A Question For The Die Hard Geeks

Published on February 24, 2007 By PoSmedley In Personal Computing

I have accumulated some PC's.

2 eMachines T2642 that don't run (a notorious bug caused these babies to crash...the only thing still good is the hard drives and memory...256MB each)

IBM 300GL

Gateway with Celeron and running Win98

Besides burning them.......what would you do with them to get the most out of them? I've been thinking of putting together something as a secondary that I might try to run Linux on, but not sure I can or where to start.

Comments

PurrBall

on Feb 24, 2007

I create file servers.

PoSmedley

on Feb 24, 2007

To make a file server from them, wouldn't I need to up the RAM on my PC to keep it from slowing down?

raisinjack

on Feb 24, 2007

goto smoothwall.org and make one of them into a firewall.........

PoSmedley

on Feb 24, 2007

make one of them into a firewall..

I'm good with firewalls. Wireless router has one and I have ZA. I have no problems there. Infact, I have more trouble with the router firewall NOT allowing some apps to work right, I don't want any more. But thanks!

tjesterb

on Feb 24, 2007

You could hang some hard drives off one of them and run FreeNAS. It can run on as little as 12MB of HDD space and gives you network access to your files, if that would be useful to you.
WWW Link

Jafo

on Feb 24, 2007

Run 'em with Win98 se and drag out all those old, fun Dos games that dummy-spit on XP.

Every now and then I fire up the P266 for a game of TerraNova, etc....

PoSmedley

on Feb 24, 2007

Run 'em with Win98 se and drag out all those old, fun Dos games that dummy-spit on XP.

I must have a dozen CD's of games for 98 and 2000. lol

MasonM

on Feb 24, 2007

Load Linux on them and automate your house with them. I've seen some pretty cool home automation using older boxes and Linux.

UBoB

on Feb 24, 2007

Take one of the side covers off, lay them on their side, fill them with good potting soil and plant geraniums. They make lovely planters.

PurrBall

on Feb 24, 2007

File servers can run fine on 128mb. You can use Win 98, Linux, 2000, NT, XP, 2003, etc

PoSmedley

on Feb 24, 2007

Load Linux on them and automate your house with them. I've seen some pretty cool home automation using older boxes and Linux.

That sounds interesting.

Take one of the side covers off, lay them on their side, fill them with good potting soil and plant geraniums.

And then burn them?

File servers can run fine on 128mb. You can use Win 98, Linux, 2000, NT, XP, 2003, etc

I only have 512mb on my PC. My understanding is that as file servers it would draw from my main computer?

on Feb 24, 2007

If you want to get rid of them, I recommend something like C.R.E.A.M, it's ran by prisoners that fix or recycle them properly, and the re-built computers usually goes to poor people or students.

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