Re: linux as a minicomputer ?

[H. Peter Anvin]

Alan Cox wrote:
>>Oh yes, but the *expensive* part of the machine -- the multiprocessor 
>>box -- isn't.
> 
> If you need SMP (frequently doubtful) its a price, but dual celeron and
> dual duron are cheap if you buy them from sensible vendors.
> 
>>Also, when using massmarket systems of more than 2 or 3 monitors you 
>>start having cabling problems.  VGA connectors aren't impedance matched 
>>and cause nasty reflections at high resolutions, so they don't extend 
>>well.  I guess digital video is coming, but is not yet mass market.
> 
> Indeed and most of it is not specced for long distances. It will also no
> doubt be held up even more now the encryption on the wire wants to be augmented
> by the newer watermarking stuff so the monitor won't show movies without
> authorization
> 

If you're talking about things like setting up multiheaded UP and 
dual-processor machines for, say, an undergraduate lab in a university, 
then I think you're probably on the right track -- *especially* if the 
alternative would be using X-terminals (gack!!!) to leech the CPU power 
anyway.

Otherwise, I think that's probably the main "minicomputeresque" form of 
Linux usage -- remote X display.

	-hpa