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Suggestions for remote AP install on old hardware

  • 31-07-2005 12:36am
    #1
    tomk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,067 ✭✭✭


    I'm looking for a distro to fit the following situation:

    Purpose - Wireless AP
    Hardware - Ancient P166, 32MB RAM, 2GB partition available, no CD-ROM, 3Com wired NIC, Atheros-based wireless NIC.
    Install method - bootstrap from existing Linux install over ssh, preferably with no physical interaction with the machine.

    The existing install is Pebble Linux, a Debian derivative, and it's in a 1GB partition on the same hard drive as the free 2GB. Pebble is actually doing the AP job at the moment, but it's running a 2.4.26 kernel, and I'd really like to start from scratch with a recent 2.6 kernel, udev, etc. If the hardware wasn't so crappy, I'd use Arch Linux (my favourite distro), but it's for i686 only. So I've gone ahead and used debootstrap to install Debian Sarge alongside Pebble, but only because it was the only distro I knew of that could be installed that way. The intention is to do a minimal install - no X, etc, so I want to avoid downloading CDs full of unnecessary apps. debootstrap (and the Arch equivalent) install a base system over the net, and I'd be interested to hear of any other distros that can do that.

    All ideas appreciated. TIA.


Comments

  • #2
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 92,550 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    tomk wrote:
    All ideas appreciated. TIA.
    Put a wanted add for a PII with CD ?
    then again you could always put a Lage heatsink on the 166 and do away with the noisy cooling fan , which you probably couldn't do with the PII


  • #3
    tomk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,067 ✭✭✭tomk


    Thanks Cap. I can get hold of CD-equipped hardware if I need to, but I was hoping I could just upgrade the existing box in situ - the job doesn't need a PII. That heatsink idea is appreciated too, but tbh noise isn't a problem - it's not anywhere where it can disturb anyone.


  • #4
    niallb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,747 ✭✭✭niallb


    I think you're on the best track.
    Debian based distros are simplest for this kind of remote scenario.
    You could probably - if pebble had apt set up - just changed your
    /etc/apt/sources.list to a set of sarge debs and simply run
    apt-get update ; apt-get dist upgrade

    I'd have backed up the running system to the 2nd partition anyway,
    so using debootstrap has left you in the same position - if the update
    doesn't work out, you can return to pebble.

    NiallB


  • #5
    tomk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,067 ✭✭✭tomk


    That's what I've ended up with, more or less. I left Pebble pretty much as it was for fallback, and I now have Sarge with a 2.6.11 kernel, udev, and freshly-compiled madwifi. All working a treat.

    Thanks for the input.


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