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iMac Beowulf Cluster Comes to Life

Posted by timothy on from the taste-the-rainbow dept.

AmigaAvenger writes "Finally a good use for all those old IMacs that many organizations have laying around collecting dust. We have set up a 5 node (4+1 controller) iMac beowulf cluster, which is appropriately named Skittles, and is running PPC Yellowdog Linux, with MPICH 1.2.6 cluster message passing software."

12 of 56 comments (clear)

  1. Let me be the first to say... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Imagine a Beowulf cluster of iMac Beowulf clusters!

    1. Re:Let me be the first to say... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Imagine a Beowulf cluster of anonymous cowards all posting 'let me be the first to say...' posts at once!

    2. Re:Let me be the first to say... by TeknoHog · · Score: 2, Funny

      iMagine a Beowulf Cluster coming to iLife!

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
  2. too cool by ChristTrekker · · Score: 3, Funny

    I was half-way tempted to recreate beowoof with my own stack of pizza boxes, but alas, I'm giving them all away. It will be nice to use the 2nd garage stall for a vehicle again, though.

    --

    Constitutionally Correct

    1. Re:too cool by sootman · · Score: 2, Funny
      from the beowoof page:
      Q: Should I build a cluster of these 100 386s? [1999-05-13]
      A: If it's OK with you that it'll be slower than a single Celeron-333 machine, sure. Great way to learn.
      Updated for 2005:
      Q: Should I build a cluster with five $100 iMacs?
      A: If it's OK with you that it'll be slower than a single $500 Mini, sure.
      No sense mentioning the heat, current, or space differences. :-)
      --
      Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
  3. Sorry but I have a better use by skinfitz · · Score: 3, Funny

    I still prefer my multipurpose footstool / doorstop idea.

  4. A few typos in the article... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    In the place where it says "Why would you want to?" The answer is, of course, "Because they're there, and it's the geek thing to do."

    I think they meant to type:

    "Why would you want to?" The answer is, of course, "It's not like sex is taking up all my time or anything..."

  5. Did anyone else... by BlueCodeWarrior · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...originally parse this as 'Mac Mini Beowulf Cluster Comes to Life'?

  6. Finally. by InfallibleLies · · Score: 5, Funny

    After years of inane "imagine a beowulf cluster of those!"es, I can finally see one. My life is now complete, thanks to Slashdot.

  7. WHY POST ABOUT IT by vasqzr · · Score: 2, Funny


    Haven't been on the Internet much, have you?

    Most of the time I surf the net I am shaking my head saying "What the fuck..."

  8. It takes me back... by ockegheim · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...to my first and biggest iMac Starcraft cluster. It used my iMac, the host's girlfriend's iMac, and 3 iMacs the Apple shop guy had borrowed from work (plus some kind of laptop and an early model TiBook). This was the first time everything just worked (mainly because previously I thought I had read in LAN Games for Dummies that 127.0.0.x was a good set of numbers to use).

    It was an excellent and multicoloured night. The host's girlfriend remarked genially about "boy games" and gave us stuff to eat.

    --
    I’m old enough to remember 16K of memory being described as “whopping”
  9. Least Usefull. by SirDrinksAlot · · Score: 2, Funny

    Least Usefull cluster EVER.

    Apple Seed project is the only way to go.