[snorkytheweasel]

In the spirit of recycling and frugality, I'm rummaging through the entropy pile. I can quickly put together two different computers:

1. a PII 400 MHz with 640 MB ram
2. a Celeron 500MHz with 384 MB RAM

The better of the two will become a multi-purpose Ubuntu server that will function as

* LAMP server for in-house testing
* server for storing backups
* possibly a file/print server

I won't need a GUI desktop environment.
Which is more likely to perform better in these circumstances?

The lesser of the two may join some other "last legs" PCs to create a Beowulf cluster - just to see what happens.

[prunejuice]

I'm running Pentium III 384 MB RAM system using GEEXBOX as an in-house FTP server/jukebox.
It can also dual boot into a Xubuntu Samba server, although I rarely use that function.
Actually, I'm going to downgrade the processor to either a Celeron 466 or a Pentium III 450, so it can be passively cooled with a custom heatsink.

For the uses you've listed, you'll hardly notice a difference, but I'd go with the bulked up RAM anyways.

[snorkytheweasel]

Jukebox? Hm-m-m--m-m. I like that idea.

Like you, I'm going to use Xubuntu. I could get something even lighter than Xubuntu, but I prefer to stick with one core code base. That way, I have a pretty good idea how something will work when I really need it in a hurry.

An example of something not working as expected: I have a POS from Sun Microcrap, running RH7x.

• It struggles with TAR when called from the shell prompt. It stops part way through the backup process. If I wait long enough, it catches its breath and runs some more, then stops and starts. I suspect it has something to do with STD output whenTAR tells me what its doing
• It doesn't like to run scripts called by other scripts.... it times out after the first called script runs. Sometimes it will pick up where it left off and run the second called script until it times out, and so on.
• If I run the tar command from a bash script executed in the shell (as opposed to running from another script), it's fine.
• However, it acts as if it were called from a script if I use CRON

Confused?

My point: It took a while to get used to that bizarre behavior, behavior which I've never seen in Ubuntu - or any other non-RH distro. It's been several years since I strayed from the Debian fold (except the POS), so I don't know if RH ever fixed it. Sun most certainly didn't fix it. They simply stopped supporting (including developing and fixing) that entire line of POS boxes. POS = Cobalt appliance

[prunejuice]

Good idea on the Xubuntu. I installed Xubuntu on a laptop (Pentium III 256MB RAM) that a friend gave me in exchange for helping move some furniture. My kids use it to play MP3's and TuxPaint and such. Quite nice.

I'll throw up some pics of the GEEXBOX jukebox sometime.
It sits in my basement and has a 5" LCD screen mounted on the case with a Hauppage remote control to browse UPNP/SAMBA/Network Shares and even attached USB storage devices.

I keep my backup images of my HTPC I make with Acronis True Image on it, sending them over
with GEEXBOX's pre-compiled FTP.

[tomdkat]

Originally Posted by snorkytheweasel

1. a PII 400 MHz with 640 MB ram
2. a Celeron 500MHz with 384 MB RAM

I vote for system #1. It's got more RAM and a "better" processor than the Celeron processor.

Peace...