Topic: Installing SME on a really hold laptop.

[pat]

Hi all,

I know there have been similar questions asked on the forums... but I was unable to find an answer to my problem.

I got my hands on an old Notebook computer (Pentium90) that I want to turn into a firewall.

Only problem is that I have no CDROM for the thing only a bootable floppy drive

So my only alternative is to do a netinstall. That's all fine... but in order to connect to my LAN I need drivers for my Nic(s). Cool!. But then I need PCMCIA drivers to be loaded from the boot floppy... Oops.. and this is where it gets tough.

Is it possible?

How do I do that?

plese help.

kindly,

pat

[Tom Haynes]

This sounds like too much work to me.

I vote for finding a P200 with 128 megs of ram as a starting point for an e-smith project.

There may be a better distribution for what you have in mind. If all you want is a firewall, there may be something out there that is PCMCIA ready and requires fewer resources

[Jáder Marasca]

I suggest you to take a look at this site:
www.smoothwall.org

It´s a firewall only install with web interface.
You can install with just one floppy.
I´m not sure about PCMCIA NIC support...but it´s possible... just *I* don´t know how to!

I´ve been using Smoothwall as firewall for 2 years now: it´s fantastic!
Just be sure to read docs BEFORE post on lists... Smoothwall list is answered by his developers and some answers are RUDE!

Jáder

[ntblade]

Or...
http://www.ipcop.org

Friendlier list and completely GPL.  1.4 due out soon!

[Jáder Marasca]

ntblade wrote:
> http://www.ipcop.org
> Friendlier list and completely GPL.  1.4 due out soon!

Only one problem... SFIK they´re slow to fix bugs... they have used Smoothwall code (it´s GPL isn´t!) to create a new branch!

[Dick]

I wish people like you engaged brain before posting. Yes it's GPL (so is 95% of ESmith). IPCop's only real problem is the fact they are slow historically on patch updates. I've given support (hardware and software) to development of the new 1.4.a tree and thats going well.

However in over 2m installs its never been breached and thats not bad for something I invented in my spare bedroom.

Please engage brain before posting especially when security related.

[Boris]

dick, I wish people like you engaged brain instead of posting.

[bob]

Look at cyote. I don't know setting up the pcmcia slots though. Cyote was reccomended to me, abt have not tried it yet. You configure it on a windows machien, and it creates a bootable floppy. needs only a 486-25 or better, and minial amount of ram.

bob

[boris]

<www.mikrotik.com>

supports pcmcia and has low HW requirements.