Subj : Linux, networking, etc.
To   : Dumas Walker
From : nelgin
Date : Sun Jul 20 2025 19:26:44

  Re: Linux, networking, etc.
  By: Dumas Walker to POINDEXTER FORTRAN on Sun Jul 20 2025 10:27:28

 > My timeline is probably off from yours because you were encountering it
 > professionally while my encounters were all not at work, so everyone I knew
 > who knew of linux was a hobbiest.  The places I was working 1994-98 were
 > either still running something on top of DOS and Netware (like Wordperfect
 > Office, a Baby-36 emulator, or a Kermit terminal to access a "bigger
 > machine"), were running OS/2 (one client), and a few were either running
 > Windows 3.1 or
 > WfWG 3.11 (the latter for networking).

This takes me back. I first started using Unix in about 1989 when I stared out with SCO Unix. At my first couple of jobs I encountered other *nix such as Xenix, Dynix, AIX, and a few others. I first discovered Linux when I picked up a .net magazine (It was a British mag for internet stuff) and it included a copy of Slackware 1.2.13. I accidentally blew away my WfW3.11 setup since I had no idea about duel bootings and the like at the time and Remember I was stuch with a "LI" something or other at the top. Another ago and LILO eventually ran and booted up, slowly, on my 486dx66 with 4mb ram. I eventually updated the system to a 486DX4-120 which I sent to the US before my immigration to be used for an IRC server in Toledo.

Anyway, I friend got me to try NetBSD and I used that for a while but I always had problems updating and getting library problems. I picked up a copy of Mandrake (to be Mandriva) at a local Half Price Books. I used that for a long time, but got tired of packages being out of date. I swithed to CentOS and got along well until they decided to go continuous release. I fiddled around with various releases until setting on Ubuntu which I was already using for my BBS machine by now anyway, eventually converting everything else over.

I did play with Yellowdog on a Mac G4 at work for a while, and also had the misfortune to come across zOS. I was sent on a 4 day course because the company might want to use it. They didn't. They were Nortel and went belly up.

Interesting thing about Linux was that it had SCO Compatability. It would run MicroFocus Cobol and would run our product. I have no idea if it can still do that.

A nice walk down memory lane. I think this is pretty much documented elsewhere, maybe I should just create a webpage and point to it eveytime this sort of thing comes up.

.