Reeeally really old Compaq (print svr project)

[BassJunkie27]

Alright, so I have a really old Compaq Presario (can't find model) with an AMD-K6 3D Processor (don't know clock speed) and 184MB of RAM. It's got a 20 GB HDD and some sort of SiS video card with 8 MB of video memory. I would like to utilize this computer as a print server. Since my printer can't be networked directly (no Ethernet port on the back), I have to run it through a comp first. I'd like to network the Compaq, and run the printer through it so that I can print from anywhere in the house.

Anyways, Windows 98 is shit, and I'm wondering if there's any older version of Ubuntu or the Linux GUI family that I could install on the Compaq just to use as a print server.

Thanks in advance

-Alex

[pervitizm]

Ubuntu server is your best bet. Its command line based (no GUI think DOS), that can run on that system without issue since its low overhead on the system. You can use Webmin to administer the server if your intimidated by command line.

http://www.ubuntu.com/server

http://www.webmin.com/

How webmin works

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrraRReECRg

[Sanitarium]

pretty much any flavor of linux will work, ubuntu being the apple imac of linuxs (built for idiots).

Look into setting up samba and/or cups and you'll be set.

[BassJunkie27]

Ubuntu server is your best bet. Its command line based (no GUI think DOS), that can run on that system without issue since its low overhead on the system. You can use Webmin to administer the server if your intimidated by command line.

Thanks a lot!! But then how would I go about networking a printer through the server OS? I know my fair share about hardware and regular OS's, but I'm completely new to servers and what not.

[Sanitarium]

Thanks a lot!! But then how would I go about networking a printer through the server OS? I know my fair share about hardware and regular OS's, but I'm completely new to servers and what not.

cups.

and samba.

[pervitizm]

CUPS for the printer setup. SAMBA if you want to have a NTFS file server that can be recognized by a windows machine. If you decide to go with the Ubuntu server I would highly suggest setting up the Webmin access. Its a lot easier to then setup the print spooler and network sharing through Webmin than with the command lines.

[BassJunkie27]

cups.

and samba.

I'll try it out later today (since its 3:30 AM), and it will probably take me most of the day because I have no idea what I'm doing, I've never even heard of Cups or Samba, and I've never even used Ubuntu Server before.

Lol, should be a fun day.

[BassJunkie27]

CUPS for the printer setup. SAMBA if you want to have a NTFS file server that can be recognized by a windows machine. If you decide to go with the Ubuntu server I would highly suggest setting up the Webmin access. Its a lot easier to then setup the print spooler and network sharing through Webmin than with the command lines.

Alrighty. Thanks!! As I just said, today should be a fun day.

[BassJunkie27]

Alrighty. Thanks!! As I just said, today should be a fun day.

Actually, I won't even end up doing this because I naturally assumed that the comp had an RJ45 jack, but it doesn't. Ha!

Oh well.