[Gllug] Time for new mobo - server for thin clients at home?

[Richard Jones]

On Fri, Apr 07, 2006 at 01:22:11PM +0100, M.Blackmore wrote:
> Time for a new mobo methinks, old 800mhz one is getting a bit stifled
> and can't get enough old style ram into it to be cost effective. 
> 
> We also have increasing "terminal demands" from growing kids. So rather
> than buy another PC or two, I think I'd like to try the networked thin
> terminal approach, using old PCs as a base to hang a decent LCD screen
> off downstairs in the kitchen and a seperate one in the study so we can
> have 3 people on at once.
> 
> Also thinking of a Myth TV server...
> 
> And an IMAP mail server (which I've been meaning to set up at home for
> YEARS).
> 
> Now, can all this be done from a single PC?

Yes, easily.

> Does X-windows transmit down a 100 network OK or should I go to gigabit
> (I laid in gigabit cabling when doing up the house) yet (i.e. replace
> network cards)?

Most motherboards will come with ethernet built in.  Some will come
with gigE built in.  In any case, 100 mbps ethernet is fine for
running X.

> What sort of motherboard should I get? Budget is an issue here, so cost
> effectiveness for a few years is the issue. Got lots of cases and a pair
> of 250gb sata disks and a couple of 80gb disks etc.

I'd definitely get an Athlon 64 processor, and probably a VIA-based
motherboard to go with it.  I recently bought an Abit AV-8 mobo and
the cheapest Athlon I could find (running at 1.8 GHz, I can't remember
what model it is exactly), and it works very well.

> What spec do the terminals need to be to give decent performance? 

Are you going to do a K12Linux sort of thing (http://www.k12ltsp.org/)
so it's pure terminal serving?  Concentrate on input/output - by which
I mean get good monitors, keywords and mice.

> What video card should I put in those?

Some motherboards will come with video.  I've got an old NVidia card
here which works well enough.

Rich.

-- 
Richard Jones, CTO Merjis Ltd.
Merjis - web marketing and technology - http://merjis.com
Team Notepad - intranets and extranets for business - http://team-notepad.com
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