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What do people do these days for a linux box

By cam (Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 03:45:14 PM EST) (all tags)

not a laptop, but something that will sit in an abandoned room and run headless? Dell only seems to sell laptops. Is buying an old Dell on ebay feasible?

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What do people do these days for a linux box | 25 comments (25 topical, 0 hidden)

ebay, hell by riceowlguy (4.00 / 1) #1 Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 04:06:58 PM EST

Look on Craigslist. Find somebody with more money than storage space who is eager to get rid of something. I sold off a dual Athlon box a few years ago for $100, perfectly functional.

Does the driver development and hardware support by cam (2.00 / 0) #10 Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 08:29:08 PM EST

for linux still lag by a couple of years? So it is safe getting a box that is a couple of years old? Is that true for Dells as well?

cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic

[ Parent ]

Nope. by technician (2.00 / 0) #11 Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 10:08:58 PM EST

Linuxc is pretty cutting edge. So, older systems will work as well as they work for Windows.

Dell makes all sorts of equipment. I've run RedHat on Dell Optiplex boxes for the last 11 years.

[ Parent ]

Lunix video drivers lag by clover kicker (4.00 / 2) #15 Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 07:17:14 AM EST

Everything else is up-to-the-minute.

I assume this is for home, what's the intended application? If it's storage you don't need much CPU or memory.

Personally I'd build myself, using whatever parts they recommend in the current Tom's Hardware system builder guide.

If that's not your thing check out Dell/HP etc "small business servers", the prices aren't bad.

[ Parent ]

standard home/hobby developer stuff by cam (2.00 / 0) #19 Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 03:02:42 PM EST

source code repository, continuous integration, integration testing etc. Main issue is I have one project I would like to try and make money off and need to run integration testing for it across multiple databases. Oracle for instance is a pain to set up on OSX. Otherwise as riceowlguy suggested I would get a mac mini.

cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic

[ Parent ]

: the system requirement for Linux by clover kicker (4.00 / 1) #20 Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 05:25:19 PM EST

haven't really changed in 5-8 years. My home server (storage, email, backup) is an original Athlon 1.2Ghz with maybe 512MB RAM, typical load well under 1%.
I'd check the Oracle minimum requirements, they're the kind of guys whose installers might refuse to work if they don't think there's enough memory etc.
If your time has no value you could buy a second-hand workstation. If $500 seems a reasonable budget you can probably catch the bottom-end Dell tower servers, sans OS, on sale.

[ Parent ]
: VMs are your friend by lm (2.00 / 0) #23 Sun May 01, 2011 at 12:00:23 AM EST

Just sayin'
Kindness is an act of rebellion.
[ Parent ]

probably safer than windows by wumpus (2.00 / 0) #17 Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 12:28:32 PM EST

while there is always a "windows" driver for just about everything, I wouldn't count on there being both a xp and a windows 7 driver for every possible combination of hardware.

As mentioned elsewhere, this is only a problem with video for linux. Even then, this typically means that it drops back to a dumb frame buffer and the screen refreshes .01sec later than it should, and 3d doesn't work. Which means your super-3d enhanced effects don't work. Or you can't play tux-racer and the two other linux games at full resolution. The difference between linux with "working drivers" and non-working drivers" can be pretty small. Unfortunately, I'm posting from one that I haven't gotten the onboard video to work right (it looks like bad palleting when it should be 24 bit) and have to use an ancient PCI board.

Wumpus

[ Parent ]

look for rack mounted kit by lm (2.00 / 0) #2 Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 04:18:06 PM EST

You'll need to supply the rack. For bonus cred, use a guitar effects rack to house it.

Kindness is an act of rebellion.

(not that I've done a Linux box recently) by lm (2.00 / 0) #3 Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 05:11:30 PM EST

The last Linux box I did was 2006 or 2007, with one of the mini-ITX form factor kits. I think it was a VIA chip, C7 maybe.

If my memories of that project are correct, I ordered it from Logic Supply: http://www.logicsupply.com/

Kindness is an act of rebellion.

[ Parent ]

Ikea table by duxup (4.00 / 1) #4 Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 05:28:12 PM EST

There is a short Ikea table (I own a few for other reasons) that costs like $7.99... it just happens to be the perfect width to rackmout something.

____

[ Parent ]

I've got two of those tables by lm (2.00 / 0) #5 Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 05:34:09 PM EST

One of them, I use for a printer stand. Perhaps I should think of some sort of rack mount project.

If the xserve line wasn't so ridiculously expensive, I might consider going that route. But I don't have enough time in the day to fart around with Linux.

Kindness is an act of rebellion.

[ Parent ]

'xserve line wasn't so ridiculously expensive' by chuckles (2.00 / 0) #12 Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 02:52:11 AM EST

Or so ridiculously discontinued!

"The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin [...] would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities"

[ Parent ]

: Discontinued is largely irrelevant to me by lm (2.00 / 0) #13 Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 05:51:03 AM EST

I can see why it might present an obstacle to a corporate buyer who might want a support contract. But, for me, there are plenty of used and refurbed units available from a number of vendors, albeit at ridiculously expensive prices.
Kindness is an act of rebellion.
[ Parent ]

Go to your local Fry's/Microcenter by wiredog (2.00 / 0) #6 Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 07:08:55 PM EST

Or equivalent, and DIY. You can build a really nice server for $500 that way.

Earth First!
_{(We can strip mine the rest later.)}

I hate Microcenter by lm (2.00 / 0) #7 Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 08:18:47 PM EST

But my experience may be unduly colored by the one in Cincinnati. I've yet to find reason to visit the ones in MD.

Someday, I want to visit a Fry's. Mostly this is an irrational urge that is a function of having come of age in the IT world while reading the Chaos Manor column in Byte.

Kindness is an act of rebellion.

[ Parent ]

Fry's? by ammoniacal (2.00 / 0) #8 Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 08:27:37 PM EST

Yes, that is irrational.

"To this day that was the most bullshit caesar salad I have every experienced..." - triggerfinger

[ Parent ]

??? by wumpus (2.00 / 0) #18 Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 12:34:48 PM EST

Of course, last time I was there (over 10 years ago) it was pretty much like a internet store. Huge selection, low prices, zero customer service. Until recently, they had some pretty good deals on CPU motherboard combinations that could only be bought in store (and may have been low count bait and switch, but were certainly not always).

Of course, on that coast you can probably get delivery from newegg faster than you can get to fry's and back.

Wumpus

[ Parent ]

Nothing by ammoniacal (2.00 / 0) #21 Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 08:10:59 PM EST

raises my hackles faster than a Fry's "employee."

"To this day that was the most bullshit caesar salad I have every experienced..." - triggerfinger

[ Parent ]

: I'll admit by wumpus (4.00 / 1) #22 Sat Apr 30, 2011 at 04:32:42 PM EST

it is hard to perform negative customer service over the internet. Sony manages.
Wumpus

[ Parent ]

fwiw frys is a grocery store in AZ by cam (2.00 / 0) #9 Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 08:28:17 PM EST

Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic

[ Parent ]

The one in Vienna, on I-66, is good. by wiredog (2.00 / 0) #14 Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 07:16:16 AM EST

Earth First!
_{(We can strip mine the rest later.)}

[ Parent ]

Given what he seems to want it for by riceowlguy (2.00 / 0) #16 Fri Apr 29, 2011 at 10:58:34 AM EST

if you have a $500 budget, save yourself the hassles and get a Mac Mini.

[ Parent ]

Dell Vostro by Gedvondur (2.00 / 0) #24 Sun May 01, 2011 at 04:10:04 PM EST

Under $400.00. Standard box.

"Adrenaline dumbs pain" - xth

Still looking? by LinDze (2.00 / 0) #25 Tue May 03, 2011 at 07:49:20 PM EST

I've got one of these sitting in a box at home. Can check the exact specs if you're interested.

-Lin Dze
Arbeit Macht Frei

What do people do these days for a linux box | 25 comments (25 topical, 0 hidden)