Downloading Linux with a Dial-up Connection: It Can be Done

[spiderbaby1958]

All it takes, really, is a download manager, so I can interrupt the download when I need to. To my embarassment, I still do most of my computing on Windows, so I used Download Accelerator. It also helps to have an internet answering machine like CallWave, if you think someone who you'll want to hear from might call while you're downloading.

To download the first disk for Debian-- which was all I needed for a rudimentary installation-- took maybe 40 hrs, divided over three days. I starting downlaoding on Friday night, was installed Tuesday. Tonight, a week later, I have the second disk 70 per cent in the can. I find that dial-up downloading is is a lot less painful than trying to get my brother to do it for me. He has a high-speed connection, but he's fiercely pro-windows and bound to give me much grief in the process. And believe of not, I couldn't afford to buy it, even from Cheapbytes. Yes, it's that bad!

Of course, downloading Linux on dialup-requires patience- but this will serve you in good stead later, when you try to install the mother...

[sharth]

i got me first 4 debian cds on dial-up as well as a set of red hat cds. took like a month :)

[BaVinic]

downloading via dialup is at best a PITA, but tryig to download CD's worth of data, forget it. I can buy cd's for 1.25 each cost me 3.75 for RH9, and i got it in less time than it would have taken me to download just 1 cd.

I now buy all my linux cds and collections of apps that way, all the cd's work, never a problem, and it leaves what little bandwidth I have for other things. ( like using JL) :)

BaVinic

[Sepero]

Wow, 4 CD's over dial-up. LOL
Impressive!

I downloaded ZipSlack for my first distro(~30Mb). They said it wasn't for beginners, but I'm not your regular computer idiot. It took me longer to learn than Mandrake would have...
but then again... maybe I am an idiot... :D

[spiderbaby1958]

Well, it's not for everybody, of course, but it remains an option. One of the reasons why I downloaded Debian was that I only needed the first disk for a very reudimentary install that would let me study BASH, and Debian tends to come in packages of 7 disks for 20 dollars, including shipping-- which is more than I can afford believe it or not, while I am unemployed.

Plus, as you can probably tell by the fact that I posted about it, I sort get a kick out of downloading an operating system. Like many dialup customers, I tend to be downloading something every minute, and if I wasn't downloading Linux, I'd be up to no good, downloading music or maybe porn. Downloading linux is more constructive, and less distracting... and, while maybe this is weird... it's also my idea of fun!:)

[ricstr]

I downloaded 3 Redhat 7.3 Disc on Dial-Up
using Win98 and CuteFTP. Cant rember how long it took exactly, but my parents only allowed me on the interent after 9:30PM so i t took about a month for all discs.

[spiderbaby1958]

Originally posted by BaVinic
downloading via dialup is at best a PITA,


Downloading via dialup is a what? A middle eastern pocket bread?

I should know this, right? Sorry. :(

[homey]

PITA pain in the aorta! more or less :)

[BaVinic]

Originally posted by spiderbaby1958
Downloading via dialup is a what? A middle eastern pocket bread?

I should know this, right? Sorry. :(

:D

PITA=Pain In The Arse (@$$)


BaVinic

[rid3r]

It mostly sounds like"What I did", not "How I did it" ;).
I'm using wget (excelent tool).
You find an iso you like, then issue:
$ wget -c ftp://sunsite.icm.edu.pl/pub/Linux/slackware/slackware-9.0-iso/slackware-9.0-install.iso
(don't forget the "-c" switch, stays for "continue").
If you want to stop it, just hit <Ctrl> + <c>
If you forget what you downloaded:
$ history | grep wget
If you have to leave and don't want your computer on forever:
$ su
# at now + 5 hour <Enter>
killall wget <Enter>
poweroff <Enter>
<Ctrl> + <d>

[Drago]

I've downloaoded redhat 8.0,9.0, mandrake 9.0,9.1 and all the debian cds over dial-up. God, it was hell!:D

[Resident_Geek]

I downloaded Slackware 9.0 over dialup, from Red Hat 8.0. I tried downloading Red Hat over windows, but when you take all night to downlod a 30 meg file...

[Sepero]

Originally posted by rid3r
If you have to leave and don't want your computer on forever:
$ su
# at now + 5 hour <Enter>
killall wget <Enter>
poweroff <Enter>
<Ctrl> + <d> For 5 hours I would use:
sleep 18000; poweroff

And that does the trick for me. Not that your way is wrong. It's just another way to do the same thing. ;)
(mainly because I never use 'at' and sleep is easy to figure out. heheh)

[bosox79]

I remeber when I had a dial up connection like 4 years ago I would always use get-right to download large files. I was lucky enough to have a 2nd phone line, this really helped. anyway as soon as cable net access was avalible in my area I snatchted it up. it only cost me like 5 bucks more to have a 384 always on connection.:D
I can empthize with dial up users though:)

[wichmann_uwe]

Man, you are the last of the great masochists!

Wow, great!

hahaha, lmao.

Uwe

[spiderbaby1958]

I'm now halfway through my epic download of Red Hat 9, which I am snagging in anticipation of the PC I intend to buy from Walmart.com this summer for 200 bucks! ( Turns out that PC's without Windows pre-installed cost a lot less money! I wonder how that works...) Downloading a disk and a half took six days of simply setting up the download before going to bed each night. It's really no big deal. Fortunately, I have all the porn I need for a while.

[robagen]

Downloading..BY DIALUP..the W H O L E xyzing
distro?..EGAD!!..
This is the kind of dedication and determination that moves mountains. Honest.
I myself patiently downloaded "Plan 9"
4th version
one saturday night. Found a video card it likes, got it dual-booted under w9x once,..and...you say Linux is hard for newbies?? Uh, 'cough', I'm sure it works fine for those who know how to get it going, blah, blah..

Once again, your stick-to-it-iveness is vaguely awe-inspiring.

:D :D ATI rage II 8mb agp "goes with almost everyting" :D :cool:

[bosox79]

Originally posted by robagen
Downloading..BY DIALUP..the W H O L E xyzing
distro?..EGAD!!..
This is the kind of dedication and determination that moves mountains. Honest.
I myself patiently downloaded "Plan 9"
4th version
one saturday night. Found a video card it likes, got it dual-booted under w9x once,..and...you say Linux is hard for newbies?? Uh, 'cough', I'm sure it works fine for those who know how to get it going, blah, blah..

Once again, your stick-to-it-iveness is vaguely awe-inspiring.

:D :D ATI rage II 8mb agp "goes with almost everyting" :D :cool:

good job and congratulations on your linux install:cool:

[Lemming]

So far via dialup I've downloaded:
Gentoo 1.4 (for a mate)
Arch Linux
Ark Linux
Slackware 8.1
Vector Linux 3.2
Debian (twice)
Lycoris
Suse Live CD

[noidea]

Hmmm, Yeah, I tried the same thing with the latest SUSE. But after the DL manager told me it'd take 14 days, 21 hours and I can't remember how many minutes, I just said thanks, but no thanks.

you can get the disks for $1.25 each nearly everywhere. I'm broke too, but the downloadtime wasn't worth it for me. I have RH9 in the mail now.

However I adore the patience of you folks!

[Read Icculus]

I've gotten dozens of distros via dial-up. It's easy, and I might as well do something with my connection when I'm not on the net. Recently on off hours I fired up an FTP program and got all 7 debian CDs including the update ISO. On windows it's as simple as using SmartFTP with the excellent bulit in auto-dialer. On linux lftp, get -c, and wvdial work together to keep things going. I squeeze my dial-up for all it's worth. Otherwise I'd feel like I was getting ripped.

[freakmn]

Try installing a source-based distro over dialup. I would sincerely admire anyone with the patience to do that! I downloaded Mandrake 9.1prerelease back when it was new on dialup, and shortly later got cable internet and SourceMage (www.sourcemage.org). I was close to having to do that, but I never did. Anyone who has?

[Elijah]

I'm on dial-up too :o I can't afford dsl and cable, broadband isn't an option here yet (i think).

So far I've downloaded 3 cd iso's of redhat 7.3, gentoo 1.4rc4, miniwoody(debian) ... probably more iso's but the rest I've downloaded using dsl connection from a local net cafe :) ...currently am now d/ling a 570mb of ragnarok online(my dial-up), yeah I feel like a masochist :D

[mike8706]

I had dial-up for 5 years, then a great thing happened. DNT SpeedNet put a wireless tower in our town. In a small town with only 750 people, this was a very good thing because we knew we would never get cable or dsl. Now we're getting close to T1 speeds (1.3 Mbs) and 11Mbs internal network speeds! Check to see if DTN is in your area. www.dtnspeed.net

[robagen]

OOPS..er, bosox, I ah..meant
PLAN 9 was an imponderable OS to work with. Linux is MUCH more comprehensible and, yes, user-friendly.

[elite_syntax]

REm wireless dsl is not better then dial-up.I know someone that has wireless dsl and all they do is have prob with it.

[bosox79]

Originally posted by elite_syntax
REm wireless dsl is not better then dial-up.I know someone that has wireless dsl and all they do is have prob with it.

IMHO at this point in time wired net access is the way to go, at least for now:D

[mike8706]

Check this out! Look at my screen shot.

[bosox79]

Originally posted by mike8706
Check this out! Look at my screen shot.

Sweet:D That is why Broadband rocks

[Lemming]

according to that test I was 28.8, then retook it and was 33.3 on my 56k external.

[JusKickNit]

I know this is an old post but has anyone ever did a stage1 gentoo install with dial up. I'm just curious how long it would take once you start the bootstrap

[Elijah]

I did one :) from my Pentium3 733mhz I'll say it took about ... ummm, not really sure :D sorry I slept throught it... I used prozilla to download w/ resume and let it sit there for awhile, prolly a few hours or so... max of half a day to get the basic build. All the rest took me 1-2 days to have a gui(enlightenment & fluxbox), kde took a day and a half >_< (both d/l & compile). Hey I survived it!