Re: Server size

[Nigel Barker <tech@hiroshima-is.ac.jp>]

On 4 March 2010 06:14, Michelle Konzack <linux4michelle@tamay-dogan.net> wrote:

Hello,

Am 2010-03-03 22:04:18, schrieb Giacomo Trovato:

> Hi All,
>
> I'm developing a system with Debian Edu Lenny for a primary school in
> Italy with 10 thin client Alix3d3.
> I want to install on the same machine the main server and the thin
> client server.
> What server do you suggest?
> Is it ok a 2.4GHz Xeon Quad-Core with 2 GB of ram?

A 2500 Euro "Sun Fire X4100M2" with smallest CPU, 4 GByte of memory  and
3x SAS drives of 76 GByte would be enough...

Giacomo,
 from my experience I would not recommend thin clients in primary school. I have 10 clients (some via 600, 256 - similar to the alix) on a quad core server with Gbps switch, and I had to disable sound and uninstall some apps (tux math and tux type) that I would like to use.

Instead of spending money on a server, I would spend it on the clients and use them as diskless workstations. Buy whatever server you can find on Dell special offer web page (for example), or just use a fairly new PC.  Then get clients with enough power to run flash by themselves. Even used PCs will work fine. 

cheers
nigel