Resurrecting a Legacy X86 PC..

[Topper]

Despite swearing by Linux for server duties, it is not, IMO, a user friendly desktop OS. I've tried many distros, including Mint and I simply did not get on with any of them at all.

OS is a highly personal choice, of course. What doesn't work for me, may very well work for anyone else.

I agree CJ, Linux servers have been the DBs since 2002, when I had to swiftly switch over from PITA Novell 5.1 for 6 stores and head office. Seamless operation as a server but whilst I tried my home use with Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Mint, Red Hat etc I never kept them.

 

[Analoguesat]

Well so far MINT is a bust..
I can see and share my Networked Servers ...but can't play anything ..
Some mkv files will play audio ...but no video ..
I'm assuming it's a codec issue ..
but of course ..
not a clue how to fix/import new codecs etc..
I can't use Firefox as this crashes every time I start it up ..
Probably this wants/needs proprietory drivers for the NIC card.
or HDCP isn't enabled by default..?
I suspect I have a lot to learn with this OS ...but one things for sure..
Not an out -of - the - box ..product ..

Its not just that the computer is desperately underpowered for the mkv files is it? My 11 year old Dell desktop can struggle with mkv files


You could try getting mint to download vlc - that'll be in the software manager

 

[Analoguesat]

Despite swearing by Linux for server duties, it is not, IMO, a user friendly desktop OS. I've tried many distros, including Mint and I simply did not get on with any of them at all.

OS is a highly personal choice, of course. What doesn't work for me, may very well work for anyone else.

+1 for Linux not being mature enough as a desktop environment. No distro Ive tried on my desktop can deal with the dual monitor setup, it immediately crashes. This being on a widely sold video card that MS has had no issues with for donkeys years.....

 

[Vipersan]

Ok ..a simple (if you know how) one..
HTFk do you stop MINT when unattended closing the desktop in favour of a login screen ?
I only went to brew a cuppa ..and I returned to see a black screen asking me to login again ?
I'm sure I selected the 'NEVER' option..
I'm guessing it's some sort of sleep mode ?

 

[jeallen01]

It might be, soon .....

Don't let Ms Sturgeon hear that, or we'll all soon be wearing sporrans, eating haggis (a little is "OK" but that's about the limit), and talking in a "funny" accent, if she has her way (and that would also mean that we'd pay even more to keep the "northern part" of the island going)

 

[Vipersan]

So ..for the record ..
The resident media player is useless and cannot open mkv media..
Sound OK ..but no picture
VLC can open MKV ..but this PC is just too slow ..
The file opens the mkv ..over the network ..or indeed when popped on a USB stick ..but the video is very jerky ..
audio is fine.
I know it's an old mobo ..but I would have thought a P3 would be sufficiently fast to play SD video ..
I shall try this test with XP at a later time..

 

[Channel Hopper]

I can't use Firefox as this crashes every time I start it up ..

I can send you a disc with earlier browsers, Netscape Navigator for example.

 

[Vipersan]

Late post today ..
..but included was the arrival of the 3 x IDE caddy trays bought at weekend from fleabay ..
£6 for 3 including postage ..was a damned good price ..
One was damaged and had been opened ..but luckilly the broken plastic (hinge pins) were in the box ..so a quich application of superglue sorted that out..
Now I can complete the Chameleon build ..which is now in a different tower case ..on account I needed more caddy space..
Photo to follow ..

 

[Vipersan]

So ..I'm on the scrounge yet again ..
It occurred to me that the DAT drive would be better mounted internally ...but sadly this would require a front mount 5.25 plate/bracket ..
Here is a pic from a drive being sold on ebay ...
I have the drive of course ..
but no way of mounting it in the tower ..
Not that this is a neccessity ..but would be nice to make it self contained ..
Dont suppose anyone has such a thing ..
Just the mount kit not the whole drive.
lol

 

[Vipersan]

Well thanks to Toppers and his boxes of legacy bits delivered today ..
I may just have a solution..
Already removed and drilled one spacer bracket and this now allows be to centrally mount the Sony DAT drive in the 5.25 bay space ..
another to do ..and this will still leave me with an escutcheon issue to solve ..but looks promising..
..and before anyone comments ..
that is a burn on the cameras ccd ..
Looks lik a new one is required..
..but it is over 12 years old..

 

[Vipersan]

Spacers done...

 

[Vipersan]

And the good news ..
The scsi card sees the drive ..
I had to dig very deep in the cupboard to find an internal scsi lead ..
lol

 

[Captain Jack]

SCSI (scuzzy) stuff were the dog's danglies back in the day... it's all SSD with fibre connections nowadays of course..

 

[jeallen01]

VS

You need an old server case like the one I still have sitting under the desk = 6x frontal full size 5 1/4" & 2x 3.5" bays (called it the Eiffel Tower because it only just fits under the desk) - "one day" I might get around to doing something with it again.

 

[2cvbloke]

SCSI (scuzzy) stuff were the dog's danglies back in the day... it's all SSD with fibre connections nowadays of course..

Nah, today it's SAS, or, wait for it, Serial Attached SCSI.....

 

[Channel Hopper]

View attachment 106463 And the good news ..
The scsi card sees the drive ..
I had to dig very deep in the cupboard to find an internal scsi lead ..
lol

Got loads of them here, allsorts as well to deal with the various pinout configurations of years ago.

 

[Vipersan]

WoW ..
not seen the contents of this hard drive for a while ..
It has an old installation of windows 98SE on it ..
Searching to see if there is also a vesion of backup exec on it somewhere ..??
lol
The drive is a 2gb Seagate Barracuda SCSI 9B0001-133
..and hasn't seen power since ..welll...win 98SE
But is seen by XP with the scsi adapter..


So _thats_ what happened to 'Leasure Suite Larry'
;)

 

[Channel Hopper]

VS

You need an old server case like the one I still have sitting under the desk = 6x frontal full size 5 1/4" & 2x 3.5" bays (called it the Eiffel Tower because it only just fits under the desk) - "one day" I might get around to doing something with it again.

The Proliant unit I have here (4500 ?) won't fit in the room so it sits in the shed.

Even the rack that normally came with it has unique guards and sliders to stop hands from getting torn off when replacing parts.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Actually, now I remember through the red wine haze, I have some 1U devices here running full RAID multiple drive technology that I should bring back to life at some point.

I started thinking they might be useful for gaming as they ran multiple cpus , massive RAM slots and Xenon processor stuff that looked as though they could be cooled with the lid off, but I got sidetracked with the current work.

 

[Vipersan]

Actually, now I remember through the red wine haze, I have some 1U devices here running full RAID multiple drive technology that I should bring back to life at some point.

I started thinking they might be useful for gaming as they ran multiple cpus , massive RAM slots and Xenon processor stuff that looked as though they could be cooled with the lid off, but I got sidetracked with the current work.

Be careful CH ..
You too could catch the retro-virus..
;)