On Mon, 10 Apr 2000, Trent Shipley wrote:
> I am going to buy a box for my home and install Linux and an Apache server
> to teach myself the ins and outs of the Linux OS and the operation of a web
> server.... does anybody have recommendations as to what would be a
> reasonable choice for a box in which to install Linux? I am looking for the
> biggest bang for the buck ...

One of the coolest things about Microsoft is it keeps obsoleting
perfectly good machines, which will still scream under Linux!  So if
you're on a tight budget, get a second hand machine to start out
with.  You'll quickly learn what kind of growth you need, if any,
after you start out this way.  Maybe just memory, maybe just disk.

You can run Linux on anything from a little 386 on up.  If you don't
care much about performance, the only issue is the amount of memory
and the types of devices you want to attach.  We're talking cheap
here!  Of course you're free to move right on up to the dual Pentium
Pro systems, but you can start with just about any old piece of
junk. 

Linux is wonderful when you're on a tight budget, because if you're
satisfied with a text-mode, command-line interface to begin with,
you can cut your teeth on any old 486 you can dig up.  Linux will
run fine in 20 MB of memory, depending on the application mix.

There's lots of software available, with source code, so you
probably want 2 gig or more of disk if you want room to play.  Be
careful with the partition setup, depending on what your BIOS and
the Linux Loader (LILO) can handle.  Plan on a CD drive to load from
unless you have a high speed network connection.

I don't know how much memory a minimal Apache setup wants, but the
Apache documentation should tell you. 

If you want to run X, well, windows is windows as far as memory is
concerned, so you may take a performance hit if you don't have
pretty much memory (64 - 128 meg should be great for an experimental
machine).

If you plan to tinker a lot with the kernel configuration, then you
might find yourself caring about processor speed.  A kernel compile
takes, maybe, 30-45 minutes on a really slow machine.  And again, if
you're running X, you might occasionally feel CPU speed, but it
makes much better use of the resources than the Microsoft systems
do.

Beware of any kind of plug-and-play devices (modem, sound card,
network card, anything), these will give you a hassle under Linux.
External modems are heavily favored by Linux users.  Some plug and
play support is available, but you need to confirm before investing
in any particular device.  Some are flat-out NOT supportable.

> Don't get me wrong, UNIX is a great OS, but I know where the
> industry is heading.

It's a short walk from Un*x to Linux.  I work full time in the
Solaris world for example, and Linux is looking pretty familiar to
me.  But it's got rough edges compared to Solaris, so expect to be
surprised here and there, especially down in the administrative
details.

Vic