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Re: Installing Linux on a 10Base-T ethernet



> I have a 10Base-T ethernet running under Netware 3.12. Server is 486DX2 
> and it has about 20 486DX connected to it. The server has 1g1 disk, from 
> which 16Kb are FAT and the rest are Novell filesystem. The stations has 
> no harddisk but just a floppy.
> 
> What are my options for installing Linux on it, preferbly without 
> touching the server, and (if possible) using networking features on the 
> workstations? (the maximum I can do is take the server down, but not to 
> run anything on it).
> 
If you are thinking of installing Linux on the existing file server, 
you probably can only boot Linux or NetWare one at a time, but not 
concurrently running both operating systems. However, if you want the 
coexistance of NetWare NOS and Linux install on one of your 486/DX 
workstation, you might or might not need to run "something" on your 
NetWare fileserver.

1. If you want the Linux workstation to access files located at your 
NetWare fileserver, you have two options : a. To run dosemu (Dos 
Emulation) program at your Linux workstation, and run netx.exe or 
vlm.exe from that Linux workstation, and you shall be able to attach 
and login to your NetWare fileserver. In this case, you don't have 
to run anything at the NetWare fileserver. b. Get a copy of Caldera 
Network Desktop (a commercial Linux), and use the NetWare client 
built-in which support NetWare 3.1X and NetWare 4.X NDS. Trust me, 
you will like the GUI Desktop and userfriendly GUI NDS tools, if you 
are going to upgrade to NetWare 4.1 in the future. More info of 
Caldera on http://www.caldera.com

2. If you want to mount the Linux filesystem at a NetWare volume, you 
probably have to get NetWare NFS or NetWare NFS Gateway (I can't 
remember which one). It is an NLM to be loaded on the NetWare file 
server.

3. If you want all your workstation to access Linux without running 
TCP/IP stack on each workstation, you can use FireFox NOV*IX. It has 
a TCP/IP to IPX/SPX gateway NLM to be loaded on the NetWare 
fileserver and all NetWare client can use just IPX/SPX to access the 
TCP/IP host (Linux).

Hope that helps.

Regards,
Yew-Han.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Yew-Han Hee(yhhee@mcsb.com.my)
Specialist, Product Development
MCSB Group of Companies
Tel : +603-244-4545
Fax : +603-243-1876