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Richard Brown wrote: > Hi > > As all who were there yesterday will testify I thought building a > cluster might help me in my goal of providing a network of computers > for Lostwithiel youth and adults. > > I have 20 off p3's 700mhz. I assumed that if we linked 10 together in > a cluster we would have a super-computer that we could run a network > off. i.e. the cluster would be a server to lend power to the other 10 > in the network. I didn't fully appreciate what a cluster was. > > So the first question is what is a cluster? What is the point to it > and why isn't it a server like I wanted? > This might answer your question... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_cluster > But it now moves on to the youth club needs. Tom Brough has answered > some of my questions in another email but suffice to say what I would > like to do is to run 10 computers through a server. The computers > would have ordinary functions, email, web browse, office, etc but > would also be able to run Doom or another network game. The server is > built to protect the kids from the internet, i.e. a net nanny and also > to run as a print server (we only have one). It would also run as a > games server. I was going to say have one machine as an LTSP server and have the rest of the machines as clients but with them all being around the same spec, having one machine run everything might bit a bit much for it. It might be worth having a look at Edubuntu. It's got LTSP built in and if I'm right it boots a copy of Ubuntu on each client machine over the network and the programs themselves run on the clients. At least I think this is how it works (rather than just have the clients display the programs with the server actually doing all the hard work running them). You should be able to make any of the machines run as a printer server with something like Cups installed on them. Blocking bad internet sites would be covered by something like Dans Guardian. > Tom has already offered to bring a few more computers around and so I > propose another early/mid December date with some additional ideas. > > In yesterdays meeting John and Claire turned up in order to learn some > stuff so I propose we have a corner that will achieve three things: > 1. Install some Linux distro > 2. Teach basic Linux maintenance (both command line and gui driven) > 3. Teach some more intimate Linux stuff such as run levels (ideas please) That sounds good, although Cornwall is a bit far for me to go at the moment. However if I can get permission to use the board room of Plymouth Sound in Plymouth then this may be a suitable location (although it is likely we won't have internet access unless I can talk round the network guys which is fairly unlikely). > In another corner we build a server that will provide print server and > net nanny space. It would be good if we could also set-up a web > server. With a suitable router demonstrate port forwarding for those > that want to know. Sounds easy enough. When you say router to do port forwarding, do you mean a bog standard ADSL router? > > And in the third corner we have pre-installed Linux boxes set-up and > ready to run Doom etc. The guys in this third corner would do the > setting up of the boxes. Basically connect keyboards, mice, monitors > etc. If the distro still needs installing to do so and connect them to > the internet. Check all is functioning, etc. > All the above would run over 2/3 hours from 12 midday. At three > o'clock we will get together for the final part of the day which will > be to install Doom and configure all the computers to run the game > together so we can have one big shoot-up! Now that sounds good. > Times might need adjusting but I will ensure we have the hall for 12 > til 5 this time and that refreshments will be available. > > What do you think please? Sounds good. Other comments above. Rob -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/linux_adm/list-faq.html