what to do with a *spare* box?

[Rakeswell]

I recently just built a new box for a friend, and I got their old one in return. Its an old Pentium 100Mhz. It has about 5 gigs of diskspace and 32 -64 megs ram (haven't popped it open yet).

Anyway, I thought it might be fun and informative to try to set it up with Linux and network it to my two other machines (A linux box sharing the internet connection of a Win Me box). I haven't gotten samba running on the linux box yet, so that's a first step, of course.

Back to the old machine: any ideas as to what it could be used for in a small home network situation (other than a workstation)? I plan on adding more RAM and upgrading the CPU (as long as I can find something to fit the mainboard).

Any ideas would be helpful -- I just want a little project to help me learn more about linux.

Thanks all!

[JALU]

Use it as a firewall, that seems to be what everyone else does with boxes like that.

[Tyr-7BE]

The test system...a box that you can do absolutely ANYTHING you want on, and still have your other linux box no matter how badly you fsck things up. What I wouldn't give for one of those...

[FoBoT]

what type of internet do you have? dial-up? dsl? cable?

firewall/gateway/router is ok, but that box is a little fast, kinda waste, especially with that much hd (although if it was also http server, then guess you could use up some hd space)

i would probably just build a server install from a real basic level, to learn stuff, no X, just CLI

my $0.99 :D

[Rakeswell]

what type of internet do you have? dial-up? dsl? cable?

I have DSL. I would set up this older box as a gateway/firewall, but there are no linux device drivers for the (internal) DSL router. Also, the IP address for my account is not static, so that does wipe out the other possibilities...

[Tyr-7BE]

Biiiiiiig LFS-fest...see how far you can get :D I'm just rearin to try LFS, although I know I have no idea whatsoever how to do it :)

[bdl]

Originally posted by Rakeswell:
I have DSL. I would set up this older box as a gateway/firewall, but there are no linux device drivers for the (internal) DSL router. Also, the IP address for my account is not static, so that does wipe out the other possibilities...

Im curious as to what you mean by this; to me, if the box can get an IP, you can use it as a firewall/dns server/gateway/web server/whatever. At any rate, a couple of ideas that come to mind: use it to install every distro available, learn the differences between system styles, possibly even use a partition for BSD. Another good idea is just using it as a new box on a LAN and teach yourself networking, maybe use it as a NFS server or network backup for your current system.

[ScRapZ_1]

Dang! You can do what I'm doing...

Set it up as a Dedicated games box... it takes some time to download the dedicated games programs, but since you got dsl, that wont be a problem. And with 5 gig of space... 64 meg of ram... use it for, say, 3 dedicated servers at once.

Of course if you dont go to many LANs, or not the games type... then, well... just ignore me.

TTFN,
ScRapZ_1 :P

[Q-Gdoxl]

I think the best thing to do witha *SPARE* box would be to send it my way! hehehe I need to set up a firewall/router


Would anyone with teleconisies please raise my hand


Q

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by Rakeswell:
(internal) DSL router..

:(

[Tyr-7BE]

If none of the above float your boat.....


FUTBOL!!!

[Rakeswell]

Originally posted by FoBoT:
:(

Yes, indeed.

[Sheriff]

Just A thought. I have a pint@133
on a 300 meg harddrive running a little
proggie here called Smoothwall. Firewall-
router etc...for my little lan...have two
win2k boxes and two linux boxes connected to
it, it supplies internet connections to all,
only prob I have is that High speed internet
is not avail here, but the Smoothwal proggie
has isdn avail for it, right now it is
ver 0.9.6, but they are workin on 0.9.8.
It is rock solid (box went down once 30 days
ago when I had a power flop, I now have UPS)
This just to give you some info. BTW thats avail I think at either sourceforge and alsoSmoothwall.org :D

[Kinjana]

Help end the digital divide!

find a low income family with bright schoolage kids who cant otherwise afford a computer of their own.

but give it to them with linux installed!

Kinj

[DMR]

1. Create 3 DOS partions on the drive.

2. Install Win98 on first partition, Win ME on
second, and Win 2000 on third.

3. Procure a loooong extension cord.

4. Procure can of red paint and small brush.

5. Take computer, extension cord, and a small
table into backyard. (Walk as far away from
house as extension cord will allow).

6. Set computer on table, power up, and boot
to your least-favorite version of Windows
(no, you can't boot all three at once).

7. While Windows boots, paint target on
monitor screen.

8. Return to house.

9. Make sure scope is calibrated.

10.Make sure clip contains sufficient rounds
of ammo...


:D :D :D

[mychl]

I agree with kinjana...

Give some kid the oportunity to cross a gap and make life better for himself. This isn't a guilt trip either, do what you want and be happy :D

[XxMaCaBrExX]

I'll give you a dollar for it. :D

[PimpHolic]

1. Create 3 DOS partions on the drive.
2. Install Win98 on first partition, Win ME on
second, and Win 2000 on third.

3. Procure a loooong extension cord.

4. Procure can of red paint and small brush.

5. Take computer, extension cord, and a small
table into backyard. (Walk as far away from
house as extension cord will allow).

6. Set computer on table, power up, and boot
to your least-favorite version of Windows
(no, you can't boot all three at once).

7. While Windows boots, paint target on
monitor screen.

8. Return to house.

9. Make sure scope is calibrated.

10.Make sure clip contains sufficient rounds
of ammo...


ahhahahahahahahahhahahahahhahaha
boy would i LOVE to do that

[Q-Gdoxl]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Create 3 DOS partions on the drive.
2. Install Win98 on first partition, Win ME on
second, and Win 2000 on third.
3. Procure a loooong extension cord.

4. Procure can of red paint and small brush.

5. Take computer, extension cord, and a small
table into backyard. (Walk as far away from
house as extension cord will allow).

6. Set computer on table, power up, and boot
to your least-favorite version of Windows
(no, you can't boot all three at once).

7. While Windows boots, paint target on
monitor screen.

8. Return to house.

9. Make sure scope is calibrated.

10.Make sure clip contains sufficient rounds
of ammo...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'd rather install linux set up the router firewall ect.

and have those 3 CD's hanging off a branch better traget practice and why blame the computer for Bills crap?


No, why? Have _you_ ever snorted laser toner?

Q

[MrSndrs]

DSL you say? Run a Counterstrike server.

I just got a spare box from a friend as well, but mine's a 486 so I don't have any aspirations for it beyond lite-duty FTP serving and routing my home network.

Also, I have no idea how much horsepower you need to run the Linux CS server, but that's what I'd be doing if my spare box was more than a 486.

[Half-Pint]

Counter-strike server would be possible with 100MHz, but not a whole lot of fun. I ran a Counter-Strike server on a P133 and if you set the maxplayers to anything over 10, it lagged like no other.

[Choozo]

Originally posted by Sheriff:
<STRONG>Just A thought. I have a pint@133
on a 300 meg harddrive running a little
proggie here called Smoothwall. Firewall-
router etc...for my little lan...have two
win2k boxes and two linux boxes connected to
it, it supplies internet connections to all,
only prob I have is that High speed internet
is not avail here, but the Smoothwal proggie
has isdn avail for it, right now it is
ver 0.9.6, but they are workin on 0.9.8.
It is rock solid (box went down once 30 days
ago when I had a power flop, I now have UPS)
This just to give you some info. BTW thats avail I think at either sourceforge and alsoSmoothwall.org :D</STRONG>
Yay! ... Get your hands on 0.9.9 (released mid December 2001) or better, the 0.9.9-SE (Special Edition with all patches included (1 through 6).
There was huge improvements between 0.9.8 and 0.9.9 (and I haven't seen 0.9.6). Get it at
www.smoothwall.org (http://www.smoothwall.org)

Cheers :)


Ooops .... just realised that this is a really old thread that started in March 2001 :D


[ 13 January 2002: Message edited by: Choozo ]

[TacKat]

Genome!

[sasKuatch]

Tyr-7BE: LFS is really easy, give it a try, seriously...

[DMR]

Originally posted by Half-Pint:
<STRONG>Counter-strike server would be possible with 100MHz, but not a whole lot of fun. I ran a Counter-Strike server on a P133 and if you set the maxplayers to anything over 10, it lagged like no other.</STRONG>
Half-Pint,

Why, in the deepest, darkest depths of your weirdness, are you digging up the bones of a year-old thread?! Hell, I'd (almost) forgotten that I posted to this thread.

Be thee a grave-digging troll
http://www.stevewolfonline.com/Downloads/DMR/Visuals/troll.gif
or be thee some other sort of Net denizen of which we are not aware?

[SUOrangeman]

I recently got back a P166 MMX from many days gone by. I installed Mandrake 8.1 (without X) on it and added a 45GB drive half-full of MP3s. I got edna from SourceForge and can now run an MP3 server with this box.

My final step will be to add remote control to this box so that I can play files on the server's sound card (connected to my home stereo, of course), yet control the play list from a browser (or something similar).

The icing on the cake would be to get S/PDIF digital out working on the SB Live! 5.1 card I bought for this system.

-SUO

[Rakeswell]

It's funny that this thread got woken up now, as it tool me until just last week to actually get around to setting up that box (hence my recent posts about Black Box).

Now that I have actually messed around with it, I've learned that it's got a P 75Mhz CPU (yes, that's 75), but it's got about 10 gig HD space and it's hooked up to the home network.

However, now that I've got it going, I still can't decide what to do with it, even though some of the suggestions were quite entertaining...

IceWM, BTW, is blazingly fast, even on this machine.

[Taizong]

Load Windows 2000 pro on it and see if it will boot. I'm just curious.

[airedale]

Originally posted by ScRapZ_1:
<STRONG>Dang! You can do what I'm doing...

Set it up as a Dedicated games box... it takes some time to download the dedicated games programs, but since you got dsl, that wont be a problem. And with 5 gig of space... 64 meg of ram... use it for, say, 3 dedicated servers at once.

Of course if you dont go to many LANs, or not the games type... then, well... just ignore me.

TTFN,
ScRapZ_1 :P</STRONG>

You can run game servers w/ a 100 Mhz machine?! Also 3 of them at a time?!

I have got to see that!