Linux Desktop Clustering - Pick Your Pricerange

crashlight writes: "A Linux cluster on the desktop--Rocket Calc just announced their 8-processor "personal" cluster in a mid-tower-sized box. Starting at $4500, you get 8 Celeron 800MHz processors, each with 256MB RAM and a 100Mbps ethernet connection. The box also has an integrated 100Mbps switch. Plus it's sexy." Perhaps less sexy, but for a lot less money, you can also run a cluster of Linux (virtual) machines on your desktop on middle-of-the-road hardware. See this followup on Grant Gross's recent piece on Virtual Machines over at Newsforge.

Comments

- 8 - 800MHz Celerons?

[qurob]

So, it's about equal to my dual Athlon 2000+?

Re:Linux not ready for the desktop [was Re:Expensi

[M$Marketing]

Cost of upgrading what? Did you even read the article? This is a CLUSTER, not your run-of-the-mill desktop or workstation.

That's right. When you upgrade your workstation to a run of the mill server, you will have a desktop server. Nobody's going to want to use that. Honestly, now. How many Luinux users do you expect to use this X Server? .2%? .4%? I'll give you 3%. Place your bets. I know which workstation is going to win in 2002.

I could get linux to easily run on an old 486 motherboard that is somewhere in the bottom of my closet.

I hardly think so. How could a machine with only 8MB run Netscape? See the requirements for yourself.

There's just no way. Don't get me wrong, though. I do appreciate your thoughts. It's just that when you blindly state your opinions as opposed to facts, then it becomes very difficult for casual readers to make a decision.

I wish our company and yours would work together to improve the accessability of computers for everyone. Linux is great for programming in C, Assembly and other scripting Languages, but for the casual user, businesses, and in depth programmers, we offer standardizations that allow for user friendliness.

In fact, I take back what I said about Linux and programming in C. You guys have to have autoconf in order for it to be portable. We don't. On top of that, we have *several* programming languages to choose from. See here.

I could have ipchains up and running fast

Again, not true. Casual users will be forced to read HowTo manuals and man pages. If you follow the link into the several pages, you'll see that some of them are *years* old!