[COLUG] looking for some basic introductory information on linux

[Andrew J. Barr]

On Fri, 2007-01-19 at 14:00 -0500, William Yang wrote:
> Larry W. Virden wrote:
> > I have a son trying to build his first linux system. He has an old
> > gateway desktop computer with 128 meg of memory in it. When he tries
> > to install ubuntu, it doesn't make it through. He suspects there
> > isn't enough memory in the machine for it to be able to install.
> > 
> > So where can I find a version of Linux that would install on such a
> > small machine? He would add memory, but it can only hold another 128
> > meg, and the local stores have been saying they don't carry such
> > small memory any longer.
> > 
> > Also, once he gets linux onto the desktop, what are some
> > recommendations for low cost internet, so he can get online and get
> > updated applications, send email, etc.?
> 
> I've installed Gentoo in 64 MB of RAM from a standard downloadable install 
> CD.  I've even gotten such a machine to dial do PPP dialup, though it's 
> harder to get it going initially without a reasonably fast network access 
> point.
> 
> My company (wdyllc.com) has a local dialup in over 7,000 markets in the 
> continental US, starting for as little as $7.50/month.  Last time I ran the 
> numbers, users would see savings over most other providers within 12 
> months.  (This dialup service is, by the way, the successor to the Greater 
> Columbus Free-Net, which I designed and built in 1994 -- you can still get 
> 'gcfn.org' and 'freenet.columbus.oh.us' e-mail there, in fact!  ;-).

I have fond memories of the Greater Columbus Free-Net. This was the
first way we got online...probably not long after it's founding in 1994
(memories are a little fuzzy from all the way back then--I was 10). We
used a 25MHz 486 with 4 (later 8) megs of RAM and a 40 (later 110)
megabyte disk drive. Windows 3.1 (later 95). 

We used the Free-Net, it's text-only Pine and Lynx apps, for many years.
My father was, and still is, a notorious miser who wants it good and
wants it cheap (he gets that more than you'd think). We tried various
dialup services (including--gasp--AOL) but never really subscribed to
any for a serious length of time, and we (finally) got Road Runner in
2003. He still calls them up every year "threatening" to leave (no one
else services this area) to get his bill bumped down about $10.

Andrew

> While we are located here in Ohio, we do have customers across the U.S. 
> nowadays for our hosting and dialup services.
> 
> 	-Bill