[luau] Linux newbie seeks easy transition

[Karen Lofstrom]

Hello all,

I just subscribed to this list today. I'm an experienced Unix shell user
and I've had one course in Unix system administration at HCC, as well as a
few other courses that used Unix peripherally. I am also the proud
owner of a hand-me-down Linux box, which my chip-designer brother gave me
when he didn't want to upgrade it any longer. He loaded SUSE 7.3 on it
(all six gigs), handed me a few books on Linux system administration, and
urged me to go for it.

Going for it is harder than I thought. I'm still using my old Win98SE
computer for most things, simply because that's where I have all my
software and files. Both the Linux box and the Win98 box are connected to
a KVM switch, so switching between boxes is fine as far as the keyboard,
video, and monitor are concerned. However, the speakers, printer, scanner,
and modem are all still hooked up to the Win98 box. I'm only using the
Linux box for games. Sad misuse of the beast.

I strongly believe in open source software and if I'm going to migrate
from one OS to another, want to migrate from Win98SE to Linux, NOT to
Win2k. But I'm not sure I'm ready for an abrupt jump. I'd lose too much.
Like all my financial records, for one thing.

I'm guessing that a number of the folks reading this list have done a
similar migration, so I'm looking for strategies and things to avoid and
suchlike. My current thought is that the optimal strategy would be to get
DSL, a NAT, a network printer, and then network the two Windoze computers
in the house (mine and my daughter's) through the Linux box. But since
money is tight until I have a job (I'm a student at HCC right now) I'm
wondering if there's any way I can do this without buying a
network-capable printer and new network hardware. Upgrading to DSL
shouldn't be a problem -- if I ever get around to it -- because as a
LavaNet shareholder, I get free service there. Would cost about the same
as my current two phone lines.

Suggestions?

-- 
Karen Lofstrom        SCIENTOLOGIST BAIT             lofstrom at lava.net
----------------------------------------------------------------------
OT7-48 1. Find some plants, trees, etc., and communicate to them
          individually until you know they received your communication.