> 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