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What To Do With an Old G5 Tower?
lunatic1969 writes "I've got an old G5 PowerPC tower that's sitting in a spare room not seeing much in the way of use. I'd like to stick a Linux distribution on it and maybe breathe some life back into it. I've got a few vague ideas — it might be a handy file server, streaming video for a security system, or simply just to have a spare box around. My question is therefore in two parts: First, are there any particularly creative projects or ideas anyone has for an old G5, and second and most important, which distribution currently offers the best support for this box?"
I think I speak for all of us here on Slashdot when I say, porn file server running Linux.
Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
Wipe the drives, dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/whatever works.
Then turn it off
Then say 'its the new replacement for timothy and kdawson. They are now new and improved and no longer post stupid shit like a question that should have been asked on some random forum somewhere rather than on a site with a title of 'News for nerds'.
Listen, its not 'help for newbies'. Its not 'your personal place to question people with an actual clue'.
In reality though, just throw it away. You'll spend more in electricity in the next year than if you bought a brand new Atom PC that will whip its ass. G5s are horrible power hogs compared to current chips.
Persistent Volume manager for Kubernetes - https://github.com/dwimsey/openshift-pvmanager
it may take a little more than a phillips screwdriver to accomplish this.
Yup, you'll need a Torx driver instead.
Sad, but true.
I'd use it for a practical joke, will it with cement and put it outside with a "free" sign on the side. Sit back and watch the hijinks.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
I'd run gentoo on it but I run gentoo on everything, including my dead badger ( http://www.strangehorizons.com/2004/20040405/badger.shtml ) http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-ppc.xml
All of the above was encrypted with a Quad ROT-13 method. Unauthorized decryption is in violation of the DMCA.
Get those CPU's working and those 5 fans cranking and it makes a pretty attractive space heater.
I know that my Macpro with dual 8800GT's is in a pretty fair matchup against my 5000 btu air conditioner.
music lover since 1969
Fish tank
I'm here for the experience, not the Hyperbole.
The real fun is when they take it home and turn it on--the CPUs will melt the cement!
My favorite use for any G5 has been in the Marine environment as a Geo-Synchronous aquatic stabilizer.
To use simply load any flavor of Linux you prefer, attach one (1) CAT5 securely to the G5 unit and to your MTV (Marine Transportation Vehicle). Place the G5 into a solution of 100% Dihydrogen Monoxide and feed out the CAT5 cable as needed to achieve Geo-Synchronous aquatic stabilization. If however you prefer to use a solution of 96.5% Dihydrogen Monoxide and 3.5% Sodium Chloride then I highly recommend networking a minimum of 100 G5 units securely attached with multiple CAT5 cables or scaled to the size of your MTV.