RE: [TCLUG:16820] Stone Soup computers (related to Obsolete Hardware)

["David S. Cargo" <escargo@anubis.network.com>]

> From: "Bill Layer" <b.layer@vikingelectronics.com>
> I think the stone soup idea is pretty good, especially in light of the fact
> that hardware is my greatest strength (while I remain a
> newbie to Linux itself). I could throw together x86 boxes and teach
> others what I can about the hardware, while the more advanced
> Linux gurus walk the other newbies through install part of the process. 
> 
> That said, I've installed Linux on a half a dozen systems, so I may be of
> some install help anyway. :) I'll leave that to the discretion of the
> gurus.
> 
> My only concern is making sure that there are enough takers for the parts
> I bring.. I _don't_ want to go back home with them :)
> 
> Bill Layer
> Sales Technician
> b.layer@vikingelectronics.com

Since appears that you have to come from Wisconsin, I can understand
that you wouldn't want to have to haul a bunch of stuff round trip.

I don't know how to resolve the issue of being able to tell you
what parts to bring.  I had a couple of people send me mail at
escargo@skypoint.com who were interested.

Clay Fandre <cfandre@maddog.mn-linux.org> said:

> I would like to make this part of the next Installfest we are having on
> May 20th. This will allow users to get some help installing some used
> stuff they just picked up. It would also make it easier for busy people
> (like myself) to attend 1 event, rather than 2.
>  
> And I can work on a webpage with info on this.

Let me start it by saying what I could bring (most of this I would
be willing to swap/sell):

1 or 2 cases
1 386 motherboard with processor and 16M of memory
1 Cyrix PR166 processor (left over from a processor upgrade)
1 IDE controller card
1 1.6GB hard disk
1 ET4000 video card (I forget how much video memory)
1 30MB MFM hard drive (a museum piece, but it's enough for a Linux router)
1 Hercules-clone monochrome video card and a monochrome monitor
maybe a 3.5 in floppy
1 3c509 ethernet card
1 Diamond Technologies DT-0196H sound card (reputedly ALS-007 based)
1 HP Traven tape drive and controller (the floppy-based kind, not IDE)

What I am conspicuously missing:  any kind of CD-ROM drive, any size
color monitor.  (Originally I ran X Windows on my Hercules-clone.  For
some reason, Hercules monochrome support for XFree86 hasn't been a
high priority, and it's not necessarily reliable.)

Pieces that I may be missing:  little things like spaces, blank cutout
panels, and screws; not so little things like drive cables.


The minimum that I would like to take away:

A 386 box with 16MB and the 1.6GB drive with Linux installed.
(This was actually my initial Linux configuration, running Red Hat
4.2.)

The maximum that I would expect to take away:

A Pentium motherboard with the Cyrix PR166 and the 1.6GB drive
with Linux installed.  (I ran with this configuration for a while,
in the not so dim past.)

Anybody out there used one of those monitor/keyboard/mouse switchers?
If I had one of those, I wouldn't need another color monitor.  Another
possibility would be to run the thing headless, and telnet in over
my LAN.  Worst comes to worst I can run it monochrome again.

dsc