Re: [seul-edu] Linux Servers

[Roger Dingledine <arma@mit.edu>]

On Tue, Dec 26, 2000 at 01:14:22PM -0800, Emilio Gerardo Milian wrote:
> I would like to ask for suggestions or comments from any of you that
> might have experience with using Linux Servers, keep in mind that the
> server will be used by students, and I myself am still learning Linux.

As mentioned, you should try to get one free. :)

But if you don't, the prices above look reasonable. (But you didn't
specify the components in each, so I can't tell for sure.)

You should remember that the phrase 'server' is not a description of
hardware so much as a description of how you use the machine.  Dell and
similar companies inflate the price if you call it a 'server'.

But depending on how much reliability (redundancy, etc) you need, you'll
do just fine with a 'normal' desktop or similar. Any computer at all
can do just fine as a server. For example, the main seul computers run
at 133mhz and dual 166mhz respectively, and handle perhaps 10 million
webhits a month, plus ftp, mail, etc. Linux can do amazing things with
not all that much hardware.

Of course, if you plan to have two dozen students compiling on the
machine at the same time, you'll want more power. My point is that a
computer that will serve your needs just fine doesn't need to have the
word 'server' associated with it when you're buying it.

--Roger