[BBLISA] Cluster fun

[David Allan]

On Tue, 5 Feb 2008, Daniel Hagerty wrote:

>> I have to disagree here.  I've run Linux on cheap and not-so-cheap Dell
>> hardware extensively for over a decade.  Of course, as with any Linux box,
>
>    Unless I'm really confused, a trivial google search shows more
> than one company selling 1U linux machines for just over half the
> cheapest roughly equivelent 1U I could find clicking around on dell's

I was simply stating that Dell's cheaper machines will run Linux very 
nicely.  I'm not suggesting that all whiteboxes cost as much as Dell, HP, 
etc.  My experience with Dell is that their boxes in many different 
configurations run Linux very well right out of the box without any 
modifications of either hardware or software.

I think the original poster is right, however, to look for a whitebox 
vendor that's local and known to be honest.  My experience with whitebox 
vendors is that some of them use extremely low quality components, 
particularly the not-so-visible stuff like power supplies and fans.  If 
you can find someone who will build you a box to spec with good quality 
parts, then you can find real value.  I used that strategy for the 
development farm at my last company and was very happy with it.

Dave