Subject: X questions, SLiRP v. SLIP/IP-NAT question
To: Port Mac 68K <port-mac68k@NetBSD.ORG>
From: Mason Loring Bliss <mason@acheron.middleboro.ma.us>
List: current-users
Date: 09/24/1997 11:56:57
Hi, all.

I'm wondering... How much memory does running X use? How much additional
drive space? I've got an SE/30 with eight megs of RAM and twenty of swap,
and if it's feasable, I'd like to start running X.

I typically run with four to five megs in swap and between half a meg and a
meg of free chip RAM.

Presently free drive space:

/dev/sd0a      143055   107642    21107    84%    /
/dev/sd1g       75194    19832    47842    29%    /icebox

If this looks like it won't bring my system to its knees, I'd like to give
it a whack.

Next up, I've got my Mac Q610 connected to the SE/30 via a serial line, and
I use SLiRP to talk. This setup generally works, except that I can't
successfully ftp into my NetBSD box, which is a pain, and I can't ftp into
many outside sites unless I set my client to "passive" mode, whatever that
is. ftping out from the NetBSD machine works fine, however - it's just
ftping over SLiRP that gives me problems. From my understanding, the way
SLiRP works is much the same as the way IP-NAT works. Am I likely to see
any benefit from switching to SLIP/IP-NAT? I'd almost rather use PPP, but I
use that to connect to the outside world, and I haven't figured out how to
do more than one PPP connection at a time.

Lastly, I've heard rumours of freeware Mac-side software that serves X.
Does anyone have any information this way? What I *think* I'm looking for
is something akin to eXodus or MacX. Another, related question: Would
running an X connection over a 19200 baud SLIP connection be too painful to
consider? Or would it be okay?

If I manage to get one of the jobs I'm pursuing, lots of this will be
irrelevant, as my first monetary goal would be to pick up something with
ethernet and lots of memory and drive space on which I can run NetBSD, but
I'd like to consider the options available with my current setup, given
that my resume hasn't pulled in any job offers yet. (If anyone out in the
New England area hires mildly-experienced Unix admins, let's talk!)

--
        Mason Loring Bliss    /\    mason@acheron.middleboro.ma.us
     www.webtrek.com/mason   /()\   awake ? sleep() : dream();
<barbaric>YAWP!</barbaric>  /    \  Squeak to me of love!