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Scotttheking · May 31, 2002, 12:55 AM

Other teams have been doing this, and I like the idea.
They build a stack of systems built for DC, which crunches under it's own username for their team.
One person would host it (note: cannot be me or reader50)

Tigerabbit · May 31, 2002, 01:08 AM

What exactly to you mean by 'host'? Do you mean provide the internet connection, provide the physical space and electricity, some combination, or something entirely differnt?

Scotttheking · May 31, 2002, 01:20 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Tigerabbit:
What exactly to you mean by 'host'? Do you mean provide the internet connection, provide the physical space and electricity, some combination, or something entirely differnt?<hr /></blockquote>Yes, the person hosting would provide the space, electricity, maintenance, setup, net connection, etc.
And cooling <--- so many people forget the cost of cooling a bunch of systems

Edit: this would be a linux based thing, made of athlon systems, so the person hosting would have to be able to work with this stuff, although once it's setup I can help with remote admin. I gotta get network booting working

[ 05-31-2002, 01:27 AM: Message edited by: Scotttheking ]

SkiBikeSki · May 31, 2002, 04:23 PM

I'd be willing to host it. I'm familiar with Linux and Athlons. But I don't always have good internet access, in the summer I'm limited to 56K.

serpico483 · May 31, 2002, 06:45 PM

and where might these computers come from???

serpico483 · May 31, 2002, 07:58 PM

NM, just looked at the poll, from the looks of it you might have problems getting enough for any sort of a farm......how much would you have to collect to make a significant contribution to the cause??

Scotttheking · May 31, 2002, 08:50 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by serpico483:
NM, just looked at the poll, from the looks of it you might have problems getting enough for any sort of a farm......how much would you have to collect to make a significant contribution to the cause??<hr /></blockquote>Well one is better then none, 2 is better then one, etc.
If we get a few, others may then contribute. We shall see, but it sure looks like there is some interest.

People who are interested in hosting, please email me at the team account, team AT macnn DOT com.
I'd recommend someone who has plenty of room for hot and noisy computers, and who has lower priced electricity. Being north where it's cooler probably helps too.

--Scott

SteevAK · Jun 1, 2002, 11:09 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Scotttheking:

Edit: this would be a linux based thing, made of athlon systems, so the person hosting would have to be able to work with this stuff, although once it's setup I can help with remote admin. I gotta get network booting working<hr /></blockquote>With Athalon systems? I thought this was a Mac team. Yes, I know Macs are more expensive (especially if all you want is raw power), but what's the point of being Team MacNN if all we got is PCs. . .I think if there was going to be a team stack it should be Macs. If you wanted to do that, I have a G3 I can possibly donate.

Keep in mind this from a guy who now has two PCs crunching for the team.

[ 06-01-2002, 11:10 PM: Message edited by: SteevAK ]

Scotttheking · Jun 1, 2002, 11:25 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by SteevAK:
 <blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Scotttheking:

Edit: this would be a linux based thing, made of athlon systems, so the person hosting would have to be able to work with this stuff, although once it's setup I can help with remote admin. I gotta get network booting working<hr /></blockquote>With Athalon systems? I thought this was a Mac team. Yes, I know Macs are more expensive (especially if all you want is raw power), but what's the point of being Team MacNN if all we got is PCs. . .I think if there was going to be a team stack it should be Macs. If you wanted to do that, I have a G3 I can possibly donate.

Keep in mind this from a guy who now has two PCs crunching for the team.

<hr /></blockquote>Once I get network booting working we'll be able to get athlon xp 1900 systems for about $350. I can't justify paying for macs. We could build at least one system from the poll amount, but we can't afford a mac with that.

Yes we are a mac team. No we aren't stupid. I don't see anything wrong with some linux amd systems (I say this as I set one up

).
But there sure is no point to buying dual G4 towers for $3000 each, with a ton of stuff we'd never need.

jbcool · Jun 2, 2002, 12:28 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Scotttheking:
Once I get network booting working we'll be able to get athlon xp 1900 systems for about $350. I can't justify paying for macs. We could build at least one system from the poll amount, but we can't afford a mac with that.

Yes we are a mac team. No we aren't stupid. I don't see anything wrong with some linux amd systems (I say this as I set one up

).
But there sure is no point to buying dual G4 towers for $3000 each, with a ton of stuff we'd never need.[/qb]<hr /></blockquote>I agree with this thinking, I have better things to do with my mac than crunching numbers. But the 6 AMD XP machines that were < $350 each crunch day after day for Team MacNN.

Scott when you get the nework boot working throw out some bread crumbs.
I've wanted to do this but don't have the knowledge yet and it is on a back burner. Really would like to have them set up as diskless machines that load up and start crunching without any intervention. I'm sure one of you wiz kids are bright enough to figure this out. Old dog here just lays on the rug sleeping.

[ 06-02-2002, 12:38 AM: Message edited by: jbcool ]

Scotttheking · Jun 2, 2002, 12:32 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by jbcool:
Scott when you get the nework boot working throw out some bread crumbs.
I've wanted to do this but don't have the knowledge yet and it is on a back burner. Really would like to have them set up as diskless machines that load up and start crunching without any intervention. I'm sure one of you wiz kids are bright enough.[/QB]<hr /></blockquote>I'm working very hard on it, and have been for months.
I had to format the netboot system to make it the setiQ, but the new system should be here in about a week. I'm trying a motherboard that *should* netboot, but doesn't seem to actually work.
More info will come. I'll make a new thread and post some links later.

enola · Jun 2, 2002, 02:58 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Scotttheking:
Once I get network booting working we'll be able to get athlon xp 1900 systems for about $350<hr /></blockquote>$350? Really? I've been interested in adding a cheap PC to do just DC stuff. I know next to nothing about building PC's. I've started researching info but I find all the variety of stuff out there for PC's overwhelming. Cases, motherboards, chipsets, oh my!!

Have any advice for a rookie? Good sites to go to, hardware recommendations, etc.

Thanks!!

Scotttheking · Jun 2, 2002, 03:16 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by enola:
 <blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Scotttheking:
Once I get network booting working we'll be able to get athlon xp 1900 systems for about $350<hr /></blockquote>$350? Really? I've been interested in adding a cheap PC to do just DC stuff. I know next to nothing about building PC's. I've started researching info but I find all the variety of stuff out there for PC's overwhelming. Cases, motherboards, chipsets, oh my!!

Have any advice for a rookie? Good sites to go to, hardware recommendations, etc.

Thanks!!<hr /></blockquote>That price is low because of what the system has, or rather, doesn't have.
components are: proc, mobo, ram, power supply, nic if mobo doesn't have onboard network boot NIC, and vid card if need be.
No case, hard drive, cd, floppy, etc.

If you want recommendations of full systems, just let me know. Or you can wait for me to try and get network booting working, and then we can setup farms with that

Also, my recommendations depend on what you want. Are your constrains sound, space, price, what?
Keep in mind that everything I recommend runs linux, so a level of competency is needed there.

enola · Jun 2, 2002, 02:11 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Scotttheking:
[QUOTE]If you want recommendations of full systems, just let me know. Or you can wait for me to try and get network booting working, and then we can setup farms with that

Also, my recommendations depend on what you want. Are your constrains sound, space, price, what?
Keep in mind that everything I recommend runs linux, so a level of competency is needed there.<hr /></blockquote>I'd definitely be interested to hear (read?) what you think after you get net booting working.

The server room is my bedroom so my contraints are sound and space. I don't have too much experience with linux but I've worked with unix for ages so that part I can probably get up to speed quickly.

krove · Jun 2, 2002, 07:55 PM

Well, we have about $325 from my count in the poll.

Almost ready for one server...

Scotttheking · Jun 12, 2002, 06:14 AM

WHACK back to the top

People who offered to host, still up for it?
I'd like to see this start, even if it is just one system.
One system to start, then work on the second

serpico483 · Jun 15, 2002, 08:02 PM

maybe we can find a couple of "corporate sponsors" ya know companies with old comps to give away!!!!

virex · Jun 15, 2002, 09:59 PM

haha good luck

i like the team cluster idea though...however i doubt it would ever happen