Question: Linux and Netscape

[Bungleau]

I'm helping out a friend who's having problems reading his netscape email. Ever since it merged with AOL's AIM stuff, he can't read it from his computer. He gets a message that AIM isn't compatible with his browser and OS version.

He happens to be running RedHat 8 (don't know the exact version) along with Mozilla 1.0. Yep, that's Mozilla, not FireFox. Suffice it to say that this is an old machine. He's also not a real IT guy or geek by background, either...

I've offered to help. After initial review and attempts, it's that he's got a browser that's too old. Surprise, surprise.

I tried installing FireFox 2.0, but it requires an update to a global library. I didn't write down the exact library, but the sources I referred to said that that library is so commonly used, it's far better to upgrade the OS than to try to upgrade just it.

So... that leaves me with two options at this point.

1. Tell my friend to drop Netscape email and go for another free email account, like gmail.

2. Tell him to upgrade the OS in order to use tools from this millennium.

3. Tell him to dump the PC and get a new one

4. Find a more modern browser that will work with his environment

5. Put in an email client that will read Netscape/AIMMail for him (on RH 8)

6. Wave the white flag and give up

7. Something else I haven't thought of...


Okay, so that's more than two options. But that's the list.

Anyone have any suggestions for me? I'm not particularly familiar with Netscape email or AOL, having avoided both of them like the plague.

[Felix The Assassin]

Redhat 8??
Wow B, he's either an Ace with the CLI, or he does not know any better.

Wow!

If the rig is ancient, attempt to get him to try Xubuntu. This is a very 'LITE' version of Ubuntu, and will handle most Gnome applications very efficiently. Firefox 2 is the base browser for X. In addition, Mozilla, Thunderbird, Opera, work flawlessly with X.

I really like Xubuntu, however, it is too lite for my taste.

The current version is 6.10 Effy. However, a lot of folks have major issues with older video cards. It seems older systems with minute resources was their concern, and they forgot to keep the VGA down. This rig has an old Radeon 9600XT in it, with first gen Sempron, and 1GB of DDR, and has no problems with either X or U Effy. However, my test platform has an antiquated Athlon, with an even elderly 'GULP' 3DFX Voodoo 3500 PCI VGA in it. It will not run X but enjoys U. Go figure.

X is geared for the older 32 to 64 MB rigs, while U prefers at least 128MB, but is happier with 256MB.

You can get intro and the link for the .iso here: http://www.xubuntu.org/

Or here: http://www.ubuntu.com/

You are spot on about needing an upgrade. There is one other distro out there, but I have no personal experience with it. It's called "Damn Small Linux".

.ISO are easy to burn with any .iso capable burner, platform neutral. The newer Effy distro requires boot from CD to a session to install. Why?????? I have no earthly idea, I guess to make it simpler for others.

Luck!