Using an old PPC machine as a home firewall HELP please

Fuzzi99 · 11-14-2010, 09:54 PM

what is the best way to turn a pre 2000 macpro into a home/small office firewall?

nxja · 11-15-2010, 03:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fuzzi99

what is the best way to turn a pre 2000 macpro into a home/small office firewall?

that would be a PowerMac (g3 or g4, unless it's a beige g3... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Macintosh_G3)
i noticed your id area says you use mint. there's a mintppc. looks like few people use it, though.

searching, i also see cruxppc...

http://www.google.com/search?q=site%...dr=all&num=100
http://www.google.com/search?q=site%...dr=all&num=100
http://www.google.com/search?q=forum...dr=all&num=100

i think your biggest work will be setting up the firewall :-/

peonuser · 11-15-2010, 04:30 AM

Depends on whether it is a new world mac or not. I know the blue g3's (new world) were real easy to install linux on. Just boot and go. The old beige systems I think had to have a special boot loader. Maybe the mac mint or gentoo version has that. Not sure.

http://www.penguinppc.org/bootloaders/

jefro · 11-15-2010, 03:36 PM

Don't forget that one could run a virtual machine on any current computer. A distro like untangle would help to protect your data.

To answer you question yes, one could use the mac on some bsd's or linux's.

I'd think about the energy costs too. Maybe a simple atom based or microcomputer would be better or even a dd-wrt.

Fuzzi99 · 11-15-2010, 05:56 PM

Hi the computer in question is a 'Power Macintosh 8500/180' pre USB I'm mainly wondering what version will boot on it, I tried Debian lenny and Fedora Core 4 neither worked. I also found out that it is and Old World Mac, I take it that means it will be harder to install *nix onto it?

jefro · 11-15-2010, 08:01 PM

http://www.debian.org/ports/powerpc/inst/install

peonuser · 11-16-2010, 12:00 AM

Someone mentioned in another thread along the lines of this one that yellowdog 3 (based on the old RH) might be a good choice.

Fuzzi99 · 11-16-2010, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peonuser

Someone mentioned in another thread along the lines of this one that yellowdog 3 (based on the old RH) might be a good choice.

I tried Yellow Dog on one of my iBooks and found that it was worse than Fedora core 4 (which was the only fedora ppc disc I had at the time) and Debian, the screen was split in the middle and at places overlapped. I've never used (and never will use) yellow dog again/since

Fuzzi99 · 11-16-2010, 01:10 AM

I have the OS now I just need help turning it into a dedicated firewall

peonuser · 11-16-2010, 10:23 AM

Research Iptables.

jefro · 11-16-2010, 03:51 PM

YDL one of the oldest that I can remember.

http://www.yellowdoglinux.com/suppor...firewall.shtml

http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=yellowdog

http://www.yellowdog-board.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5438

http://www.yellowdoglinux.com/suppor...nections.shtml

Kind of depends on all what you want it to do. I agree that Iptables is a start but you may even wish other features.

Examples.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ClarkConnect
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ClearOS
You get the idea.