thinking about moving to linux - some questions!

[tapeworm]

I have a new PC, that will act as my main Windows based workstation, and is a repalcement to my trusty BP6, 2 x 366 PC, which has served my well over the past few years.

I am thinking of keeping the BP6 machine as a linux based files server, and general linux 'experimental' machine.

Does the highpoint 66 controller have linux controllers available that work?

yes, support is integrated in the kernel and should work well, but i still prefer using the standard controller.

Is there anybody out there using Samba on their BP6 to make is a windows enabled file server?

a lot of people i bet...

Are there any differences in the overclocking tolerances of a linux vs a W2K based machine. For love now money, I have never gotten my 366's over a 93 bus speed.

linux shouldn't enable you to overclock any further, usually it is the contrary, you need absolute stability or problems will arise. but this doesn't stop me from running my 2 366@561mhz

[loophole]

I'm running Slackware 8.1 on my BP6 (soon to be Slackware 9 - just saw that it was release about a week ago) and all has been running fine.

The HPT366 code in the latest 2.4.x kernels (currently using 2.4.20 but considering going back to the 2.5.x development - the bleeding edge currently at 2.5.64) is very stable and I used it up until I got an ATA/100 controller and never had any problems with it whatsoever (the HPT366). Gone are the days of not having install kernels that recognise ATA/66 controllers (particularly the Highpoint series) so it's all smooth sailing installing on the HPT366.

Yep using Samba as well to let all the other Windows boxes on the network share files and updates and stuff. I found the SMB-HOWTO had all the info you could want on the subject of setting it up.

And, I find I can overclock just as high under Linux as I can under Windows - 300A at 495 (4.5 x 110) at 2.1 volts.

Hope that helps,

([{loophole }])

[Slagathor]

I have my 366's running at 102mhz bus, will do 110 but Folding gets errors
so I had to back it back down.....
Running Mandrake 9, with a Samba file server, and Apache web server.
Both rather simple to set-up with a little common sense (thats why it took me a day or 2... )
Also running LM_Sensors, with Gkrellm to monitor temps and voltages and fan speeds.
But I am not using the Highpoint controllers right now, when I do use them I use
them for CD-Roms and stuff, I just dont trust them for HDD's, there too expensive.

And, I find I can overclock just as high under Linux as I can under Windows - 300A at 495 (4.5 x 110) at 2.1 volts.

Hope that helps,

([{loophole }])

I can get a little higher running Mandrake then windows, go figure eh......
Once the kids and wifey get a little more used to Linux I am thinking of switching
all machines I got to Linux, my 7 year old son is learning faster then daughter and wifey.....heh

[hyperspace]

I can get a little higher running Mandrake then windows, go figure eh......
Once the kids and wifey get a little more used to Linux I am thinking of switching
all machines I got to Linux, my 7 year old son is learning faster then daughter and wifey.....heh

It is amazing how the younger ones adapt to things like this. My 9-year old daughter can do MAC at school and PC at home. Maybe I should setup a Linux box for her.

[Slagathor]

That'd be cool.......
Then she can tell her MAC and Windows friends she's 1337,
and, have the mad skillz to back it up........

I rember my daughter coming home from school and telling me how dumb the kids were, cause they wouldn't shut down windows proper, the said "Them dorks just shut the computer off, they dont even shut down windows first!!!!!"........heh
They go to a private school, and each kid has a old PC at each of there "desk's", they call them offices.
There old P1 75's I think.
Thats when she was in the 3rd grade, she's almost 13 now, she says she doesn't even say anything any more........heh
The funniest thing is, a friend of mine, who has a pc store, his kid does the same thing, and if theres a problem, they ask him, and she says all he does it sit there and pick his nose.......LOL
In the words of my daughter, "He's the biggest pinwheel I have ever known......" heheheeeeee

[hyperspace]

Great stuff, Slagathor!

[brian33x51]

My bp6 machine never ever saw windows put on it during its lifetime.

Right now I'm running it as a firewall/server.

You'll find that duallie systems work wonderfully in that capacity, you just need to be very careful to lock the system down with iptables and not expose samba and such to the internet, only to the internal subnet.

For this specific use as firewall/server I'd also suggest a linux distro with a "rolling" baseline, something like a stripped down gentoo (my preference) or debian stable (used this for a while, it was a bit crufty and archaic for me personally) so you can always automatically keep up to date on security and package updates without having to rebuild the machine every year or so because the vendor drops support for older versions.

[johnli]

I'm about to do the same thing - the board has been going strong longer than any other I've owned (apart from my p90 which is still running and had an uptime of over a year until I had a powercut ) - and it isn't going to stop now. I'm planning on putting debian on it, as I have some (basic) experience with debian and I've found mandrake to contraining for real learning.