This is an electronic version of an article published in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Palacios, J., García-Vargas, M.L., Diaz, A., Terlevich, R. and E. Terlevich. Kinematics and stellar populations in active galaxies: the LINER NGC 4579 (M58). Astronomy and Astrophysics 323 (1997): 749-76