background and long-term help foray:
Now with a 400MHz processor instead of the 500 I had, this treasure has become a bit more than uncool in present time. I can put up with the occasional 15 minute Facebook post, but need to use the machine and programs.
Commercial hardware upgrades have vanished recently (leads more than welcome, I will follow up with Daystar for specs soon, and can find good help) and on limited funds - repairs have already cost enough for a cheap PC.
Will consider Tiger when I can afford it, like Panther well enough to think there must be a simple clue to the proper coding for more current use (ie Firefox releases now for Tiger-up).

current question on reaching Linux/Unix from OS X:
Have external with PC BSD and it is (no surprise, though I hoped anyway)a no-load. Found documentation online on MacFuse, but want to read the disk and use OS software on it via USB if possible rather than only on reboot. Any ideas?