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what to do with a bunch of computers?

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agdurrette
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what to do with a bunch of computers?

Ok, so my mom got me 3 and a possible 4 semi old computers that work. And I don't really know what to do with them :/. I have a couple ideas in mind () cluster them and make a server, Ddos a small computer :), sell them and buy a better computer computer). But I want to know what els I could do with them.
So before I make a final decision I want to know what would you do with them?

digitxp
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--

I would tell you to give one to me, but I'm not keen on giving out my address ;).
Anyway:

  • Help calculate pi
  • Make a kiosk for quick lookup (you won't believe how useful it would be)
  • Get a child and rock them to sleep
  • Make a print server
  • Donate them to a good cause
  • Use it as a prize of some sorts
  • Make a Rube Goldberg type of machine

Insert original signature here with Greasemonkey Script.

agdurrette
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lol I think I might make the

lol I think I might make the rocker Blum

"It's just an online installer. It's not going to mug you.", JTH
"The shell is the key to unlock Linux's greatest advantages."

wduncan
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Donations

Although I am expecting a son next month (my wife keeps telling me it's a boy anyway!) and might make the rocker, schools would love to have more computers. The only problem with that I have found is that the schools near us want software too, and they won't let you put open-source on it. :evil:

What I have suggested to others in the past is day-care and after-school programs. They don't have the same requirements (regulations!) as the public schools, and can always seem to find uses for them. They also don't mind using open-source so an older computer can still be useful.

Myself, I have done the recycling thing in my house. The pecking order goes myself->my wife->oldest daughter->youngest daughter->web server->file server. By the time it cycles through this it is most likely broken or too old. The advantage is that my 10 year old daughter has a 15" P4 laptop which is great for doing her homework. You might know a family in your area that could use a computer for their kids and might not be able to afford one.

I used to sign here, but the ink keeps smudging on my screen.

gluxon
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Wait, you're married? O_O

Wait, you're married? Shock

Darkbee
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immaculate conception

immaculate conception

gluxon
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Hey, this is the off topic

Hey, this is the off topic forum Blum

computerfreaker
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Let's keep religion out of

Let's keep religion out of this.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm a Catholic and intensely dislike seeing joking-about-religion comments like this one.
I don't want to get into an argument/flame war, either, since everybody loses then.

Please, let's keep religion out of this.

Cheers!

"The question I would like to know, is the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything. All we know about it is that the Answer is Forty-two, which is a little aggravating."

lostalaska
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He's right let's keep the

He's right let's keep the ancient mythology out of the tech forums, this is a place for logic and science...

computerfreaker
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Not ancient mythology

Religion != ancient mythology. Religion is also fully compatible with logic and science, as many have shown (and will continue to show). Please don't start a flame war (and yes, this is a reasonable request - posts like this invariably deteriorate into a flame war if they get past 5 or so replies)

"The question I would like to know, is the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything. All we know about it is that the Answer is Forty-two, which is a little aggravating."

OliverK
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To Late! I'm waiting for a

To Late!

I'm waiting for a mod to lock the topic now . . . . .

Too many lonely hearts in the real world
Too many bridges you can burn
Too many tables you can't turn
Don't wanna live my life in the real world

Darkbee
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sorry, missed this

Sorry, I somehow missed your response way back when.

My apologies if it caused offense. While I whole-heatedly disagree with you, and feel as strongly against religion as you apparently feel for it, I also respect your right to practice religion without fear of ridicule.

So once again, sorry for any offense caused, it was not my intention.

computerfreaker
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That's OK

That's OK; I know a lot of tech guys seem to be agnostics for some reason, which means comments like that are generally accepted. I'm not going to ask why, challenge that "anti-belief", or anything else; I just don't like comments like that.

No offense taken.

Have a good one!

"The question I would like to know, is the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything. All we know about it is that the Answer is Forty-two, which is a little aggravating."

OliverK
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try out FreeNAS

try out FreeNAS

Too many lonely hearts in the real world
Too many bridges you can burn
Too many tables you can't turn
Don't wanna live my life in the real world

Mir
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Beawolf them and then donate

Beawolf them and then donate processing time to a good cause Biggrin

Darkbee
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Small Linux Distros

My other half has a small studio in which she works, but likes to watch movies or listen to music as she does so. I've got an old IBM sitting around doing nothing so I'm gonna through a DVD drive in it, install Puppy Linux and then she'll have an instant mini media-center for her entertainment needs.

I think small Linux distros like Puppy and TinyCore can really help breathe life into old computers. If all you want to do is surf the web and use Email, then they are great.

I like the idea of donating to schools or children in need, although there does seem to be restrictions or resistance to what they might use. It's a shame really, so many perfectly usable computers are thrown away every single day simply because they aren't capable of playing the latest games or don't have enough power to rule the world (stamped: SkyNet Rejected).

I'm sure there are kids all over the world that could make use of just about any computer!

WB7ODYFredOregon
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PuppyLinux easy install from Windows or GeeXboX multimedia Play

Hello Darkbee, I like to read your thoughts about using Small Linux Distros Like Puppy Linux.

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=49077
Puppy Linux 4.3.1 for Windows Users: exe installer programs. Easy to install Puppy Linux on these computers and let people use them at schools and cafe's. Plenty of apps available. Boot computer from USB Flash Drive, CD Drive, or Floppy Drive.

Window's Users
What to do with these? The goal is that a standard Window's user would just download this, run it, install, then give Puppy a try.

**Updated: 12/04/09
Want to install Puppy to your Windows XP computer just with one program?
Download: click here. https://www.onlinefilefolder.com/3sJGFBUJHlWiwr
(This link works in Internet Explorer and Firefox. For information on downloading with other browsers check zandarian's post near the end of the thread, currently page 6)
This exe installer program takes Puppy 4.3.1 and does a frugal install (just makes a single folder on the drive and puts the needed files there), modifies the Windows bootloader (just adds one line of text to it) and makes a WinXP install able to boot Puppy Linux 4.3.1. Download it, install it, reboot into Puppy, give Puppy a try. If you like it, keep it; doesn't do anything to your Windows install or change any of it's files, so Windows stays the same. If you don't want Puppy, in Windows just go to add/remove programs and uninstall it. Just that simple. Cool

MIRROR (Alternative download) 1: click here.
http://scabz.homelinux.com/win/pup431-on-WinXP-install.exe
Thanks scabz!

**Updated: 11/26/09
Want to put Puppy on a Flash drive via a Window's install program?
download: click here https://www.onlinefilefolder.com/3s6FSKSYfKu9Qy
Please observe same limitations on available browsers as with the aforementioned WinXP installer download.

MIRROR (Alternative download) 1: click here.
http://scabz.homelinux.com/win/puppylinux431usb-ico.exe Thanks scabz!

GeeXboX, Multimedia on an old lo-RAM PC solution
2.)) Make a DVD Player out of an older computer using GeeXboX multimedia software.
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=288206
1. Using Puppy, I downloaded the GeeXboX 1.1 iso (geexbox-1.1-en.i386.iso) from one of the available Old Releases archives at www.geexbox.org/downloads

Fred

Darkbee
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Interesting Idea

I'll give these a look. I think the "Windows Install" is aimed at giving non-technical Windows users an easier entry point into the world of Linux (which isn't a bad thing). Still, I'm kind of curious.

The GeexBox distro could be interesting!

OliverK
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antix linux, based on mepis

antix linux, based on mepis linux Smile

Too many lonely hearts in the real world
Too many bridges you can burn
Too many tables you can't turn
Don't wanna live my life in the real world

Stevoisiak
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Give em away

I have a PC from 1999 with 516 MB of ram and 40GB HD.

You cant play TF2 on that!

Simplifying daily life through technology

BuddhaChu
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You mom gave you 4

You mom gave you 4 computers!? Your mom rocks! Best mom ever! Wink

Cancer Survivors -- Remember the fight, celebrate the victory!
Help control the rugrat population -- have yourself spayed or neutered!

Darkbee
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She Rocks But...

Yeah but she also told him that it was time to move out and she stopped his allowance. Smile

agdurrette
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I don't get an allowance any

I don't get an allowance any way Smile

"It's just an online installer. It's not going to mug you.", JTH
"The shell is the key to unlock Linux's greatest advantages."

Mir
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appl pwrmc ppc 6500

neither did i which is why i had a 1996 computer up until 2007.

alpha1
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old topic i know, but make a

old topic i know, but make a web server and use the other as supporting file servers (freenas works nice for that)
and maybe you could host some beta portableapps.

My setup is 3 fold:
Webserver with FTP and stuff.
Freenas for my personal data/music/school work (on port 8080 or something, but password protected.
A desktop i use to test out pages before putting them online. Its runs apache an all, and has A few simple pages saying my site is down for maintainence of whatever. If my server is down for more than a few minutes, I move the port to the testing server, where users get something other than the standard no reply errors.

I've been considering hosting the mysql on that 2nd machine, just so its not on the box thats public.

Lead, Follow, or get out of the way.

ryan2009george
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i know what id do

take them all apart,choose 1 and put the best bits into 1,so as much ram as possible onto the motherboard(check the motherboard model first,look for it and find out max memory it can use)take all the hdd out and put the biggest 1s in it,(also Check you have enough power cable and power!,and there you go,you will have a better and faster pc,also if wanted to add more cd/dvd drives

computerfreaker
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Not sure if this is to your

Not sure if this is to your taste, but you could use one as a malware-analysis box. My Dad's getting ready to get rid of a couple of old PC's, and I'll be turning one into a malware-analysis box. No more testing on my laptop... (wouldn't it be something if a virus broke out of the sandbox; you guys wouldn't hear from me for 3 months or more)
Anyway, you can install Ubuntu on one of them, install VirtualBox into Ubuntu, and create a Windows guest to run malware on. Just make sure you don't have the malware box connected to the Internet!

"The question I would like to know, is the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything. All we know about it is that the Answer is Forty-two, which is a little aggravating."

agdurrette
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Im making one a PA.c

Im making one a PA.c Testing/Dev computer.

"It's just an online installer. It's not going to mug you.", JTH
"The shell is the key to unlock Linux's greatest advantages."

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