OK, I currently have two servers:
tuxbert: Dual Katmai PIII 500MHz, 1GB ECC RAM, 40GB drive
lilobert: AthlonXP 2000+ (1667MHz), 512MB non-ECC RAM, 40GB drive
You will notice that tuxbert now has a new drive in, which is working nicely and is twice the size. I'm currently in the process of testing another 256MB of RAM in lilobert (a sister of the stuff I sent back to China).
As far as OddJoth set-up goes, tuxbert is the web server and lilobert is the Subversion repository server. I haven't set up the web server as yet, but the Subversion repository is functioning fine (though not for the outside world as yet). I've also set up a hack (which I'm very pleased with) which uses the post-commit Subversion script on lilobert to SSH into tuxbert and run 'svn update'. This means that whenever something is committed to the Subversion repository, the web server will almost immediately have the updated version.
As far as non-OddJoth uses are concerned, I'm going to set up a personal backup system (using rsync) and I'm looking into an FTP server (although there are bandwidth concerns, so I may need to consider setting up restrictions on the times the server is running). I've also set up tuxbert as a local Portage mirror (although for some reason the cron job that should be updating it every night isn't working ATM).
As for expansion, I'm still on the look-out for a case as well as any whole computers people have going. I'm hoping I might be able to nab Andrena's old computer (as she now has a shiny new laptop)...
Showing posts with label linux. Show all posts
Showing posts with label linux. Show all posts
Sunday, September 24, 2006
C(XX)FLAGS
I've just started recompiling world (following a recompile of system) using the flags recommended by Duncan on the gentoo-amd64 mailing list (appended at the end of the post). I know there'll be a problem with one of the packages in system but other than that I'm curious to know what will happen with the other 734 packages I have in world (up to '7' thus far with no problem (though that's hardly surprising as it'll still be doing system packages)).
CFLAGS="-march=k8 -Os -pipe -frename-registers -fweb -freorder-blocks -freorder-blocks-and-partition -combine -funit-at-a-time -ftree-pre -fgcse-sm -fgcse-las -fgcse-after-reload -fmerge-all-constants"
CXXFLAGS="-march=k8 -Os -pipe -frename-registers -fweb -freorder-blocks -funit-at-a-time -ftree-pre -fgcse-sm -fgcse-las -fgcse-after-reload -fmerge-all-constants"
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Yet More Computer Stuff
It turns out that the hard drive in the first server (tuxbert, dual PIII-500s) is faulty and gradually failing. I've got a few potential replacements, so I'm gonna go through those until I find one that definitely works. First I need to remove everything to amdbert using rsync. I'm currently trying again as the first time I not only did it using a non-root user but I also failed to tell rsync to retain permissions correctly which resulted in the restored contents all belonging to a non-root user. This broke stuff.
I also decided to send that memory back, but not to the US office. It is currently winging its way to the CEO of Winbond in Taiwan, RoC.
I also decided to send that memory back, but not to the US office. It is currently winging its way to the CEO of Winbond in Taiwan, RoC.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
More Computer Stuff
After a little difficulty with my first server earlier (one of the processors became dislodged and everything was going wrong for about 15 minutes) I can now report that I have my second server up and running! Hurrah! Named 'lilobert' as an homage to lilo, whom I never had the privilege to meet, it boasts an Athlon XP 2000+ with 512MB of DDR333 (PC2700) RAM and a 40GB HDD.
I was hoping to have an Athlon XP 2400+ in the second server but it turned out (at least according to the BIOS) to be only an Athlon 1400+ (with less than a gig of power). I've decided to take a leaf out of Lifehacker's book and post it back to AMD with a covering letter in the hopes it'll be replaced. The letter I (hand) wrote is below (as I decided to type it up, to make sure they can read it once they receive it).
I'm also considering returning some failing RAM but it's non-descript stuff. I have, however, traced it to Winbond who seem to manufacture a lot of this sort of stuff. Unfortunately the nearest office they have is on the West Coast of the USA. It should still cost less than £2 to send but I certainly won't have the loyal customer angle... :P
I've been trying to get distcc running between the first server and my desktop to no avail, and I'm trying to work out what my problem is there. Once (or possibly before, if I can't be bothered to work it out) that is done, I'm going to try and work out how to boot these computers with only a network connection, so I'll never have to look at them again once they are hidden away in the loft.
And finally, I'll repeat again my request for any old computer stuff, most especially ATX cases (if you don't know what that means, that's the sort of case you have), as I have a whole motherboard going to waste ATM, and Socket A/462 cases, for the 1800+ mentioned in the letter below (and possibly the 2000+ if AMD are being nice).
I was hoping to have an Athlon XP 2400+ in the second server but it turned out (at least according to the BIOS) to be only an Athlon 1400+ (with less than a gig of power). I've decided to take a leaf out of Lifehacker's book and post it back to AMD with a covering letter in the hopes it'll be replaced. The letter I (hand) wrote is below (as I decided to type it up, to make sure they can read it once they receive it).
I'm also considering returning some failing RAM but it's non-descript stuff. I have, however, traced it to Winbond who seem to manufacture a lot of this sort of stuff. Unfortunately the nearest office they have is on the West Coast of the USA. It should still cost less than £2 to send but I certainly won't have the loyal customer angle... :P
I've been trying to get distcc running between the first server and my desktop to no avail, and I'm trying to work out what my problem is there. Once (or possibly before, if I can't be bothered to work it out) that is done, I'm going to try and work out how to boot these computers with only a network connection, so I'll never have to look at them again once they are hidden away in the loft.
And finally, I'll repeat again my request for any old computer stuff, most especially ATX cases (if you don't know what that means, that's the sort of case you have), as I have a whole motherboard going to waste ATM, and Socket A/462 cases, for the 1800+ mentioned in the letter below (and possibly the 2000+ if AMD are being nice).
83 Granville St.
To Whom It May Concern,
Peterborough.
PE1 2QL.
Enclosed you will find an AMD chip the identity of which is unknown to myself.
I have recently been attempting to build myself a server from all of the discarded bits of computers lying around my house. I found myself a Socket A/462 motherboard (well, several, but just the one working one) and had three AMD processors that would fit said board: an Athlon XP 1800+, an Athlon XP 2000+ and the enclosed. Not recognising the latter of these chips, I poked around on the Internet and found 2 sites. The first listed the product codes of various chips and the latter had pictures of various processors.
Imagine my delight upon discovering that both websites confirmed that I was holding an Athlon XP 2400+! Prising off the heatsink (a real pig BTW, could use a redesign) I removed the resident 1800+ and inserted my 2400+.
Imagine my dismay when the BIOS insisted that it had only a lowly Athlon 1400 (with a clock speed of less, even, than 1GHz). Refusing to believe the BIOS, I once again prised off the heatsink (narrowly avoiding totalling the RAM) and re-examined the unknown processor. Quite clearly on the label was the code AXDA2400DKV3C, which should mean, as I thought previously, a 2400+. Returning the chip to the motherboard in one last hopeful attempt, I was once again disappointed.
The server is now chugging along with the 2000+ powering it. However, compiling all my software as I do, the extra power I was hoping for is sorely missed.
I am not writing to you in the expectation of a replacement but in the hope. I am a great fan of AMD products (as the presence of 3 chips would suggest) and my current desktop set-up has an Athlon XP64 3000+ in and I am planning for my next machine also to have an AMD processor (and possibly an AMD/ATI graphics card?). I have never, thanks to the quality of your products, had to even call let-alone return anything to your Technical Support and, really, I am not doing so now. All I’m asking is that you do something cool for a loyal customer who will sing your praises for evermore if you do so.
Yours hopefully,
Daniel Watkins
email: [removed]
home phone: [removed]
P.S. The two sites, for reference, are:
a Wikipedia one
and:
a CPU World one
P.P.S. My handwriting isn’t great so find enclosed a typed version of this letter.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Computers, As Promised
And it's still technically tomorrow.
The good news is that I've managed to scrounge together one fairly respectable dual 500MHz PIII machine with a gig of ECC RAM (an ex-server of my dad's). Only a 20GB drive in but that can change later (and I've got it all free, so who am I to complain?) and will certainly do for Subversion and OddJoth hosting (at least for the time being).
The bad news is that it's not quite ready to run headless. I'm guessing that this is due to the lack of a keyboard (No keyboard detected, press F1 to continue) which I should really have tested out previously. However, as I'm network socket limited in my room, I wanted my brother to plug it in in his room (and he had to get up in the morning, meaning he was going to bed a lot earlier than this). I was hoping to be able to set off the execrably slow process of emerging new versions of everything that is on there to begin with (as I could do with that being completed in time for me to transfer the various doodads across without having to do it entirely via the Internet) but 12 hours is unlikely to have made much of a dent in it...
Having started with so much potential stuff this evening (4 motherboards, 4 processors, 2 cases, 2 PSUs, 3 sticks of RAM), it has been somewhat disappointing how much stuff I've had to get rid of. 1 motherboard was known bad, 1 case turned out to be bad, 1 PSU turned out to be bad, 1 motherboard turned out to be bad, 1 mobo is looking to be bad (though I decided to call it a night before I could check a number of things, so there's hope). The latter motherboard is a Socket 462 for which I have 2 CPUs, both Athlon XPs, 2400+ and 1800+ so I'm hoping I was doing something stupid/hooking something up wrong in my tiredness, because it would be a shame to lose it.
The machine showing the most potential is using the motherboard originally in the bad case (hence its lack of testing thus far) which is a PIII 450MHz with a hodgepodge of RAM, up to a maximum of 256MB of PC133 stuff (though with a bus frequency of 100MHz, that'll be somewhat wasted).
Nonetheless, I have the server I wanted and, hopefully, the beginnings of distributed computing cluster of some sort. If anyone lives in the Peterborough area and is getting rid of computer stuff (even if it's because it's broken) old or new, I would be more than interested in taking it off your hands (though get in quick or wait until December, as I'll be at uni).
The good news is that I've managed to scrounge together one fairly respectable dual 500MHz PIII machine with a gig of ECC RAM (an ex-server of my dad's). Only a 20GB drive in but that can change later (and I've got it all free, so who am I to complain?) and will certainly do for Subversion and OddJoth hosting (at least for the time being).
The bad news is that it's not quite ready to run headless. I'm guessing that this is due to the lack of a keyboard (No keyboard detected, press F1 to continue) which I should really have tested out previously. However, as I'm network socket limited in my room, I wanted my brother to plug it in in his room (and he had to get up in the morning, meaning he was going to bed a lot earlier than this). I was hoping to be able to set off the execrably slow process of emerging new versions of everything that is on there to begin with (as I could do with that being completed in time for me to transfer the various doodads across without having to do it entirely via the Internet) but 12 hours is unlikely to have made much of a dent in it...
Having started with so much potential stuff this evening (4 motherboards, 4 processors, 2 cases, 2 PSUs, 3 sticks of RAM), it has been somewhat disappointing how much stuff I've had to get rid of. 1 motherboard was known bad, 1 case turned out to be bad, 1 PSU turned out to be bad, 1 motherboard turned out to be bad, 1 mobo is looking to be bad (though I decided to call it a night before I could check a number of things, so there's hope). The latter motherboard is a Socket 462 for which I have 2 CPUs, both Athlon XPs, 2400+ and 1800+ so I'm hoping I was doing something stupid/hooking something up wrong in my tiredness, because it would be a shame to lose it.
The machine showing the most potential is using the motherboard originally in the bad case (hence its lack of testing thus far) which is a PIII 450MHz with a hodgepodge of RAM, up to a maximum of 256MB of PC133 stuff (though with a bus frequency of 100MHz, that'll be somewhat wasted).
Nonetheless, I have the server I wanted and, hopefully, the beginnings of distributed computing cluster of some sort. If anyone lives in the Peterborough area and is getting rid of computer stuff (even if it's because it's broken) old or new, I would be more than interested in taking it off your hands (though get in quick or wait until December, as I'll be at uni).
Friday, September 15, 2006
Timothy And Chums
The Armadillo-9 (and, in fact, the whole of the range of Armadillo products) looks to be awesome. Too expensive, really, for me to buy one to play with (299 euros plus shipping from Germany plus currency conversion) but it looks like it has real potential for running low-intensity server stuff. It has an IDE port so hooking it up to a large HDD and using it as a Subversion, web and file server (all of which would be nice to have at home once I'm at uni) would be a possibility. Of course, I'd have to name it 'timothybert' on the network.
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