Baslinux mailing list

[Lee Forrest <lforrestster AT gmail.com>]

I've come to the conclusion that the only way to make the tiny
linux concept work (10 floppies or less) is to create a new
internet. M$ and the merchants rule the one that exists now.

We need one that is designed for tiny OSes and slow connections.

It would be easy to write simple servers and clients using bash
and netcat if you limited the files they sent/received to plain
language text, binary, or basic HTML.

By basic HTML, I mean that what you see on the page is exactly
what you get when you print it, although it may take several
paper pages to do so. 

In The Beginning :-), back when scientists and academics ran
the internet; before the merchants took over, it provided the
virtual equivalents of these basic services, using nothing but
basic HTML and plain language text and binary files, on very slow
connections:

Post Office  SMTP/POP
Newstand HTTP/FTP
Magazine Stand HTTP/FTP
Library HTTP/FTP
University NNTP/FTP/HTTP/SMTP/POP/IRC
Public and Private Forums NNTP/IRC
Telephone IRC  (private channel)
Bulletin Boards NNTP/HTTP/FTP
Art Galleries: HTTP/FTP

HTTP is a faster protocol than FTP, and the latter should
probably be dropped. I'd make IRC private channel by default (IM)
with the option to add other users (conference calls). I'd make
HTTP non-interactive except for links. If you want to interact
with the website, mail the webmaster.

Throw in a DNS server and an LDAP server (web directory: search
engines suck) and you're there. A new-old internet. Make each box
a router (simple enough to restrict it's use to members) and the
new internet is complete.

That LDAP server would also have links to external web sites and
ftp sites and mail servers, etc, that were accessible with tiny
linux. People would add any such sites they found.

Lee

-- 
BasicLinux: Small is Beautiful
http://www.basiclinux.com.ru