Linux Router

[Eric Dunbar]

On 7/27/05, Derick Centeno <aguilarojo at verizon.net> wrote:
> The other aspect you should consider is the changes in services,
> support and what will be or remain available as Apple completes the
> switch to Intel.
> 
> Consider that in the past, users of older Macs could rely upon
> similarities between newer Macs.  This flexibility will not be the case
> in the future and whatever is coming out now or for the next few months
> will be the last or next to last of the PowerPC line as far as Apple is
> concerned, which also includes cards, and other components which
> support those systems.  This means that you will have to eventually
> choose whether you will move on to Apple's Mac/Intel systems and the
> Linux which runs it.  Or as the PowerPC Mac market shrinks whether you
> will stay with PowerPC based Linux and computers.  Right now, the
> popular PowerPC hardware available short of IBM's PowerPC based
> computers (available directly from them) is a company known as Genesi
> (www.pegasosppc.com).  There may be others, but right now that's it.
> Take a look at their systems and think carefully.

Umm. At the risk of veering off topic... Does this really relate to
the thread's topic? I'm the master of taking things off topic, but,
even I cannot see how setting up a router (a static item) has much to
do, if anything, with the future of the Mac platform on PPC and
Apple's Mac OS X offerings (other than the router will run on PPC
platform).

What I do question is why the original poster needs a router, and, I
hope he has thought it through. Running a full fledged computer as a
router (when a router already exists) triples or quadruples the energy
cost (upwards of $50-100/year IIRC for an always-on comptuer router),
and, it requires time and effort for support (plus, a Beige G3 won't
exactly be the most reliable of machines given that it's nearly a
decade old). However, if there's a need for advanced firewall
features, then, it's a good idea :-)

Eric.