Re: low-MHz server [OT]
On Tue, Feb 05, 2008 at 10:31:09AM -0600, Ron Johnson wrote:
> On 02/05/08 08:35, Douglas A. Tutty wrote:
> > I write this sitting at a Digital VT 520.
>
> Amber screen?
No, model A6. White screen.
>
> Get a DECserver and then the F5(?) key lets you break to a terminal
> server prompt and log into another machine. The VT lets you switch
> between 4 different logins.
>
I haven't seen a DECserver on eBay. I could just learn to use screen.
> > Right. Its ancient, mid-1990's technology for which I am looking. One
> > that will take the memory and drives to handle today's software and
> > data-set size. Unfortunatly, that was during the shift from propriatary
> > busses to standardization on PCI. For example, by the time IBM RS/6000
> > PPC boxes used PCI, they were just over 200 MHz. They were nice looking
> > boxes, able to keep three PCI busses busy: two full scsi busses feeding
> > two gigabit networks while running around 300 MHz with 4 PPCs. They
> > still command a high price. I've never heard of anyone having one die
> > on them.
> >
> > Ron, what other ancient hardware do you remember that may be suitable.
> > I can browse eBay, search eg: "166 MHz -GHz" for each MHz about which I
> > am aware, but I can't do that for the wider Google-land. Are there big
> > server boxes that I am overlooking?
>
> Geez, that's sooooo long ago. The slowest active machines that we
> have are AlphaServer 4100s running at 300MHz, and they were rolled
> in by Sungard as replacements for systems destroyed in 9/11.
>
> Even the older AS100A machines were upgraded quite a few years ago
> to 400Mz.
>
> I strongly urge you to create EMF shield cages around modern systems
> and run old X Terminals as displays. The VXT 2000 and a 19" monitor
> was a sweet system, but only had 4MB RAM. Maybe an old PC with a
> beefy PCI video card would be better.
As for shielding, I'll do that anyway. However, the higher the
frequency, the smaller the maximum sized hole which will block the EMF.
IIRC, it has to be smaller than 1/4 wavelength of at least the third
harmonic (don't worry, I'll check this).
Actually, the box doesn't need X. I've got the Athlon64 for clear
graphics and I have my IBM 486 for non-anti-alised viewing of e.g. pdf
files. It won't run Debian anymore (won't install, and if I do the
drive shell-game, it takes 2 minutes to get from login to shell prompt)
but it runs OpenBSD very nicely. CLI is as responsive as my Athlon64.
Thanks,
Doug.
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