DIY SnapServer

[Kevin Buettner]

On Oct 21,  1:31pm, Dan Aldrich wrote:

> I've been toying with the idea of making something like a SnapServer
> out of one of my older system parts in a small mini tower or pizza
> box.  Once the system is built, is there a way to admin the system
> over the net, say thru a browser so you can remove the mouse,
> keyboard and monitor? 

Use ssh to log in as root.  Once you're in, you can use whatever
configuration tools that you're accustomed with to admin the machine,
including graphical ones.  (ssh can be made to port forward X11
connections in a secure fashion, in fact many ssh installations do
this by default.)

> Not too sure if this will even boot as most system POST complain if
> the keyboard or mouse is missing.  Is there a way to circumvent the
> POST checks?

Check the BIOS.  If there's no way to disable the check for a missing
keyboard in the BIOS, there are some inexpensive gizmos that plug into
the keyboard jack which make your machine think there's a keyboard
there.