[mdlug] linux hardware

[Stan Green]

When you say "server" do you mean a sever class machine or just a 
desktop/workstation that runs 24X7?

Since a low end server, without building it yourself, will run you around $1.4K 
(Microcenter) given your price point, a real server is a little out of  reach. 
It might even be a little low for a high-quality desktop. 

If you are willing to go with used equipment, you might find a good deal on an 
older server class machine on ebay. I found a Dell PowerEdge 700 P4 2.8GHz for 
$218 w/shipping. (I did not check if it would run Linux.)

So, what to look for.
The most important part is the harddrives! Look for good drives. (e.g. Something 
with a 3-5 year warranty.) Cheap drives will come back to haunt you. Most 
desktop drives are not designed to run 24X7. Also, backups are critical, so 
make that part of your budget. RIAD is also a good idea for a server.

Lastly, check out the hardware carefully to make sure it will work on Linux. 
Most stuff does, but there are still a few things out there that do not. 

Good luck.
Stan


On Friday 04 December 2009 05:36:22 pm epic wamz wrote:
> I've been asked by a friend who is running a small business to help him
> purchase and setup a linux server. I'm kind of known as a linux evangelist,
> so it makes sense why he asked me, but I don't know much about purchasing
> server hardware, and frankly I haven't built a computer from the ground up
> in a good 6-7 years.
>
> So, I thought I would drop a quick message to see if someone could give me
> any advice. I'm not asking for you to do the research for me, but a gentle
> nudge in a good direction would be appreciated.
>
> My friend wasn't specific about the server capabilities he needs. He has a
> growing technology business and wants to be as agile as possible. Sounds
> like it could be used as a web server, subversion repo, and used for
> virtualization among other things. I'm not really looking to build from
> scratch, so any advice on where to go, or tips when buying a system would
> be most welcome.
>
> The budget is $500 +/- $100.
>
> Again, I would appreciate any insight you might have. Thank you in advance.
>
> Ryan
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