are this how i am buying computer machine

[substitute]

Dear Lazyweb:

I may need to buy/build a new linux box soon, for home server use. So, I probably need to get an x86 box because I don't want the new hobby of making PPCLinux replace the iggy box on the blue G3. Therefore, I need either to buy a prebuilt system or all the parts in a sack so I can screw them together.

I don't need:

great graphics
sound
gamer anything
windows anything

I do need:

hardware that plays nice with recent linux
a decent processor, preferably dualcore
lots of RAM
good I/O so I'm not always horking because the disk is running
good cooling features
expandibility for drives and cards
ports ports, ports, ports

I might end up just doing a Dell BYO box because I have credit with them and I'd never pay interest on their plan, it's no interest for 18 months. I'm sure I'd be paying extra because brand name, but I also get 6% off and no shipping cost there because of a corporate deal. It won't be perfect and it'll be about $1800 for what I want to do, but it will be on payment and done.

But If someone has a preferred vendor for this kind of thing or a suggestion of how to do this way better for way cheaper, I'd be delighted. What I don't want is to go to Fry's, or spend six weeks nerdinating learning all about exactly the best combination to get 0.05% more efficiency. I'm going to upgrade from a 300MHz Gateway Pentium II box from 1997 that's been doing good service for years, so I don't need my edge to cut much less bleed.

Comments

[brianenigma.livejournal.com]

Everyone here at work is using the Dell Optiplex GX270 as very reasonable workstations and servers. It might be a bit much for what you need--dual processor 2.8GHz, but I can guarantee that Fedora Core and Debian work on it quite well.

Alternately, you can go the route I did at home. If you just need Unix-y and not specifically Linux-y stuff, I have a basic Mac Mini in the basement acting as a web server, SSH server, PPP-over-SSH "roll yer own VPN" server, VNC-over-SSH server, and all around box for running interesting daemons. $499 gets you the machine, I used the TV and the USB keyboard and mouse from another Mac to configure it, and now it runs totally unattended and headless. I still have to VNC into it to install system updates, but SSH works for everything else.

[substitute.livejournal.com]

yeah, like I said I have a blue G3 I could repurpose. I just don't want a voyage of discovery in which I find out that everything is just a little different on a new architecture :) but thanks for the good info on the dells

[trinnit.livejournal.com]

like rm -rf?

(sorry Brian!)