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Date:      Mon, 27 Nov 2000 19:38:46 -0600 (CST)
From:      Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org>
To:        biz@bacon.cs.uchicago.edu
Cc:        questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: but what box??
Message-ID:  <14883.3238.844868.291778@guru.mired.org>
In-Reply-To: <104810482@toto.iv>

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biz@bacon.cs.uchicago.edu types:
> i have looked at the hardware compatibility list, but it is more
> modular than what i need.  i'd like to just know of an existing box, 
> NOT custom built, from a known vendor (or just widely used in freebsd
> community).

Well, the Sony VAIO is reported to work really well, but that's a
lousy config for a server.

Which is the problem with most "off-the-shelf" boxes. To get a
reasonable server config off the shelf, you'll have to buy hardware
you don't need (internal modem, high-performance video card, etc.).

If you want a high performance box, your best best is to order a
system from someone on the list at <URL:
http://www.freebsd.org/commercial/hardware.html >. Yeah, it may be
custom, but some of them have standard configuration you can buy.  If
you poke around, you might even find someone who'll preinstall all the
software you need for your list of services.  I ordered from ASA, and
have been very happy with the hardware, though I reinstalled the OS
the day I got it (because that happened to be the day that 3.0-RELEASE
was released).

For a low-end server, it doesn't really matter. All you need is a
builtin ethernet that's supported, or a PCI slot for an ethernet
card. Everything else you're going to use is so standard as to be
immaterial: one IDE HD, one ATAPI cdrom, keyboard, mouse, and a video
card that isn't going to leave console mode. The builtin modem won't
be usable, but probably isn't avoidable. Don't pay extra for a DVD
drive or CDRW or USB or FireWire or ...), though you'll probably have
to buy one or more of them.  For my last such box, I bought a Toshiba
BookPC, because I wanted something to cram on a bookshelf and forget
about. The TV-out to a TV-in card saves the space of a monitor, even.

	<mike
--
Mike Meyer					http://www.mired.org/home/mwm/
Independent WWW/Unix/FreeBSD consultant,	email for rates.


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