[CentOS-devel] SPARC build machines perhaps available soon

[Lamar Owen]

> So this, for my part at least now, would be reach out to get some
> suitable alpha/sparc hardware running somewhere remote location :)

Well, our location certainly is remote... :-)

I have a couple of alpha boxen, but they are not fast.  One is an AS2100
4/275 (4 CPU), and I have a working 164SX/533.

> ia64 would not hurt either. Those boxes tend to be humming so warm that
> i just start those when i really work with those.

No ia64 yet.

> Another thing is, that i do have at least intention to mess up with the
> rpmforge stuff too, and that would need totally different space (at
> least chroots) to maintain. One just can't mess up with the core build
> system and build all weird extra stuff on same space.

Well, it might be possible to dedicate the E6000 to the cause, if I can
justify the power consumption.  The 6500, if all goes according to plan,
would be my live e-mail and plone server, perhaps.  In order to justify
the power bill, I have to actually use the machine, so we'd have to work
out a protocol for the builds that won't disturb the live system.

But, for the first few weeks to a couple of months I don't forsee using
the beast in production.  But, one has to admit, having an E6500 with its
hotswp EVERYTHING (including CPUs, hearkening back to a previous thread)
is seriously cool, and, even if I never powered the beast up, it makes a
great prop on tours!

Currently, it appears we will be picking the machines up Friday, so I
should have them on site Saturday, but it will be at least a week or two
before any would be ready to do useful build work.

I have enough bandwidth to be a build site, but I won't be able to host a
mirror, sorry, as my poor T1 might become overloaded.  Working on the
bandwidth issue; I hope to have something much larger within 18 months. 
The cost here in the boonies is very high for large pipes, but an
opportunity for a very large pipe lies on the horizon....
-- 
Lamar Owen
Director of Information Technology
Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute
1 PARI Drive
Rosman, NC  28772
(828)862-5554
www.pari.edu