Linux-Hardware Digest #224, Volume #13 Wed, 12 Jul 00 22:13:08 EDT
Contents:
Re: Is this a good machine for the money? (brian moore)
Re: Recognizing 3C509B NIC (Steve Martin)
Re: Multiple CPUs performance (David C.)
Re: SCSI controller (Markus Kossmann)
Re: eth1 fails on boot!! ("Chris Cantwell")
Re: Linux home server: Clean-slate hardware plan? ("Steve Conover, Sr.")
Problem installing Laserjet Series II (Gerald's user login)
Re: Problem installing Laserjet Series II (Grant Taylor)
Re: duron & geforce 2 mx support (Michael Meding)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (brian moore)
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.misc
Subject: Re: Is this a good machine for the money?
Date: 13 Jul 2000 01:23:15 GMT
On Wed, 12 Jul 2000 04:00:06 GMT,
David Steuber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> A rather lengthy URL to the VA Linux 420 follows:
>
>
>http://www.valinux.com/systems/configure/index.html?SELECT_2=3&SELECT_3=11&SELECT_4=17&SELECT_5=24&SELECT_6=26&SELECT_7=None&SELECT_8=None&SELECT_9=None&SELECT_10=None&SELECT_11=None&SELECT_12=None&SELECT_13=43&SELECT_14=None&SELECT_15=45&Model=420&ANCHOR=-1&db=2&id=26729&MODEL_LOADED=1&Last_Function=0&max_anchor=15&EndConfig2=1&FINAL_CHECK.x=80&FINAL_CHECK.y=28
>
> I'm looking to use this machine as a low end server rather than a
> workstation, but the servers are out of my pricerange. This box seems
> reasonable at $855. Don't know yet what shipping would bring it up
> to.
Shipping will be cheap most likely. Maybe $50 or so, considering you're
East Coast. For a small (few thousand hits a day) web server or mail
server it should be fine. The single IDE drive may bog things down some
if you're running something disk intensive.
For some reason, I always fear the shipping charges for computers and
then find out that UPS must be a lot cheaper than I'd guess. :)
> Has anyone got any experience with VA Linux?
Not directly... I've done my comparison shopping, though, and they're
one of the companies I check. (I almost always end up at ASL, though,
which is where my latest pair of toys came from and where my next
couple will be from as well. For the class of machine I buy, ASL is a
tad cheaper. See http://www.aslab.com/ for some nifty machines -- you
may like their prices better, too.)
VA, though, is quite reputable, and uses high quality components, as do
most of the Linux hardware vendors. (Geeks are a picky bunch, so the
good vendors use good components: crappy motherboards suck.)
I've yet to hear a complaint about the quality of VA's systems, and
they've sold piles of them. Busy sites like slashdot use VA systems, so
the higher end systems can certainly take a beating.
--
Brian Moore | Of course vi is God's editor.
Sysadmin, C/Perl Hacker | If He used Emacs, He'd still be waiting
Usenet Vandal | for it to load on the seventh day.
Netscum, Bane of Elves.
------------------------------
From: Steve Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Recognizing 3C509B NIC
Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 21:34:11 -0400
"Peter T. Breuer" wrote:
>
> Steve Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> : I have no experience with anything newer that RH 6.0, so forgive my
> : ignorance, but might you not have to recompile the kernel to include
> : support for the 3C509, either built-in or as a module? I don't know
>
> No. As a module it'll load just fine. (Building a module is not
> "rempiling the kernel" - that's the whole idea).
I didn't make myself clear. What I meant to say was that support had
to be there in some form (either built-in or as a module) before one
can use the card. You're right that a full recompile isn't needed.
However, if there is no module present for the card, then one has to
be created (usually by "make modules"). If the install of the system
didn't put a module for this card in the proper place to be found
by the kernel, then one will have to be generated. I don't know if
the 3c509.o module is even present on his system, so I intended my
statement as a suggestion that he might have to produce it.
------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (David C.)
Crossposted-To: alt.comp.hardware
Subject: Re: Multiple CPUs performance
Date: 12 Jul 2000 21:35:18 -0400
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>>
>> Does Win98 / NT support dual processors properly? What about Linux?
>
> WinNT and Win2K do, as does Linux. 2K Pro will scale up to 2 CPUs, 2K
> Server to 4, 2K Advanced Server to 16 (?), and 2K Enterprise Server to
> more. I don't know NT's limits. I think Linux is currently limited
> to some value - 16? - but it will definitely handle 2 CPUs without a
> problem.
My memory's a bit foggy here, but IIRC, NT workstation supports 2,
server and enterprise each support 4. Microsoft made some customized
versions (for hardware vendors) which support more.
IIRC, the difference (WRT the number of processors) is not in the
kernel, but is an artificial limit designed to make people with high-end
boxes buy more expensive versions of Windows. I think there exists some
registry hacks to get around that limit.
>> Ingoring costs, and assuming all other hardware being equal (same) -
>> what performance increase (or benefits) of a dual cpu system over a
>> single cpu system?
>
> Well, I've heard figures from 20% speedup to 80% speedup, and the
> reason is that it totally depends on your software. Servers tend to
> get better results because they do a lot of things at once. Home
> machines get worse results because nearly all Windows programs are
> single-tasked. The good ones (like Adobe Photoshop) scale *real*
> well, but the average home user doesn't use any of that stuff.
For me (as a home user), I don't find that single programs run any
faster, but the system overall performs much better while under a load.
A processor-intensive program doesn't slow down other apps very much.
(I'm using a dual PPro/200 box.)
-- David
------------------------------
From: Markus Kossmann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: SCSI controller
Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 20:22:21 +0200
Azsandorl wrote:
>
> I recently purchased Mandrake 7.0. It seems that my SCSI controller doesn't
> work with Linux 2.2.14 I have a Promise Technology Ultra66.
Thisi s a ATA UDMA66 controler , not a SCSI controller ( even if the
driver is listed as SCSI driver under Windows) . Read the Linux
Ultra-DMA Mini-Howto (
http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/mini/Ultra-DMA.html) to get it running .
--
Markus Kossmann
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
------------------------------
Reply-To: "Chris Cantwell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
From: "Chris Cantwell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.linux.networking,comp.os.linux.setup
Subject: Re: eth1 fails on boot!!
Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 21:41:44 -0400
You may have an IRQ conflict with your 3c509 card on IRQ=5
Chris Cantwell
"Devon Harding" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:Ua4b5.226$[EMAIL PROTECTED]...
> insmod seems to fail on boot-up.
>
> When I try it manually insmod 3c509 after boot, it fails the first time
> with:
> 'resource busy'
>
> then when I retry again, it says:
> eth1: 3c509 at 0x320 tag 1, 10baseT port, address 00 a0 24 78 8a ab, IRQ
5.
> 3c509.c:1.16 (2.2) 2/3/98 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> Then when I do 'ifconfig eth1 192.168.0.1', it says:
> eth1: Setting Rx mode to 1 addresses.
>
> Here's a few lines from my /var/log/messages:
>
> Jul 9 13:36:10 mars network: Setting network parameters succeeded
> Jul 9 13:36:11 mars ifup: eth0: Host name lookup failure
> Jul 9 13:36:12 mars network: Bringing up interface lo succeeded
> Jul 9 13:36:13 mars ifup: Determining IP information for eth0...
> Jul 9 13:36:13 mars pumpd[283]: starting at (uptime 0 days, 0:00:42) Sun
Jul
> 9 13:36:13 2000
> Jul 9 13:36:21 mars syslog: syslogd startup succeeded
> Jul 9 13:36:13 mars pumpd[283]: configured interface eth0
> Jul 9 13:36:13 mars ifup: done.
> Jul 9 13:36:14 mars network: Bringing up interface eth0 succeeded
> Jul 9 13:36:14 mars insmod: /lib/modules/2.2.14-5.0/net/3c509.o: invalid
> parameter parm_io
> Jul 9 13:36:14 mars ifup: Delaying eth1 initialization.
> Jul 9 13:36:14 mars network: Bringing up interface eth1 failed
>
>
>
>
>
------------------------------
From: "Steve Conover, Sr." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Linux home server: Clean-slate hardware plan?
Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 01:59:09 GMT
David:
Thanks a bunch. Good advice (...and I strongly prefer learning
new things via advice, as opposed to experience).
I might have almost enough old stuff laying around to build a
firewall computer. Great idea. (I'd heard that always-on cable
modems were a security risk; the firewall fixes that, I presume.)
The clients will be 1-WinNT4WS, 2-Win98 to begin with. Some day
(if all those home networking articles come true), I'll add
appliances and home security systems to the network.
I'm reading about Samba in the book I just got: _Setting Up A
Linux Intranet Server_, by Coriolis. (Glad I don't have a Mac,
too.)
I'm thinking about upgrading my NT4 machine's CPU from a P-II 400
to a P-III 650-or-so; I'll just slide the old P-II into the
server.
Thanks for the RJ-45 watch-outs! You probably saved me a lot of
time with that advice.
You mentioned logging into the server from a client, instead of
having a monitor dedicated to the server. I'll be on the NT4
client most of the time; how would I log onto the server, from a
DOS window or something like that? (If it requires a shutdown
every time, I'd rather dedicate a separate monitor to the
server.)
I don't have a case yet; probably order a SuperMicro mini-tower.
This is going to be an interesting learning experience; probably
time-consuming, too. I'll just tell the wife to throw a pizza
and sixpack into the room two or three times a day. (I'd better
get the internet connection running quickly, so I can send her
some flowers every few days, too.)
--Steve
On 10 Jul 2000 13:55:27 -0400, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (David C.) wrote:
>
>What kind of clients are you going to be running?
>
>If they are all Windows clients, you're going to need to set up and
>configure Samba on the server. This isn't hard, but you may find a bit
>of a learning curve involved.
>
>I would recommend two computers here. One to act as your file/print
>server, and another to act as a firewall/router (for sharing the
>internet connection). I recommend not running any applications or
>servers on the firewall computer.
>
>Fortunately, the firewall computer can be really cheap. Cable modems
>are fast compared to modems, but they're slow compared to Ethernet. A
>486 with two 10M ethernet cards will work fine in this capacity. In
>case you're curious, here's what my firewall has:
> - Generic "Deep Green" 486 motherboard with AMD 120MHz CPU.
> (8 ISA slots, 3 with VLB extensions. No on-board devices.)
> - 40M RAM
> - Generic VLB controller for serial, parallel and single-channel IDE
> - Generic VLB S3 805-series video
> - 1G WD Caviar IDE hard drive
> - Generic (Nucom) IDE CD-ROM drive
> - E-Link 16 (NE-2000 clone) 10M Ethernet card
> - 3Com Etherlink II/16 10M Ethernet card
> - Generic keyboard
> - No mouse
>
>Yes, this is a slow system.
>
>Yes, I have two devices on a single IDE channel, but it doesn't matter
>because I almost never use the CD-ROM.
>
>Yes, the bus is ISA, and these are 10M cards, but it doesn't matter
>because the DSL line has a top speed of 270Kbps anyway.
>
>> Group 1: planned hardware I don't own yet:
>>
>> Motherboard: ASUS P2B w/ onboard Adaptec SCSI controller
>
>It will work, but you probably won't require the SCSI interface unless
>you are going to run multiple drives, or if you run software on the
>server itself. A light-duty file server will probably not generate
>enough load on its own.
>
>You should compare the difference in price between the board with SCSI
>and the one without. Even though you already have an Ultra2 SCSI hard
>drive, keep in mind that you can get a 10G IDE drive for less than $100
>- which is probably less than the amount you'll save on the motherboard.
>
>Still, if you want to spend the money on the motherboard, I think you'll
>be satisfied with it.
>
>> CPU: Intel P-III ~500MHz
>
>Any CPU will be fine for routing packets to your cable modem. IMO,
>anything 400MHz or faster should be fine for file and printer sharing,
>since those tasks will be I/O bound anyway.
>
>If you plan on running apps on the server, then the faster CPU may be
>useful.
>
>> NIC: 3COM 10/100
>
>3Com makes a lot of different models. I assume you're talking about the
>3c905 series. I have used them (905, 905B and 905C) without problem.
>Keep in mind that some older kernels don't support the 905C. If you use
>a current release (kernel 2.2.x or later), you shouldn't have a problem.
>
>Keep in mind also, that there are other good (and less expensive) NICs
>out there.
>
>Also keep in mind that 10M may be good enough. Especially if most of
>your network traffic is going to be funneled to the internet via your
>cable modem anyway.
>
>> Cable, RJ-45 twisted pair (specs?)
>
>Anything Cat-5 rated should be fine. Just make sure you don't confuse
>straight cables with crossover cables. A straight cable has all the
>wires connected in the same order on each end. A crossover cable swaps
>wire pairs 2 and 3. If the cable isn't labeled, you can tell by looking
>through the plastic connectors at the ends.
>
>In general, you want to use a straight cable to connect a host
>(computer, printer, whatever) to a hub. You want to use a crossover
>cable to connect a device to another device, or to attach a hub to
>another hub. (The exception here being that some hubs have an "uplink"
>port - in which case, you can use a straight cable to connect two hubs.)
>
>> Graphics card: ? (suggestions please)
>
>For a server? It doesn't matter. A GUI just consumes CPU cycles which
>are better used for the server programs. Don't even bother launching
>the GUI - just let the server run in text mode. Get the cheapest video
>card you can find. A motherboard with on-board video is also OK for
>this application.
>
>Also note that a high-end video card will probably consume more power
>and generate more heat than a cheapo card.
>
>> SCSI CD-ROM drive: ? (suggestions please)
>
>Your CD-ROM drive is not going to get much use. You're probably going
>to use it to install (and later upgrade) Linux itself, and maybe to
>install a software package or two. But you're not going to be using it
>for anything else. After all, this is a server, not a workstation.
>
>Get the cheapest CD-ROM you can find. This probably means IDE. Don't
>worry about it sharing an IDE channel with a hard drive. The CD-ROM
>drive will be sitting idle most of the time, so it won't interfere with
>the hard drive's performance.
>
>> Group 2: hardware I already own:
>>
>> Hard drive: Seagate Barracuda, Ultra-2 SCSI, 9G
>
>A nice drive. But it does require you to have a SCSI controller, which
>may cost more than a new hard drive.
>
>> Monitor: ViewSonic 17"
>
>Nice, but wasted for a server. Since the server will usually be in
>text-mode, and with the monitor turned off, you're better off using that
>17" monitor on a workstation. Get a cheap 15" monitor for the server
>console. (I've seen used ones in good condition for $60 at local flea
>markets.)
>
>You can also choose to run the server with no monitor. Install
>everything using the 17" monitor you've got, and then disconnect it when
>you're done. When you need to administer the server, you'll just log-in
>over the LAN.
>
>> Printer1: LaserJet 5
>> Printer2: Phaser 740
>
>Very nice. Linux shouldn't have any problem serving them. Note that
>your server will need enough interfaces for them. You may need a second
>parallel port, unless one of them has a serial (or Ethernet) interface.
>
>> Logitech keyboard, trackball
>
>Don't worry about this.
>
>Since you won't be logged in at the console very much, any cheap
>keyboard will suffice.
>
>Since you won't be running a GUI, you can eliminate the trackball (or
>other pointing device) as well.
>
>> ...oh yeah; I also own:
>> screwdriver; pliers; fire extinguisher; sledgehammer :-)
>
>Some useful tools, if you don't already have them include:
>
>- Socket wrench set with a 1/4" spinner. A small set isn't very
> expensive. I find that the hex-screws are easier to install/remove
> with a socket and spinner than with a screwdriver. Loosen really
> tight ones with the ratchet. (Don't tighten with the ratchet, however
> - it's too easy to overtighten a screw and damage something.)
>
>- Ground strap. I always like to be grounded when working with
> static-sensitive parts, like motherboards and RAM. I'm less careful
> when working with parts that have no exposed circuit boards (like
> CD-ROM drives and some hard drives.)
>
>- Thermal compound. aka. thermal grease. Be sure to apply some between
> the CPU and its heat-sink/fan. Thermal compound helps the heat sink
> absorb heat from the CPU. There can be a 10 degree difference in CPU
> temperature between using it and not using it.
>
>- You didn't mention what kind of case you've got. If you have a 7200
> RPM (or 10,000 RPM) hard drive, or if you have more than one hard
> drive, cooling may be a problem. If you're not sure about your case's
> cooling capability, consider adding some extra fans. Most minitower
> cases sold these days have room to attach one or two fans (in addition
> to the one in your power supply and the one(s) on your CPU.) If you
> add extra fans. be sure to get the airflow direction correct. You
> want as much air as possible flowing through the case.
>
>> I would appreciate watch-outs, suggestions, and warnings. Also,
>> advice on anything I might have overlooked. Thanks a lot.
>
>You only mentioned one Ethernet card. A server on a LAN only needs one,
>but a box that's going to be a gateway between a LAN and the internet
>will need two.
>
>-- David
Steve Conover, Sr.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://web2.airmail.net/scsr/
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------------------------------
From: Gerald's user login <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Problem installing Laserjet Series II
Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2000 21:02:49 -0500
I have been trying to figure out how to successfully install my Laserjet
Series II printer connected to a parallel port in SUSE Linux 6.3. I
tried selecting a Postscript printer with Yast, but that didn't work.
I've run across recommendations to select a Laserjet driver for
ghostscript, but don't really know now to proceed. First, I did some
digging and it appears that the Laserjet is supported by my ghostscript
program as it is installed, but I don't see anywhere in gs or gv that
gives me an option to select the laserjet. Can someone point me in the
right direction. It has been suggested elsewhere in response to similar
questions from others that they use google to search for information
about the laserjet series II and linux. All I find are a couple of
questions and comments about selecting laserjet as a ghostscript option.
------------------------------
From: Grant Taylor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Problem installing Laserjet Series II
Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 02:07:42 GMT
Gerald's user login <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
> I have been trying to figure out how to successfully install my
> Laserjet Series II printer connected to a parallel port in SUSE
> Linux 6.3.
> Can someone point me in the right direction.
YaST should include a section with many other drivers besides the
Postscript one you picked; there oughtto be support in there for
laserjet.
If you can't find it in Yast, I think the standalone printer setup
tool is called lprsetup. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's documented in
SuSE's documentation.
--
Grant Taylor - gtaylor@picante<dot>com - http://www.picante.com/~gtaylor/
Linux Printing HOWTO and Website: http://www.linuxprinting.org/
I offer consulting in most things Unix/Linux/*BSD/Perl/C/C++
------------------------------
From: Michael Meding <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: duron & geforce 2 mx support
Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 06:18:37 +0200
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
tsu kong lue schrieb:
>
> will linux have support for both by the beginning of august , well i
> know the video card probalby falls under x, but does anyone expect
> drivers soon or not for a while?
There is no need for special support for the duron. It should work right
out of the box.
There is a problem however with early durons and cache reporting. This
is cosmetic only.
The speed improvements which could be obtained by compiling everything
according to the processor would be a question best adresse to the
developers of the gnu gcc or amd (maybe they donate some algorithms or
programmers time :-)).
As to the Geforce.... that is up to NVidia. Since they only produce
binary only drivers it is hard to tell.
Regards
Michael
------------------------------
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