Uses for a spare box

Mr. Brightside

Mr. Brightside

Mr. Brightside

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27 Apr 2004
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I've got an old server box, with dual 1Ghz PIIIs. I've had it the most part of a year now running Debian Etch and Folding. However, with it being the Christmas holidays I thought I'd see if anyone has any better ideas for what I might do with it. However:
  • I already have a nice LAMP setup on another box.
  • I already have a brilliant router running m0n0wall.
  • I'm happy using uTorrent for downloads and don't really want to setup a dedicated torrent/download box.
Any suggestions excluding the above three could be cool :)

Thanks, null :)
 
Thanks for the ideas :)

Forgot to mention, the box that is running LAMP is also my mail server complete with Spamassassin and ClamAV.
File Server - It only has a 60gB drive - my main rig has 736gB total and is faster etc. Data wouldn't fit on it so not much use.
Backup server - same reason as above. My main rig is the backup server for itself and my LAMP box.
Print Server - the two printers in the house are my parents and thus attached to their PCs, in the wrong room for this box to be used as a print server.

Sorry if I sound unappreciative it's just I have all those things covered. Thanks anyway though!

Keep them coming, null :)
 
Do a solaris install......teach yourself what non-global zones are and be stuck pondering what to do with your multiple boxes on one box......

Or VMware.....but thats boring and simple.....
 
wush said:
Switch it off and be nice to the planet. :p
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I gave away a P4 1.8Ghz Willamette yesterday to a family who will use it for something other than Folding. This box is staying - I like the Dual PIIIs in it (upgraded to them from the single 800MHz one that was in it when given to me). I've got rid of enough surplus hardware but this one is staying, useful or not :p.

Solaris, I dunno, I know absolutely nothing about it and am only just beginning to develop my Linux knowledge. Was hoping for suggestions that use Linux.

And don't tell me, I'm fussy, I know :p

Thanks, null :)
 
If you use iTunes you can set it up as a mt-daapd server that would stream your iTunes library to any machine in the house. It's one of the things that I run on my home server, a 733 MHz PIII.
 
null said:
I like the sound of that, just don't think I would have any way of connecting to it when away from home. Ideas?

Thanks, null :)
Click to expand...

I suppose it depends on the media player you use, whether from an mp3 player to media player software on another PC. I'm looking into streaming media from my spare box (Epia M6000 running WinXP) and running it through Windows Media Player.
 
Would be pretty nice as a mythtv box (backend). Dual 1G p3 is enough to encode/transcode/ a lot of stuff.

Set up, squid (caching proxy server), photogallery, mail, news, bittorrent(torrentflux), music server (streaming, itunes,slimserver) FTP area for friends, anonymous FTP to see what gets dumped there, caching DNS server, proper firewall/router ( edit I see you have monowall), grab a SATA card and a bunch of disks and make a kick ass fileserver, MRTG , anti virus, SMTP email server, SPAM checking, email server for friends (buy your own domain first), SSH server, VMWARE images set up to log into them remotely over X, web server for friends, ISPConfig, fax server, answer phone, Trixbox, PBX, IP phone network hub, etc etc etc

<edit> SNORT, LOCAL Patch / Update/ Linux package repositary, maybe i'll think of more soon.
 
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BillytheImpaler said:
If you use iTunes you can set it up as a mt-daapd server that would stream your iTunes library to any machine in the house. It's one of the things that I run on my home server, a 733 MHz PIII.
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I switch between WMPlayer 10 and foobar2k, and sharing from my main rig works well enough.

whitecrook said:
Would be pretty nice as a mythtv box (backend). Dual 1G p3 is enough to encode/transcode/ a lot of stuff.

Set up, squid (caching proxy server), photogallery, mail, news, bittorrent(torrentflux), music server (streaming, itunes,slimserver) FTP area for friends, anonymous FTP to see what gets dumped there, caching DNS server, proper firewall/router ( edit I see you have monowall), grab a SATA card and a bunch of disks and make a kick ass fileserver, MRTG , anti virus, SMTP email server, SPAM checking, email server for friends (buy your own domain first), SSH server, VMWARE images set up to log into them remotely over X, web server for friends, ISPConfig, fax server, answer phone, Trixbox, PBX, IP phone network hub, etc etc etc

<edit> SNORT, LOCAL Patch / Update/ Linux package repositary, maybe i'll think of more soon.
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Already got a photogallery, local DNS server, m0n0wall, Munin instead of MRTG, ClamAV, Exim4 & CourierIMAP, Spamassassin and several domains (not providing for friends though).

FTP Server sounds like it might have potential. Can't afford a SATA card or disks, would do otherwise. Going to investigate MRTG because it is more featured than Munin for networking (Munin is more general). VMWare images is also a nice idea, not really sure what I would want it for though, and it only has 256mB RAM. Don't really want ISPConfig, fax server, answer phone etc.

Not sure what you mean by SSH server? If you mean what I think, it's already got one, as has my main server (runs headless). Going to find out what SNORT is. Why would I want a Linux package repository?

Thanks for that, given me a lot to think about :D

null :)
 
null said:
I switch between WMPlayer 10 and foobar2k, and sharing from my main rig works well enough.

Already got a photogallery, local DNS server, m0n0wall, Munin instead of MRTG, ClamAV, Exim4 & CourierIMAP, Spamassassin and several domains (not providing for friends though).

FTP Server sounds like it might have potential. Can't afford a SATA card or disks, would do otherwise. Going to investigate MRTG because it is more featured than Munin for networking (Munin is more general). VMWare images is also a nice idea, not really sure what I would want it for though, and it only has 256mB RAM. Don't really want ISPConfig, fax server, answer phone etc.

Not sure what you mean by SSH server? If you mean what I think, it's already got one, as has my main server (runs headless). Going to find out what SNORT is. Why would I want a Linux package repository?

Thanks for that, given me a lot to think about :D

null :)
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I was just talking off the top of my head of various services I have run on my machines in the past, It's really handy to be able to SSH in and add torrents, or configure a TV recording when you are out. Have you got IMAP setup ? Webmail of sorts could be organised. You can use SSH to tunnel a connection from work so you can browse at work without them seeing what you are doing.

Linux Package repsositary obviously only useful if you have 2 or more machines running linux so you only have to download packages once, and the other machines get their packages from the local networked machine. If you have windows set up a window patch archive, ditto for other Os's I presume you can setup a similar thing for the BSD's etc.

I ran a anonymous FTP for a while, only thing that got put on it was complete season of Married with Children - In french ! YMMV..
 
whitecrook said:
Have you got IMAP setup ? Webmail of sorts could be organised. You can use SSH to tunnel a connection from work so you can browse at work without them seeing what you are doing.
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Yeah I've got Exim4, CourierIMAP, ClamAV, Spamassasin (trains daily via cron) and Squirrelmail all set up. Very pleased with it :).
As for SSH... only connection to the internet from school is through the HTTP proxy. I tried getting a connection once, using Mindterm (SSH Client in Java). However it had difficulty negotiating the authentication scheme so I had to give up on that idea.

Had a look at the upside-down-ternet, looks awesome :D. As you said though, its pointless (for me anyway).

null :)
 
Decided to set it up as a CS:Source dedicated server. I used to run one on my main server when it ran Windows, so thought I'd have a go on Linux on this box. No real need for it but hey it's something to do. Been learning about screen in the process too, which is pretty cool :)

null :)
 
Non-global zones are a feature in solaris 10 that allow you to have the base operating system, then have multiple other solaris installs running on top as totally seperate boxes. Compared to vmware etc this is a really efficiant and stable way of doing this. It also lets you decide how much system resource you give to each zone.

If you set it up correctly you could probably run every project above on a different zone.

And you get to learn about solaris 10...

Free download and all......
 
BillytheImpaler said:
Hmm, that gives me evil ideas. Think I could run that on my DD-WRT router? :D
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Yes but only if you improved the cooling like I did with my old WRT54G ;)

main.php


http://www.piggott.me.uk/?page_id=30

http://www.piggott.me.uk/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=15 :D

*edit* - Pic is out of date - the wiring is actually much tidier and I added a switch on the back to control the fan since the pic was taken
 
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