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Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.hardware,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!munnari.OZ.AU!metro!metro!asstdc.scgt.oz.au!nsw.news.telstra.net!act.news.telstra.net!psgrain!iafrica.com!newnews.mikom.csir.co.za!news.uoregon.edu!hunter.premier.net!hammer.uoregon.edu!arclight.uoregon.edu!news.sprintlink.net!news-peer.sprintlink.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in2.uu.net!news2.new-york.net!main.put.com!not-for-mail From: le@put.com (Louis Epstein) Subject: Re: minimum system config? Followup-To: comp.os.linux.hardware,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc X-Newsreader: TIN [UNIX 1.3 950824BETA PL0] X-Nntp-Posting-User: le Lines: 40 Organization: Putnam Internet Services Message-ID: <E0419y.BCF@news2.new-york.net> References: <3270F930.7D55@eccosys.com> <54rk5e$bec@hydaspes.if.org> <3274FEB4.446B@eccosys.com> X-Trace: 846714737/29901 X-Nntp-Posting-Host: main.put.com Date: Wed, 30 Oct 1996 22:32:22 GMT Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.hardware:55068 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:30351 David Moles (deivu@eccosys.com) wrote: : nathan wagner wrote: : > : > In article <3270F930.7D55@eccosys.com>, David Moles <deivu@eccosys.com> : > wrote: : > >Okay. I'm thinking of building an x86 'NIX box to act as an : > >apartment mail server and not much else. What's the cheapest : > >thing I can get away with? Assume that I can borrow a monitor : > >and keyboard from another box when necessary. What are the : > >absolute minumum hardware requirements? What would be the : > >next step or two up from that? : > : > Well, minimum? Ok. : > : > 16 MHz 386 CPU + motherboard : > ide interface card : > 20 MB Hard Drive : > 2 MB memory : > A serial port. : > : : Whee! Okay, it looks like the earlier post that "the cheapest new : x86 box you can buy will do fine" was more than true. Maybe I'll : just see what the 486-flavor-of-the-month is at Weird Stuff Warehouse. You posted to both the Linux and FreeBSD groups,have you made a decision on OS yet? As to my earlier advice,Surplus Direct has a bunch of systems from 486 DX4-100 to Pentium 100 that are pretty cheap,though they seem to have stopped selling 486 SX2-50s and DX2-66s in recent months. They also have a page where you can put a system together out of options,pick a motherboard-and-CPU and add on.RAM prices aren't listed,though.A "barebones" system with the Cyrix-IBM clone of the Pentium 120,case,and power supply/fan costs $259.99($210 less than the same system with an Intel brand Pentium 120). (http://www.surplusdirect.com/)