Baslinux mailing list

[Lee Forrest <lforrestster AT gmail.com>]

Greetings to the List. I've read quite a bit in the Archives and
almost feel like I know some of you.

Steven,

On Wed, Nov 22, 2006 at 05:42:28AM +1300, 3aoo-cvfd AT dea.spamcon.org wrote:
> Lee Forrest wrote:

Some background: After installing BL on my hdd, I tried to
subscribe to the List and the MTA there kept rejecting my mails.

John Beck was a lot of help, and put me in touch with Steven, who
suggested that I use gmail.

> >
> > Gmail: I will have to work at getting TLS up for 
> > gmail (never used it before) 

Turned out the basic functionality for each is built into
fetchmail and msmtp. Just had to to add a couple of lines to the
rc files.

TLS and SSl? That makes me feel so secure. No one but google
has unlimited access to, and license to do anything with, all of
my mail (read the TOS). Sarcasm intended. 

> 
> Opera does TLS and works fine with gmail.
> I think Thunderbird does too.

I like my browsers to be browsers and my mail clients
to be mail clients, but thanks for the suggestion.

> > I've read a lot of your helpful posts in the list 
> > archives and get the impression that you created 
> > BasicLinux.
> 
> Yes I did.

Get that man a [unit of favorite mind-altering substance].
Make that a case!

> > I plan on building it up to a replacement for Debian,
> > which I use now. (too complex and bloated). 
> 
> I use BL2 on my main system (which runs Firefox, OpenOfffice,
> etc.).  I use BL3 on all my other computers.

I hope to join you soon. Debian is very stable, but it is
enormously bloated and complex. Unfortunately, Slack has gone the
same way.

Why? To cater to the needs of people who use the internet as
a virtual shopping mall: video arcade; movies; concerts; stores.

> > Will try to stick to libc5 and less than 20MB.  Just static 
> > graphics and no sound. A dial-up distro, so-to-speak.  Run 
> > from the keyboard.
> 
> Sindi is very experienced in that area.

I have read many of his/her articles and benefited much for the
experience.

> > Will need simple firewall
> 
> BL1 had firewalling built into the kernel and ipfwadm was
> included.  Nobody seemed to be using it (except me) so I
> left it out.

Huh. They better hope a skilled cracker doesn't decide to target
them. 

>  For BL3 you will need to use the big kernel
> (the easy option) or compile your own small kernel (the 
> best option).

What's the best compiler to use for BL?

> > ssl/tls
> 
> openssl will work on BL3.

Turns out I don't need it. Just the libs.

> 
> > packet-reader, portmapper
> 
> nmap runs on BL3

Good. That's what I use now.

> -----------------------------------------
> http://basiclinux.com.ru/add-ons/nmap.tgz
> -----------------------------------------

No such package there, I'm afraid. But I'll
figure out how to use the slack 4.0 packages.

> 
> > newsreader
> 
> Slackware 4.0 has package.
> 
> > optional-image-downloading browser
> 
> Opera, links2, Netscape 3.04 (BL1)
> 
> > vi, compiler, screen
> 
> Slackware 4.0.  There have been previous posts
> about what packages are needed for compiling.
> 

Good. Thanks. 

> > pdf viewer/creator
> 
> Slackware 4.0 has a pdf package, but it is not
> up-to-date and is unable to display some pdfs.
> I use xpdf 3.01 on BL2.

When is someone going to create a printer that
reads HTML? It's evolved enough for that, isn't
it? I really don't like PDF/PS.

> > imagemagick
> 
> There is a package in Slackware 4.0.
>  
> > Sure wish that I could integrate the xserver and screen. 
> > I love screen
> 
> I think Sindi has done a lot with screen.  
> 
> > which is a better window manager and networker than
> > anything X
> 
> Sindi has done some minimalistic stuff with X too.
> 
> > Presently, I run screen in a tiny x-terminal-emulator in 
> > a tiny window manager. 
> 
> I don't think you'll get anything tinier than the
> swm in BL3.  It's even smaller if you leave out
> the optional menu.

I'm considering dropping X altogether. I only use it for
graphics, and there are other options. 

The W3m I am using right now loads images in web pages in
a screen pty, which I didn't think was possible, although
I think it uses the xlibs. Don't know if it would work without
the X server. On the list to check that out.


Thanks a bunch, Steven. Finally made it!

Lee