[aclug-L] Re: Linux for TRS-80

[Jonathan Hall <jonhall@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I set up a PPP server on a 386SX/20 with 4mb RAM and 170mb HD once.

It worked some of the time... only problem was when pppd wasn't fresh in
memory, swapping took so long that PAP authentication would time out.

TRUE STORY!  (It is April 2 now, technically)


On Mon, Apr 01, 2002 at 07:26:51PM -0800, Curtis Hawthorne wrote:
> 
> Actually, for quite a while I really did run an IRC server
> on a computer with a 25mhz CPU.  It had 32mb of RAM and a
> 400mb hard drive though :-).  It was a SparcStation IPX,
> wasn't that speedy but worked just fine for a small
> IRC/Webserver and I did use Boa for it which was quite
> fast.  Compiling software on it took forever though.
> 
> Curtis H.
> 
> --- Jonathan Hall <jonhall@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > 
> > I ran into a similar problem when I put my cluster of
> > Commodore computers
> > running Linux online.  I found that my Vic-20 with 5k of
> > RAM didn't really
> > have enough memory to run even a scaled down version of
> > ipchains.  What I
> > had to do was set up a dedicated firewall machine.
> > 
> > I originally did it with a Commodore 64 with an upgrade
> > 20Mhz CPU, but later
> > found that extra speed was better used for the front-end
> > to my Apache
> > cluster, so I implimented a stock Commodore 128 as my
> > firewall/router.
> > 
> > At the time, of course, I could only afford dialup with a
> > single dynamic IP
> > address, so the C128 was also doing IP Masquerading--that
> > took some doing
> > b/c the original Linux port to the C128 didn't support
> > that.  I had to
> > fumble through old 1.2.x kernels to find the appropriate
> > code and port it to
> > the Commodoore.  Getting my favorite Dynamic DNS system
> > to work on the C128
> > was a bit tricky, too, but after trying about three, I
> > was able to find one
> > with client-side software that wasn't too difficult to
> > get working on my
> > system.
> > 
> > So I then set up port-forwarding, forwarding port 80
> > through my C128
> > firewall to the previously mentioned 20Mhz upgraded C64,
> > which is running
> > Apache (Note: You'll have to compile Apache with all
> > necessary modules
> > __built in__--the dynamic module code uses too much
> > memory otherwise). 
> > After about three weeks of trying, I finally got Apache
> > compiled on the C64. 
> > Even at 20Mhz, in 64k of RAM, it takes about 2.5 days to
> > compile--and in
> > most cases you get errors before it gets taht far.
> > 
> > Then on four other Commodore machines (Two Vic-20's,
> > another 1Mhz C64, and a
> > PC64--essentially a "portable"/luggable C64) I am running
> > boa.  I could have
> > hacked Apache even more, but figured I didn't really need
> > that much
> > functionality, since I'm not doing vhosting, and don't
> > really have any use
> > for PHP or CGI--I wouldn't want to go overboard on these
> > poor machines!
> > 
> > My Apache C64 then forwards or redirects requests to each
> > of the other 4
> > machines in a nearly-random fassion, which allows for a
> > great performance
> > boost.  Before I had the cluster going, I was serving
> > about .03 hits/sec. 
> > Now with this lovely cluster, I can serve more than twice
> > that... about .16
> > hits/sec over my 2400 baud modem.  (I'm saving up to get
> > another 20Mhz CPU
> > upgrade for the C128 so I can intall a 14.4kbps modem,
> > but first things
> > first)
> > 
> > And lastly, I have one more Vic-20 running as my tape
> > backup server.  I
> > wrote some custom sh/tar scripts to gather essential
> > files from each of the
> > other 6 machines, then back them up to a standard audio
> > cassette tape.  The
> > nightly backup process takes about 6 hours, but since
> > audio cassettes are so
> > cheap, and I'm only backing up about 150k of data, it
> > sure saves a lot of
> > money versus buying a newer computer with a commercial
> > grade tape drive.
> > 
> > Now my only question is... Since I had to use the
> > Joystick ports on each
> > computer as the network interface... Has anyone come up
> > with a way to still
> > play "Winter Games" using my joystick without disabling
> > the entire network?
> > 
> > 
> > On Mon, Apr 01, 2002 at 07:04:02AM -0600, Bruce Alderman
> > wrote:
> > > 
> > > 
> > > I've been trying to get Linux to run on my old TRS-80
> > Model III
> > > computer, with its Z-80 processor (running at 2 MHz),
> > 48k of memory
> > > (upgraded from the original 16k), dual 5.25" floppy
> > drives (also an
> > > upgrade), and cassette tape backup.
> > > 
> > > After trying a tiny Linux mini-distribution I
> > downloaded from
> > > www.you'rekidding.net, I decided to go with a slightly
> > more robust
> > > version I found at www.thishastobeajoke,right?.org. 
> > I'm still working
> > > on getting X configured properly.  The TRS-80 has only
> > 128x48 graphics
> > > resolution, and the built-in monitor is monochrome. 
> > Also I'm having
> > > lots of problems getting my daisy-wheel printer to
> > handle Postscript
> > > files.  But it's been a lot of fun trying to get
> > everything to work
> > > together.
> > > 
> > > If I can find another TRS-80 somewhere, I'd like to try
> > to network them
> > > together.  Maybe I can buy one from an itinerant
> > merchant at the next
> > > Saturday Sale.
> > > 
> > > Anyway, as I mentioned earlier: it's a tiny
> > distribution, and several
> > > components had to be left out to fit on the TRS-80's
> > 180k floppies.
> > > There's no modem-related software, for example.  This
> > wasn't a problem
> > > until last week, when I found a TRS-80 compatible modem
> > in a local
> > > junkyard.  Why somebody threw out a perfectly good 300
> > baud modem is
> > > beyond me.  They could have sold it at eBay.  Anyway, I
> > salvaged it,
> > > installed it in my machine, and wrote a crufty dialer
> > program using the
> > > TRS-80's ROM BASIC interpreter (an early Microsoft
> > product, but what
> > > else can I do?)  I've been leaving the machine on 24/7,
> > mainly because
> > > that's how long it takes to download my email.
> > > 
> > > But now I'm worried someone is going to hack my system,
> > and I haven't
> > > been able to find any good TRS-80 firewall software. 
> > Granted, the
> > > system speed is probably enough of a deterrent to keep
> > me safe.
> > > However, I'd sleep better at night if I was sure my
> > machine was
> > > protected from intruders.
> > > 
> > > Can anyone help me?
> > > 
> > > -- 
> > > Bruce Alderman                               
> > baa@xxxxxxxxxx
> > >                  http://www.intcon.net/~baa
> > > "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great
> > battle."
> > >                                        - Philo of
> > Alexandria
> > > 
> > > 
> > > -- This is the discussion@xxxxxxxxx list.  To
> > unsubscribe,
> > > visit
> > http://www.complete.org/cgi-bin/listargate-aclug.cgi
> > 
> > --
> > Tech Support: "Ok, in the lower left-hand corner of File
> > Manager, what does
> > it have for 'Free'?"
> > Customer: "10,578 kegabytes."
> > --
> > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> > - - - - - - -
> >   Jonathan Hall  *  jonhall@xxxxxxxxxxxx  *  PGP public
> > key available
> >  Systems Admin, Future Internet Services; Goessel, KS *
> > (620) 367-2487
> >          http://www.futureks.net/  *  PGP Key ID: FE 00
> > FD 51
> >                   -=  Running Debian GNU/Linux  =-
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> > unsubscribe,
> > visit
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> > 
> 
> 
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after he tried to pass two (counterfeit) $16 bills.
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  Jonathan Hall  *  jonhall@xxxxxxxxxxxx  *  PGP public key available
 Systems Admin, Future Internet Services; Goessel, KS * (620) 367-2487
         http://www.futureks.net/  *  PGP Key ID: FE 00 FD 51
                  -=  Running Debian GNU/Linux  =-
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