[ale] Do people still roll their own Linux desktops?

[krwatson at cc.gatech.edu]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org] On Behalf Of Pat
> Regan
> Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2010 13:03
> To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts - Yes! We run Linux!
> Subject: Re: [ale] Do people still roll their own Linux desktops?
> 
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> On 03/18/2010 12:12 PM, Michael B. Trausch wrote:
> > I try to reuse components when I can to cut the cost.  My desktop cost
> > me $350 or so when I rebuilt it with a new set of guts, and I am very
> > happy with it.
> 
> My problem has always been that I rarely get to reuse all that many
> components when I upgrade.  All the major components tend to need
> replacing at the same time.  The shiny new CPU almost always has a new
> socket and the new motherboard with that socket rarely supports the old
> memory...
> 
> The increases in core counts have helped a bit there, though.  Going
> from single to dual or dual to quad breathes a lot more life into an
> older machine than a 30% or so bump in clock speed.
> 
> I doubt I'll be buying any prebuilt desktops for myself, anyway.  If
> someone is waffling on the choice I'd be likely to point them away from
> doing it themselves, ten years ago I might not have.
> 
> > Of course, I do not factor in Windows licenses.  If I need to run
> > Windows (which I have actually come up with the need to do lately,
> > sadly) it needs to be in a VM.  Currently I have a single OEM Windows 7
> > license, but that's virtually useless to me because I cannot (lawfully)
> > run it in a VM and if I attempted to do so, it would de-activate itself.
> >   So I require retail licenses anyway.  In the short term, I
> > dual-boot---get things setup and ready to test, reboot, test, and GTFO
> > of there as soon as possible.
> 
> I'm so happy that I haven't had a need for Windows on my own desktop,
> personal or business, for years.  I'm even happier that I don't see that
> ever changing.  :)
> 
> > I obviously do not build by own laptops, but I hate the fact that they
> > are so costly to get replacement parts for.  It's not like one can take
> > a standard motherboard and put it in a laptop.  And thus, laptop
> > motherboards are mostly model-specific and expensive.  It sucks.  At
> > least they have adopted standards for hard disks and memory; remember
> > when even those were specific to a model of laptop, using different
> > hardware plugs and crap.  Ick.
> 
> It is improving all the time, too.  Laptops seem to be standardizing on
> video cards as well, although an upgrade doesn't always physically fit
> in the space.  Processors aren't soldered in anymore, either.  The form
> factor used to be pretty limiting, but parts have been shrinking.
> 
> Pat

The short answer is yes, there are still people who build their own systems. The long answer. . .

You will have to decide what class of machine and support you need and balance ease of support, performance, flexibility, and cost.

I have been building custom systems for more decades than I care to count. I really know the hardware (used to design it) so most ads for prebuilt systems look like this to me:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zastava_Koral

This results in a system that is not very flexible, may not get BIOS and firmware updates in a timely manner, if at all, and who's useful life is rather short (3-4 years) before it's obsolete and won't run what I need. Not to mention that I'm an IT professional so I demand tools more along the lines of Snap-on or Craftsman as opposed to tools you find at the Dollar Store.

For 30% to 50% more for a given class of off the shelf machine you can build a machine that is more along the lines of this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW

Typically I can run one of my machines for as long as seven years before it gets used for other services such as a "Wall of Sheep" box, file server, or router. The one I use now I built in 2003 and I'm about to install Windows 7 on it (I know this is Linux list, I also run Ubuntu, Redhat, DDWRT, and Solaris, just not on this box, yet). It still runs circles around some of the Core2 boxes and it only cost $1200 to build. I expect this one to go a couple of more years as a Workstation (granted it will need a new graphics card).

Given this scenario it is very rare for me to upgrade a system. By the time I semi-retire a system the standards have improved so much it is more cost effective to do a complete new build. The rare exception is the graphics card mentioned above.

The only downside to custom builds is that you have to be willing to do all the tech support yourself. Kind of like my old 70 Dodge Challenger, it was custom, fast, and very fun to drive (despite getting 6 policemen to the mile) but you could forget taking it to a garage to get tune-up.

The bottom line is performance, and flexibility costs a little bit more dollars and whole lot more effort, but the results are so worth it.


keith

-- 

Keith R. Watson                        Georgia Institute of Technology
Systems Support Specialist IV          College of Computing
keith.watson at cc.gatech.edu             801 Atlantic Drive NW
(404) 385-7401                         Atlanta, GA 30332-0280