by Scott VanderPloeg
I don't know why, but every time I read about a different operating system for the Intel platform I want to try it out. Most reviews glow about the benefits of Linux and Be, the two mainstream alternatives. I've tried several versions of both and would like to share my Linux findings. I'd like to state right off the bat that I'm a Windows user through and through, with very limited alternative OS usage ( a few tries of OS/2 way back when ).
You can't go anywhere without hearing about Linux, the operating system created by a Finnish university student who gave it away for free as part of the open source software movement. Open source advocates believe all software should be free, so improvements can be worked on by people all over the work and posted online to share. This is how Linux proved became so popular in such a short time; another child of the internet age. While Linux is worked on by people around the globe, a handful of distributors arguably control its fate. The big ones are Red Hat, Caldera and Corel. Each packages Linux with their own tools and distributes it for free over the net or in retail boxes if you want some technical support. A good reference point for downloads is www.linux.com, which lists current versions and download sites.
Let's look at the basics: Linux is based on Unix, an old operating system designed for big computers back in the day. It started as command line only, but gradually added a GUI, or graphic user interface, like Windows and the Mac OS. This gave Linux a friendly face and some mainstream momentum, as well as creating some rich companies after their IPO's. With all the news surrounding Microsoft's monopoly case, everything Linux has gained media favour.
I installed Corel Linux 1.1 from the downloadable ISO file. ISO files are CD images that your write to a blank using pretty much any CDR software. It's a big download, over 600 MB, so be prepared to wait. The tricky thing with Linux is the short list of supported hardware, all of it somewhat old, so I installed it on an IBM Pentium 133 with 32 MB of RAM and an Intel NIC ( network interface card ). Linux users are always touting its ability to run in old hardware, so I thought why not. I had used this hardware configuration successfully for a year with Windows NT.
The installation went very smoothly, asking me for a username and password and then a reboot. After that I was in Corel Linux running the KDE desktop interface. Linux has two main interfaces, KDE and Gnome ; unfortunately I've only used KDE so I can't give an opinion on that. It's a lot like the old Windows 3.1 days when PC Tools and Norton were competing with their desktop products. Corel adds a few features to KDE, like it's File Manager and control panel, both designed with Windows users in mind.
I set up the network through the control panel, configuring for WINS and DNS, and was able to log on to my NT server. The funny thing was the browsing, which took over thirty minutes just to see the contents of my public directory. Subsequent usage never improved this situation. I've been trying to install Word Perfect to no avail; I'm not getting the hang of this install thing. I'm sure if I made Linux my default OS I would be forced to learn, but I'm not there yet.
My second Linux attempt came in the way of Netmax servers. Netmax bundles a version of Linux with a custom interface to set up an easy to use server. If you've read of Cobalt or Rebel Linux servers, Netmax allows the same functionality but with your own hardware. I took my trusty Pentium 133 machine and installed the full Netmax Professional, then wiped everything and installed the File Server version. Netmax offers four versions: File Server with file and print sharing and backup, Web Server with http, ftp and email serving, Fire Wall with internet sharing and DHCP serving, and Netmax Professional which bundles it all together.
Basically you put in a floppy and CD-ROM, then accept the defaults and you're up and running. The custom interface runs through Netscape for Linux on the computer, but it's designed to be managed through a browser from any computer on your network with the right password. I found my NT experience getting in the way of setting things up, but found the software easy to use and very handy. The menus and options are fairly straight forward, but only if you've had some server experience. The web site expands on a lot of the software content and should help you over the bumps, especially since the manuals are thin. It ran a little slow, but I was using a low end machine that was just lying around. Put the software on a Pentium II machine and it really shines.
If you're running a small business and need a server package but can't afford to pay per seat licensing fees and all that, get a copy of Netmax Professional. If your needs are more modest, get one of the tailored packages like Fire Wall or Web Server. The three custom servers go for U.S. $99, while Professional runs U.S. $399.
If all you want to do is set up an internet sharing machine, and you have cable or DSL access, check out e-Smith. They distribute a free server product, e-Smith Server and Gateway, similar to Netmax Professional via a downloadable ISO file. It seems they want to make their money via service contracts, but for those willing to go it alone it's free. All management is done via a web browser after the initial setup, just like Netmax. Features are comparable, but they want you to use PCI network adapters versus Netmax's ability to use ISA adapters. Since cable or DSL will not max out a 10BaseT connection, ISA is a safe route. If you want to use the full server features, 100BaseT is the only way to go, which requires PCI NIC adapters. Of course the price of e-Smith's product can't be overlooked, and it's feature set is quite good. It's worth the download to give it a try and see what can be done with the e-Smith Server and Gateway. Nowadays, what can you get for free?
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