[lug] Semi-OT: Linux Home server specs

[George Sexton]

Elyse M. Grasso wrote:
> Is there an SMP motherboard with good Linux support that people have had good 
> experiences with (or one I should avoid at all costs)?  
> 
> I need a home server for files and backups and as a host for a scanner. I also 
> need some practice at enterprise level Linux admin: smp, raid, ldap, etc. So 
> this sucker is going to be considerably over-specced.
> 
> I'm currently contemplating 
> 
> a 'quiet' ATX case, 
> 
> an smp ATX mother board with a couple of  mature processors (two older 
> processors may cost less than something current and bleeding edge), 
> 
> enough  SATA drives to do raid 1/0, with a controller card if that is 
> advisable,

SuperMicro has a lot of boards that are server grade that would meet 
this need. They also come with 8MB ATI on board video. I've never had a 
problem getting X11 to run on them.

They also have 4-6 Serial ATA ports, and support a serial console.

I just built a new machine for myself to use as a home 
server/development workstation. I bought a ASUS P5NT WS. It has 6 or so 
Serial ATA ports, 1 Parallel ATA connector, USB, Firewire, 3 PCI-Express 
x16, 2-3 PCI Express x1, and a PCI-X133 slot

It will take dual or quad core Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs.

Part of my motivation for this board was that I had a 3Ware 9550SX-U HW 
Raid Controller laying around that I wanted to use.

The only bummer is that the on-board NICs don't work with SuSE 10.2. I 
ended up putting a Intel Ether Express Pro 100 in it. I imagine the next 
upgrade will solve the NIC problem.

> 
> and a fairly wimpy graphics card or maybe just onboard video (if SMP boards 
> have builtin video). Most admin will be done across the network, but I'll 
> need enough graphics capability to trouble shoot the scanner, view pdfs and 
> website files, etc.
> 
> I haven't built a machine in years: just used laptops on the road. How big a 
> power supply am I likely to need for all this?
> 
> Does anyone have a 'quiet' case they really like? Or one that turned out to be 
> a lemon?



I prefer Enlight cases. They don't have sharp edges, and they're well 
made and easy to work on. They are not particularly quiet.

I used a Thermaltake Tsunami Dream case for my wife's PC. I would have 
to say it's pretty quiet. It's also a really pretty case.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/other/display/tt-tsunami.html

In case you're tempted, SuperMicro 1U servers are the loudest thing on 
the planet. Don't even think about one unless it's going in a server room.


-- 
George Sexton
MH Software, Inc.
Voice: +1 303 438 9585
URL:   http://www.mhsoftware.com/