Linux Firewall

[R0n1n]

Good post Pooh sun tzu, I too would suggest OpenBSD. However I must disagree with you on the comment about Debian being far too old, I use debian and it works great with all my hardware and every new app I need, but saying that I wouldn`t use it as a firewall.

Back to the firewall, a firewall OS should just be a firewall, no need for fancy GUI's, or 3000 additional apps, or an overloaded kernel. So i`d go wuth OpenBSD, or failing that use Smoothwall.

[Relyt]

Smoothwall Express 2.0 Final's most recent update is fixes1 dated the 12th of Jan, so you only have 1 to upload if you install. What are you waiting for!!

[pooh sun tzu]

People, please stop with the smoothwall recomendations. He want's a distro, not a solo firewall. He want's to learn *Linux*, not a learn how to simply install a solo firewall distro. Don't confuse, please, his desire to learn Linux with "OMFG I Need the BEST firewall because I already undertand linux"

[skarlman]

I'm not really an expert on what would be the optimal firewall solution, but I can tell you my experience.
I have a quite similar computer as the one you want to install (P3, 128MB RAM, 8GB H/D) which I use as my primary computer. Primary I use Slackware (most because it was the dist. my friends knew so I tried it first so I could get help if I got stuck). I don't know how much you know about *nix systems, but Slackware seems to fulfill your needs. (Not too easy but not too hard either).
Anyway, about the firewall stuff. I really like iptables. It's easy to understand, powerful, free and comes with any linux distribution (more or less). There are tons of information on the net on how to build good iptables configurations (have even seen an interactive webpage which builds it for you) so you will have no bigger problems to get it up and running.
So; When I was a linux newbie (still am of course in some sense) I installed slackware and used iptables for my firewalling needs, and had no bigger troubles, and therefore I recommend it to you.

[MadBeaver]

I like http://www.devil-linux.org/ it run from a cd so if some one changes any setting you reboot and it back to the original config.
My friend uses http://www.turbolinux.com/ for his.
There are many other linux dist. designed as firewalls you can find most of them http://www.linux.org
The dist. homepages should have all the docs you need to setup a firewall.
Hope this helps