[CLUE-Admin] New hardware for web server.

[David Anselmi]

Jeffery Cann wrote:
> Greetings.
> 
> I am sadly retiring my current Linux box which I built 4 years ago.  It's 
> been a great box.  However, it can no longer hold up to the increased demands 
> of my graphically-intensive computing.

Have you considered becomming a command line Luddite, like me? ;-)

> 
> It's a P2/350 with 384 MB of RAM.  I am swapping out the MB, CPU, memory and 
> video card.
> 
> I think we can plop these items into the CLUE web server and get several more 
> years of service.  I know we had planned to use two DEC alphas for this job, 
> but this may be simpler to implement and certainly it's a faster processor 
> and a lot more RAM.

Faster and better, probably, but not simpler.  Debian goes equally well 
on a PC or an Alpha.  Other distros, maybe not, and I have spent some 
time learning the quirks (which can be avoided mostly).

Can you specify the MB form factor and power connector?  I have a 
Gateway AT case without the top (from the auction) that I probably won't 
use.  But we should be able to do better.

I'll help build it, especially if we want to use Debian.  Anyone want to 
discuss distros (practically, not religiously)?  Apt makes it very easy 
to get a minimal distro and stay current on packages (if we use the 
testing release).

My impression is that rpm systems are harder, but I don't know from 
experience.  And I don't want to have to learn whatever the rpm distros 
call their install/upgrade tools.  I guess I've spent a few minutes 
learning apt though, so I may be biased.  I'd like to hear other points 
of view though.

Dave