET3-4-HOWTO.html)
Get your Ethernet cards, and cabling working so you can ping 1 machine from
the other and vis-vesa, this should be your first step.
>
> I am running rh6.0 / kernel 2.2.13 and my dream setup is as follows .....
>
> 486 running as a server (firewall/proxy ?) w/ my p2 connected to it, and
> eventually i can obtain another pc or two and also connect them to this
486
> (server?) which will then connect to the internet and allow my whole
family
> to use one connection from many pc's.
Sure, I would recommend you start with the firewall-proxy howto
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Firewall-HOWTO.html)
and also the IP Masquerade howto
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/IP-Masquerade-HOWTO.html)
You didn't say what type of connection to the Internet you have, so I won't
cover that. What ever method you use, there should be a howto for it, I
know there is a modem and PPP howto, ISDN howto, cable modem howto, xDSL
howto, they should all work, and they all should have some decent docs on
the subject at http://www.linuxdoc.org or in your /usr/doc directory.
>
> Also what i'd like is the 486 (file server ?) to have the *common* apps on
> it's hd (eg X / gimp / games / etc ) so that disk space isn't wasted, w/
the
> equivalent of what is now each users "home" directory being the hard
> drive(s) on each pc that is connecting.
To share drives between Unix to Unix machines check out the NFS howto
http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/NFS-HOWTO.html
or if you are going to share from Unix to Win32 check out the SMB (samba)
howto
http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/SMB-HOWTO.html
>
> is any/all of this possible ?
ALL of this is possible!
It's Linux, if you have enough time you can do anything you want with it.
Hell if you really wanted to, you could setup an automatic coffee machine
that could also route your email using Linux kernel 2.0.35!
There could be some performance issues using a 486 as a file server and a
proxy, if it doesn't have a good disk I/O system, but if you have only 2-3
users/computers on your network it shouldn't be to bad, just try and squeeze
every last resource out of the machine and try not to waste CPU/disk I/O on
processes you don't need.
Also since it is a 486, I am going to assume it doesn't have much RAM and
suggest the Small memory howto
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/mini/Small-Memory.html)
it has suggestions on ways to tweak out the system to get some more main
memory for the important programs/services running on the machine.
After you have everything working you might want to check the Benchmark
howto
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Benchmarking-HOWTO.html)
to see if your "tweaks" on the system have a positive effect on it.
>
> I am a programmer and have worked with tcp/ip etc apps in the past so I
know
> it from that view point, but i have absolutely *zero* knowledge on
> networking (this is why i want to do this :) ).
>
> If anyone could point me out to some good "from-the-start" documentation
> that would be really great !!
Run the command
`cd /usr/doc; zgrep network *;`
: )
http://www.linuxdoc.org also has allot of good documents about networking.
Trying searching with google or excite for any documents on Unix and
networking in general, it should turn up allot of em. Also O'Rielly has
decent books on networking (http://www.ora.com)
>
> Thanks In Advance
> Clive Crous
>
>
The first place I would start, is to get the machines "talking" to each
other. Get both of their Ethernet cards up and running, make sure the cable
is good, install the right Ethernet drivers, get the machines to ping each
other, then start playing with telnet, ftp, ssh, things like that. After
you have this setup, start moving on to ip forwarding/disk sharing, things
like that.
You will probably have to re-compile your kernel a couple times before
everything is setup, so for your reference, the Kernel-howto
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Kernel-HOWTO.html)
Also the Security howto couldn't hurt, since it will be in a networked
enviroment now.
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Security-HOWTO.html)
I don't want to freak you out with allot of documents, just try and focus on
1 thing at a time. Break everything up in small bite size chuncks and just
concrete on getting that part done before moving on. Like I said before,
probably the best place to start is to get your Ethernet cards up and
working so you can ping between machines, then go from there.
Jack
