[ntp:questions] Re: OS recomendations for stratum 2 clocks

Al Dykes adykes at panix.com
Thu Sep 8 19:57:27 UTC 2005


In article <pete+usenet-A58DAA.14014407092005 at typhoon.sonic.net>,
Pete Stephenson  <pete+usenet at heypete.com> wrote:
>In article <U_ydnaOtxYcnzYLeRVn-sQ at comcast.com>,
> "Richard B. Gilbert" <rgilbert88 at comcast.net> wrote:
>
>> Free BSD will get the job done.   So will Solaris (also free these 
>> days).  Linux and Windows are poor choices for this application as both 
>> have a tendency to lose clock interrupts.
>
>That's not the first time I've seen recommendations for FreeBSD, and I 
>promised myself I'd run the "next" NTP server I run on that OS.
>
>However, I need to get an el-cheapo PC to run FreeBSD -- my old Cobalt 
>RaQ3 finally bit the dust, and I was waiting for it to die before I'd 
>bother buying new hardware.
>
>Any advice for a relatively inexpensive, small PC? Rackmount's fine, but 
>it'd be sitting on it's side on my floor, so a small tower would work 
>well too. It would be running the NTP server, and optionally an HTTP 
>server serving a small informational website about it. Power consumption 
>should be low, as my electric bill is already quite high. I'm looking 
>for something <$300, and I don't need a monitor, keyboard, or 
>anything...just the computer.
>

I've run FreeBSD on very generic 486 systems.  You're not looking for
drivers for sound, modens, USB, or other newfangled stuff. Just the
basics.    

The power bill is an issue.  You also want it on a UPS, probably.  I'd
look for an old laptop. Teh battery probably has enough life in it to
last 30 minutes or so whish covers 99% of the unscheduled power
outages, at least in my part of the country. It's compact and draws
little power.  When you need to work on it you've got a decent kbd abd
screen right there.  A standard PC costs me about $10/month to run,
even with the monitor off.   

It should have all the CPU and memory and disk you need.  A pentium-1
should be fine but you may want to max out the memory. ALl you need is
a working ethernet card for it.








-- 
a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m 

Don't blame me. I voted for Gore.




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