I got a request about a good micro Linux distro to use that could meet these requirements:

• free - $100
• for a p3 866
• basically a gateway/firewall
• highly configurable rules
• good traffic views (real and historic)
• vpn support
• web interface
• ids would be nice, but not necessary

The Linux Router Project immediately came to mind. So I dashed off to Google to find its page. I found that it is a dead project and a rant by the author. Here's the part describing the injustice:

My many contributions to the computing community has reaped very little personal benefit for myself. As I now struggle to pay the bills I can not help but feel quite pissed off at the state of affairs, for myself and the other authors who contributed massive amounts of time and quality work, only to have it whored by companies not willing to give back dime one to the people that actually created what it is they sell. Acknowledgement and referral would have at least been acceptable. Few companies do even that.

Care to tell me what Embeddix (for one) is based off of? Ever offer me work Caldera? Even when I asked?

Well actually I'm glad they didn't as I would hate to think I could have benefited those scumbags any further...but I think you, the reader, gets the point I'm making.

A big shame needs to be done to those companies. I can only shake my head at the wrong that occured.

I do hope Dave Cinege has been doing alright these past two years.