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Old 22-Jun-2009, 16:36
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Default Re: Remote Desktop Connection

Quote:
Originally Posted by sternj2656 View Post
Thanks Swerdna!

Assuming the machine can handle the upgraded O/S, which Linux distribution should I upgrade to?

What would be the minimum hardware requirements for the upgrade O/S?

Can anyone tell if my existing Mandrake 6.1 is able to do port-forwarding for RDP?

Thanks.
The mandrake machine's purpose is to be an extra firewall: so you have firewalls like this: Machine --> store-bought router --> personal firewall on LAN machines. For each LAN machine that makes three firewalls. I regard that as overkill, what we would call "paranoid" level. But if that's what you want, that's fine, just thought I'd mention that IMHO it's not necessary.

Having said that, now to your questions:
Check out the lightweight dedicated firewalls. Like this one, Smoothwall:
About the SmoothWall GPL Project - SmoothWall.org

You could use SuSEfirewall2 in openSUSE 11.1 which has min harware requirements of pentium 1, 256 MB ram (512 recommended), 500Mb hard drive (3Gb recommended). I'd run it in Gnome or KDE3. (not KDE4 which has big issues with remote desktop stuff).

If I wasn't such a suSEophile, I'd try Smoothwall or similar. I haven't used a lightweight dedicated firewall but the concept seems just right for your old hardware.

FYI: openSUSE 11.1: Hardware Requirements

Do some Google research on dedicated firewalls, my suggestion Smoothwall is not the only thing out there.
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