Welcome to Linux, 2004

I’m glad to read that you’re interested in starting out on Linux, using an “old PC”–a Pentium II-based system with 64MB of RAM and 8GB of disk
space–to run a Web site, a mailing list server and a router for your home wireless network.

The good news in the hardware department is everything you need to do your projects should be supported in current Linux distributions. The most
common hardware compatibility problem is the “dreaded Winmodem”, which is a modem manufactured without critical parts to save a small amount of money.
A Winmodem offers some functionality ordinarily offered by hardware in the driver. If you plan to use a modem with your Linux system, check and see if
your existing modem is a complete modem, and replace it if not. There are ways to get the “dreaded Winmodem” working under Linux, but they’re tricky
and not as rewarding for a new user as the projects you’re interested in.