Just how slow is slow (was RE: [rescue] Re: [geeks] FS: Loaded Sun E3K)

[Sheldon T. Hall]

 Andrew Weiss opines ...

> Sunhelp.org on an LX?... what is this 1998?... seriously that is some
> serious crack you are smoking. (:-))  LXen are fun but you'd have to go
> with an SS20 or better to handle the kind of services the mailing lists
> require.  Actually I lied... I have an LX... they're too slow for just
> about everything.

Nah, LXes are fine.  If you have something that doesn't require your sitting
at the keyboard, tapping your fingers, it's a great machine.  Low power
consumption, small footprint, etc.  I've got one running DNS, NTP, DHCP,
SMTP, POP3, and some other services for my small LAN, and it's been entirely
satisfactory in that duty for some years.  Until recently, it was the file
and backup server, too; it was fine when I was using DDS tapes, but it won't
stream a DST tape drive, so the main file/backup duties haven been migrated
to my SGI Challenge.

I'm not claiming that an LX is fast enough for SunHelp, just that it's not
"too slow for just about everything."

> They also overheat under load.

I haven't experienced any problems in this regard.  The machine runs
headless, but does have 128 MB RAM, a SunSwift card, and a Baracuda drive.
The air coming out is barely warm.

> Perfect machine to save space would be an Ultra 1/200 E.

Well, sure.  But I bought a stack of LX and Classics 5 years ago for $5.00
each, and I can't do that with U1es even today.

-Shel