is linux the answer?

[Norvan Vogt]

Hello Linux'ites

You'll have to excuse me as I am new to the open source Game but I would 
really appreciate some help with a problem that I have.

I am currently configuring 6 client machines and a Gateway server so that I 
may put together a number of Computers that will all be able to access the 
same ISP 56kbs Dialup Account  so that they might be able to browse the Web 
and use IRC. This will be done as part of the Scout Activity JOTI and 
therefore it must be robust (ie the little kiddies can't get in and play 
with the OS) and 2 done for $0 (I have been collecting all sorts of old 
Computers for this task)

I have decided that Linux is probably the best answer for this.(yeah!!!)
The Client Machines are all basically P1 100mhz-133mhz with 32Mb RAM and a 
500Mb (or so) HDD.

The Gateway Server is a P1 166Mhz 64Mb RAM and a 4Gb HDD.

After consulting a number of friends I have been advised to use Redhat 7.1 
(seawolf) with KDE as the OS should allow me to have all of the functions 
that I need and that Esmith 5.5 Gatway server should be the best answer for 
the Gateway server

Here are the problems
1. Is this the right kind of thinking or have I just lost it, is there 
better software out there?

2. Redhat 7.1 (seawolf) with KDE takes around the 700mb space which makes 
it too large for the HDDs that I am using

3. How the Smeg do you configure the esmith server to a gateway --- Is 
there any good step by step help doco (other than all the stuff on esmith.org)?

4. Are there any better ways of doing this ?

5. What is a good IRC client of linux?

any suggestions would be much appreciated
thanks
Norvan Vogt