Pentium 180s gotta go!?

[Guest blacksheep]

Got some Compaq Deskpros floating around in storage. Some got 64mb and other 128mb, they run win98 just about ok but slow.

 

So question -

1) Im aware of lots of Linux distros for low end PCs but anyone got any suggestions from experience (they must be secure OS if I am going to network them). I really havent had time to fiddle and Ubuntu is too gutsy (prob gnome or kde though).

2) Failing 1 anyone know good place to donate them?

 

Thanks for any insight

[mattx]

Turn them into NAS Boxes........

 

http://www.freenas.org

[Sirbendy]

Damn Small Linux, or puppy Linux?

 

They would just about take XP..I had one doing duty as a home file server for 2 years. Not too bad, TBH..nuke the theming service etc.

[OutLawTorn]

We turned some old "Win98-class" PCs into terminal clients. Cut the Win98 OS down so it was basically just a desktop, then set in the system.ini to run mstsc.exe instead of explorer.exe on bootup, with a script to restart it if it closes and to force it to use a specific rdp file for the settings.

 

In the end it was a ~150mb ghost image, which was easily deployed... the main downside is the lack of drivers for Win98 (specifically USB drives) but other than that it worked pretty well.

 

2X was another method of achieving the same idea

[dhicks]

> Got some Compaq Deskpros floating around in storage. Some got 64mb and other

> 128mb, they run win98 just about ok but slow.

 

We turned older machines into clients for our Edubuntu server. Most of ours had a bit more RAM, and we did need to buy a server.

 

Slax is a distribution you might want to look at. It's built to be customisable, so you include the bits you want. I made a Slax-based system that could boot from CD or HDD, with our school logo on the desktop, that could run Firefox.

 

--

David Hicks

[SimpleSi]

If you've got physical room for them in school and you need some machines to just use as browsers then Puppy Linux works brilliantly fast on old machines with 128M RAM as it just all runs in RAM.

 

But a pain to set it up to access file shares and print

 

regards

 

Simon

[Sirbendy]

Win98 USB drive support is a doddle...I'm sure if you google "Windows 98 USB" it throws up a link to some workable USB mass storage system for it.

[Guest blacksheep]

mm..

 

NAS - Yeh make a cluster to get some decent amount of space Not really worth it as drives are not very big by todays standards! I think there is only about 10-15 working

 

I did want to thin client them before as I worked in a place where this worked well years ago with (about 10yrs!) with a basic X windows manager. Definately a project id like to try out and have a list of stuff to do.. (including a network infrastructure upgrade of all switches).

 

I think the quick distro and turn the PC into a browser approach is the quickest, although im sure ill hit other probs like 'i need flash' blah blah. I tend to like to do it properly or leave it, at least the usual fiddlers here wont touch Linux I know you can get Samba to even authenticate against the DC (AD) these days

 

Done a Win2000 build on them and added all the updates was slow as hell. Same with NT4 which almost turns into 2000 after all the updates!

 

Dunno wot ill do yet..

 

Off topic but im 'term-time' here and I have 300 machines and 1 asst tech. There just isnt enough time in the day. I try to get in the holidays but often not possible (SLT dont want me here you can see).

[Guest blacksheep]

Would be maybe interesting to try EeeOS on these! I could build my own debian install but this sounds like much work has been done.. any thought?

[webman]

I really havent had time to fiddle and Ubuntu is too gutsy (prob gnome or kde though).

 

Sorry, but was that pun intended?

 

Another lightweight distro you could try is gOS.

[Guest blacksheep]

>gutsy

 

no didnt think about it at time!

 

The machines are in the list of stuff to do, but not of a high priority. I like the look of the gOS from a quick browse. I think we can agree they would make half decent Firefox browser machines, not sure about OpenOffice though might end up crawling.. still ill have to give them a try.

[tech_guy]

I'd put them in a big pile in the playground and set fire to them.

[FN-GM]

How about print servers?

 

Z

[webman]

[DMcCoy]

Pay someone to recycle them! You *are* allowed to get rid of old computers despite what people may tell you

 

P180 dates it to when I was still at school, some 11 years ago

[localzuk]

Turn one into a network monitoring box with ubuntu server and nagios?

[sidewinder]

Pay someone to recycle them! You *are* allowed to get rid of old computers despite what people may tell you

 

P180 dates it to when I was still at school, some 11 years ago

 

Exactly! Its good to keep hardware going as long as possible but there does come a time when they really cant be much use

 

Keep a couple for some of the Linux based ideas people have suggested and perhaps one for a computer museum?!, but you're probably best off getting shot of the rest

[Guest blacksheep]

Yeh..

 

Computer printer servers, would work but bit bulky and use my big server for printer queues.

 

Dominos -- Sound good, maybe then burn em!

 

Network monitoring, tempting but then I think I got an old 500mhz pent or something I could use. While on topic I was starting to setup Nagios the other day.. much needed here.

 

I think Linux browser or scrap.. sort of hoped I could donate them somewhere but with the price of h/w who the hell would want them now? Seeing you can often find 1ghz machines in a skip these days! oh well

[localzuk]

I think Linux browser or scrap.. sort of hoped I could donate them somewhere but with the price of h/w who the hell would want them now? Seeing you can often find 1ghz machines in a skip these days! oh well

 

Yep. There was a project in Lancaster a while back to take a van load of P1 machines, to use as LTSP clients, over to Nigeria and they weren't allowed to donate them as they were too old! So even the 3rd world countries don't want em.