Re: setting up a minimal PC as RH9 firewall

From: Andy (andyfr-at-datacom-dot-co-dot-nz)
Date: 10/22/03 

Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2003 09:34:47 +1300

€®ik wrote:
> I want to set up a minimal PC (as in power consumption) as a RH9
> firewall.
> I was thinking of getting an old 486 board, with no fans, no harddisk
> and maybe get the thing booted from floppy and/or CDROM.
> I'd make the CD on another machine...
>
> Or maybe get it to boot from the NIC card, getting the OS from a
> machine in the local network.
>
> I would want to build the minimal kernel myself, or get a really good
> one from the net somewhere.
> I want to build the Netfilter / IPTables myself, using one or two good
> books on Netfilter.
>
> So, lots of problems to solve, lots to learn in the process.
>
> Anyone have suggestions on where to find relevant info and software ?
> I already have RH9 and I can build a kernel.
> Main thing is getting the stuff on CD and bootfloppy: what goes where
> and how.
> Most old 486 boards can't boot from CD, can they ?
>
> frgr
> Erik
>

RH9 may me a bit over the top for this by the time you strip the kernel
back.

Have a look at http://www.zelow.no/floppyfw/ for yet another "ready to
roll" linux/iptables firewall that will boot from a floppy and has
minimal hardware requirements.

- Andy -

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