What OS for the HP NetServer?

MentalMadness

I got a HP NetServer e30, without Operating System. It is going to be used as a webserver, fileserver, FTP server, and most important: Wireless LAN Accespoint. Im going to put a 54mbit WLAN PCI card in it and put it in ad-hoc mode. But the only problem is, what OS supports WLAN, and can still meet the system specs of my server? here are the servers' specs:

Intel Pentium 166mhz
16 MB ECC EDO RAM
2x2.1gb SCSI
8 gb SCSI Tapestreamer
20gb IDE HDD
4x CD writer
onboad VGA
3com 3c905TX-NM 100mbit NIC
(soon) 54mbit WLAN NIC

any ideas?

Im not affraid to put linux on it, but i dont know which distro to use. OS/2 and Win NT4 have bad WLAN support, and Win2k doesnt work well with 16mb ram.

Q

Umm, this going to be just a server? I'd go with SuSE, because I've had good experiences with it.

-Q

stitch

Id buy some ram and use a *nix os.

MentalMadness

Topher wrote:

Id buy some ram and use a *nix os.

More ram is expensive, because the ECC EDO SIMMs are hard to find, and very expensive..

Suse? im currently downloading Debian. Which will be better? Im not going to use it for anything else, its just a server.

Q

That definately, 16MB isn't very good. It'd severely limit what you could do without having a significant swap-file.

-Q

MentalMadness

Q wrote:

That definately, 16MB isn't very good. It'd severely limit what you could do without having a significant swap-file.

-Q

16mb was the standard amount of memory for a server back then... (fail)

Q

That's back then...

@ any rate, Debian might be good to you, I;ve had good luck with SuSE.

-Q

stitch

Yeah but servers couldnt do all this fancy stuff we had today

What kinda memory does it take? Simms or Dimms? i know its edo.

Q

I think SIMMs...

-Q

BOD

MentalMadness wrote:

because the ECC EDO SIMMs a

SIMMS......

Q

I wonder if I guessed, or if that was in my subconscious from having read it...

-Q

stitch

i got 64 mb of edo simms mental.

Q

I think I do to! But I'd have to have Fish send them to you...

-Q

stitch

Q wrote:

I think I do to! But I'd have to have Fish send them to you...

-Q

ship without putting on your address

Q

But then if it miscarries it's sunk!

-Q

PS. I have @least 48MB EDO SIMMs

BOD

why not fly there? cant be too expensive..... lol

MentalMadness

I have EDO SIMMs as well, but the server needs ECC (error correcting code) SIMMs. I tried normal SIMMs, but the server doesnt boot with non-ecc.

stitch

ohhhhhhhhhhok

Q

POORNESS! Well I don't know what to do for you then...

-Q

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MentalMadness

Tomchu wrote:

If you're going to run Linux, make sure you get an ancient distro. Nothing modern will run well in 16 MB.

any suggestions/links? im a complete linux n00b.
Will ancient distros support WLAN?

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

BOD

i surprised tom hasnt sugested *BSD

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

Ka0s

Just use NT4 workstation on that thing

Q

MentalMadness wrote:

OS/2 and Win NT4 have bad WLAN support...

Not likely according to him...

-Q

nightice

I would recommend muLinux, which comes with all the server software you need, plus the tools to compile a kernel that supports wireless (it has 2.0.36(!)), fits on 14 floppies, and can be easily installed to the hard drive.

Slash

If you wanna use that PC for server, as far as I know all you can make to work there is Linux in command prompt... some older versions...
And if it's just 16Megs, so try NT4...

Bash

How about NT 3.xx?

BOD

i dont think they support wireless :P

Q

Yea that's really the blocker here, something small, and yet new enough (Or able to be jury-rigged) to support WLAN.

-Q