From: arnold@stat.ncsu.edu (Tim Arnold)
Subject: freenet hardware 
Originator: arnold@esssta.stat.ncsu.edu
Organization: Department of Statistics, NCSU
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 15:03:25 GMT


I apologize to everyone for my previous message that got repeated
about 4 or 5 times.  

I promised to find out more about hardware used on other freenets.
In the NPTN's booklet "The Bluebook: A guide to the Development of free-net
community computer systems", in the section on hardware:

--------------------
The freenet software is designed to be transferable to a wide variety of
computers.  On the cleveland system, which is more or less our "flagship", we
currently happen to be using a mixture of IBM-RT Model 135 computers and Sun
Sparcstations which are linked together to form a seamless whole.  Your
system will probably not be anything like this size; and you do not necessarily
have to be using IBM or Sun equipment.  The Free-Net will run sucessfully on
At&T, Sun Microsystems, DEC, and many other kinds of machines.  But whatever
computer you choose, at this time, it must be a Unix-based system.

In general, even for a small town, we would recommend no less than four mb of RAM
and at least 100 mb of hard disk.  In both areas more really IS
better - especially when it comes to hard disk storage.  Get as much as you can. 
The number of phone lines you have will depend on you potential user base.  From
our experience, however, it is difficult to imagine any system that would have
less than five telephone lines and a large metropolitan area may require as many
as 30 to 50 or more.

We also feel that the Free_net should be operated on a dedicated machine, that
is, that it NOT be run on a machine that is carrying other services.  The reason
for this is one of security--both perceived and real.  In most cases, a
multiple-user Unix machine will allow its various users access to the
"shell"--the basic operating level of the system.  Once into the shell it is
difficult to keep an unscrupulous user user from crossing into the Free-Net area,
there to possibly tamper with the files, compromise the electronic mail
accounts, and so forth.  This situation can be controlled only if a user can not
get on the machine at all unless they are entering the Free-Net program.  Once
in the program, the user's options are prescribed and certainly do not include
shell access. Remember, not only must Free-Net systems be secure, they must be
perceived as being secure by your user base.
--------
END QUOTED MATERIAL

I'll put up some more info later on "Software and System Design".  If there
is no discussion here, should this stuff be forwared to the RTPFREENET list?


-- Tim
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Tim Arnold                      Instructional Computing
Internet: arnold@stat.ncsu.edu  North Carolina State Univ.
BITNET  : ARNOLD@NCSUSTAT       Dept. of Statistics, Raleigh NC 27695
Phone   : 919 515 2584          FAX: 919 515 7591
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-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tim Arnold                      Instructional Computing
Internet: arnold@stat.ncsu.edu  North Carolina State Univ.
BITNET  : ARNOLD@NCSUSTAT       Dept. of Statistics, Raleigh NC 27695
Newsgroups: triangle.freenet