ALPHA 21164 Workstation
Tony Hammitt
thammitt at kc.rr.com
Sat Mar 4 23:24:58 CST 2000
Mike McVey wrote:
*snip*
>
> Just reassure me that installing Linux cannot wreck an IDE hard disk
> in the same manner that a low-level format does.
>
No, installing Linux cannot wreck a drive, but it can quite easily
demonstrate that the drive is already wrecked.
>
> Now, for other business: I am considering buying a Linux compatible
> workstation currently running (but not for long) NT:
>
> Polywell Alpha 500/300MHZ, Alpha 21164 CPU
> 2 MB Cache module
> on board IDE, FDD 2xSerial, 1xParallel
> 96 MB RAM
> 300 Watt power supply
> 4.3 Gig SCSI-2 hard drive
> Dimond Stealth 64 video card
> 4 PCI slots
> 3 ISA slots
>
> This system is a good 3-4 years old. What might it be worth? How
> would it stack up verses both a 400 dollar, "state of the art"
> Celeron 400 MHz EMachine with equal RAM or even a decent, brand new,
> consumer grade 550 MHz Pentium III?
>
I'd be surprised if anyone could get more than $500-$600 for this
system. Considering its age. Performance should be good, esp. under
Linux. If you use the box for a desktop machine or number cruncher
you shouldn't have any 'this is too slow' issues. Don't expect great
3D graphics performance with that card.
Some advice; Go here:
http://www.support.compaq.com/alpha-tools/index.html
Read this list:
comp.os.linux.alpha
There is probably someone on the newsgroup that owns this type of
machine.
> Any known problems with using this system for linux? I understand
> that for both NT and Linux, applications are processor independent,
> and thus software written for either OS that runs on x86 systems will
> work on the Alpha too? But will Windows 98 Win32 applications work on
> an Alpha NT box?
>
I use alphas for my desktop Linux boxes, number crunching and the like.
I don't have any problems using native software and I've never wanted
to try running x86 emulated apps. I don't have any windoze box, so I
wouldn't have any to try, esp. since all of the normal Linux software
comes alpha native.
I have RedHat 6.1 alpha already burnt, if you get this box and want to
borrow it, come to the next meeting and I'll bring it. I think that the
meeting is on Tuesday the 21st.
> What about drivers? Perhaps these will be hardware specific and thus
> I am at the mercy of the likely far smaller linux for alpha driver
> support than x86 linux drivers?
>
I don't think drivers will be an issue. If the machine is 4 years old
pretty much everything should be supported by now. Don't take my word
for it, actually look and see, but I would not expect any problems.
> Assistance would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Mike
>
Hope this helped.
Regards,
Tony Hammitt
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