On Mon, 30 Apr 2007 07:14:02 -0700, ANC
<acanton.take-out@adams-blake.no_spamxxx.com> wrote:

>I can pick up an ancient IBM 600e Thinkpad for free. I know Slack will
>work fine with it as I once had a 600 (no 'e') that worked fine.
>
>IF I can find a wireless card for it, AND I load the current version of
>Slack, would it work in Starbucks, airport, etc? Or will I need to add
>some additional wifi package ?
>
>(This thing is so old it doesn't even have built in ethernet. You have
>to use a card! But it works with a live Linux CD. I tried Damn Small
>Linux. Fonts from hell. Mepis works but slow as hell.)
>
>Would you suggest Slax for a tiny 256MB, 6 GB 900 mhz. machine?

256GB 900Mhz is'nt a bad computer. That is what they are going to use
for the $100 ( now $175 :-) ) laptop for kids in the 3rd world.
http://hardware.slashdot.org/article...54245&from=rss


Now I have an old Canon, with a 90Mz Pentium and 64 Meg Ram, and
I can put Slackware on it.

I hear that Atheros based cards work well with linux.
If you get one of those, all you need to do is
Get the madwifi patch/module (google for it)
Once it's built and installed .... I'll assume a static ip.

ifconfig ath0 up
ifconfig ath0 inet 192.168.0.1 (may need a different number,
or use DHCP)

iwlist ath0 scan # will tell you what networks are available
# if they broadcast their ssid

#connect to wireless network
wpa_supplicant -w -iath0 -c/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf -d

Read the fine examples in /usr/doc/wpa-supplicant-0.5.7.
It explains how to set pcmcia settings for card detection.
It also has an example for a simple airport/coffeeshop
wpa_supplicant.conf that has no password:

# Plaintext (no encryption) network
ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
network={
ssid="example open network"
key_mgmt=NONE
}


You might need to set your route too, like
route add default ath0 (possibly with a gw address)

That is the bare minimum to get you going. There are of course,
fancier front ends, that allow you to have multiple network config
files to connect at different locations.
wpa_cli is one such program.


Good luck.
zentara




--
I'm not really a human, but I play one on earth.
http://zentara.net/japh.html