[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
[kidsgames] Equipment Survey
Hello all,
I would like to initiate an Equipment Survey as to what we each have and
how we are utilizing it.
I'll explain what I now have and what I would like to have to be able to
move forward more quickly on this project.
I expect each of you to do the same.
What I have Now
_______________
Ok I currently have as my main development box.
1 pentium 225
3.1 G IDE harddrive (full)
32 M RAM
UMAX Astra 610S scanner
Adaptec ava1505 scsi card
I also have a 486DX2/66 which dual boots between Windows 3.1 and a minimal
Suse install (it has another 2.1 G [with maybe 150M free] of space which
is easiest to get to when it's booted to suse [win 3.1 has NO networking
capabilities, even though I've tacked a few on anyway :)])
I have a 486 Compaq Contura 400C, which I'm currently using as my internet
router (with it's almost unbearably slow 14.4 modem).
I HAD a box with 486 motherboard with a specialize 586 upgrade chip
running as my router (and kids X terminal) until June 28th, but it has
since been cannibalized due to the original pentium motherboard (which I
had been using for about a year) decided to fry (literally). I still have
that motherboard but no case to put it in.
I am grateful that the frying of the motherboard did NOT start a house
fire as it appears it could easily have done as we we're NOT home at the
time it occurred, however coming home to the acrid smell of burnt
electronics' is not a very pleasant experience.
I was very angry and at first investigation determined that the power
supply had blown and therefore destroyed my equipment and boy was I going
to give Best Buy a piece of my mind and demand a refund of the case price
(a case which I've been using as long as the motherboard). However when
REMOVING the motherboard in order to fully determine the nature of the
thing I discovered SCORCH marks on the metal BEHIND the motherboard (where
it would be difficult for flames to have reached if the power supply had
been the full culprit) and realized that for whatever reason the
MOTHERBOARD had been the LOCUS of the flames. I found a scorched portion
of the motherboard (with buckling and the whole nine yards) very close to
the atx power coupling at what appears to be an heat sink of some type.
Anyway I've recovered the harddrive (and everything on it, whew), the scsi
card, the video card (wierdest thing was having to go back to an old
version of X because the xsvga server would not properly recognize the
card, so I'm not positive the card is COMPLETELY ok, but with the 3.3.5
virge x server it appears to be recognized and work fine, which probably
means some of the files on the harddrive were corrupted, but shrug....).
I don't know about the sound card (creative soundblaster vibra16) because
when I put it in the "new" machine, modprobing sb causes the whole machine
to LOCK up solid (this motherboard has onboard sound [which I don't have
a cable for] so I think it's an interrupt conflict [I know I know, just
jumper the on board sound to off, but I can't see which one to jumper on
the board and the manual is missing]). So Multimedia is out for now.
I have various other components laying around that I *might* be able to
get working with this computer, however it will take much monkeying
around, and for now I have internet access and X so, I'll try to clean off
some hard drive space.
What I am attempting to use it for related to this project
__________________________________________________________
Email.
Interfacing with Sourceforge for administration of the
kidsgames.sourceforge.net account.
Interfacing with smluc.org for handling administration of the kidsgames
mailing list.
Downloading games for children (including gcompris, and tux-typing....)
IRC with prospective developer's and artist's.
Building the downloaded games.
Making preliminary attempts at debian packages for built games. I've
successful built local debs for gcompris and gnomekiss. No, I'm not a
debian developer/maintainer yet, and won't attempt to become one until I
can successful make a proper deb package.
Working on writing my own games such as Rolper the Gopher's Grocery Store,
etc.
Testing the games I have built, and having my young user's test them as
well. See upcoming email.
What I would like to have
_________________________
I would like dedicate resources for this project (i.e. separate from all
my other cruft ;).
for development
128 M RAM or MORE
K6-2 or better
3d video card such as a VOODOO Banshee or whatever is better
6G or bigger harddrive
for testing
a "typical" home system and a "typical" school system.
It seems that many schools are dealing with 486's while perhaps home's are
fairing better with mostly Pentium's, however they are with cdrom, and
soundcard, and I think usually decent enough video card for 800x600 X.
I'm willing to run these testing system's off the development machine as X
terminals if they are too underpowered to run as dedicated X machines,
however for testing purposes it would probably be better that they were
stand alone machines.
BANDWIDTH
downloading files takes FOREVER. Perhaps a development farm where
the packages for various applications could be built and then ONLY
downloading that package might be a solution, however as far as I know
sourceforge's development machines are for Itaniums or something, if
somebody knows different let them speak up. Of course that means I HAVE
to be online when I wish to code bug fixes so it's not the ideal thing,
anyway.
What I would do with the new equipment
______________________________________
If 3d card is available I would be able to help with testing and adding
levels to TuxKart and Tux:AQFH.
With proper sound support I would help with making sound files for the
various games such as linux letters.
The harddrive space would allow more source to remain on the drive at one
time (at the moment I can't recompile a kernel cause I don't have the
space to unpack one....). It would allow more Deb's to be built, etc.,
etc.
Unfortunately for me it will be at least 3 month's (probably more like 6)
before I can build up enough capital to purchase a k6-2 type system (I'm
thinking it'll take about $500 for case and components without monitor)
Ok there's my situation, what is everyone else's.
--
Jeff Waddell
jeff@smluc.org
Kids Games Project Coordinator
main website at http://smluc.org/SIA/kidsgames/
-
kidsgames@smluc.org -- To get off this list send "unsubscribe kidsgames"
in the body of a message to majordomo@smluc.org