Slow disks [Was: UBuntu on older machines ?]

[Vincent Trouilliez]

> > I didn't have problems with memory foot-print, I put 256MB on the board,
> > plenty enough for Ubuntu/Gnome. Problem as Jeff pointed out is slow disk
> > and slow RAM.
> 
> Have you considered running the system completely over NFS? It is often
> faster to use a 100mbit network card, a fast server, and your whole system
> running on NFS than running on a slow disk. I do this at home with my very
> old SparcStation 10 machine.
> 
> - Jeff


Hello Jeff,

NFS ? Well, I don't know a thing about it sadly...that's precisely,
partly why I wanted to use that old 200MMX board.....to learn/experiment
NFS/networking...
You mean that the machine could be disk-less ? Boot from the NFS network
and keep the OS in memory and be happy running like this ?
That sounds great. However I want to use that machine as a
secure/reliable back-up faciliy so to speak, so I would want it to be
independant from the main machine, with only an NFS link to
retrieve/back-up all the data from the main machine, at night. If it
relies on the main machine for the operating system, it defeats a bit
the purpose of having a separate machine I think ! :o(

Well, it's not that big a problem. As I said it's not going to be used
at all as a desktop, only to set up a little network to back-up data
from the main machine, so I don't mind if Gnome is slow, because once
the network is set up, I won't have to touch it anymore, it will just
run 24/7 without monitor or keyboard or mouse. (I think I will just get
a switch so that I can re-use the K/B and monitor mouse from the main
PC).


Regards,

Vince