IT guys...

[eclark53520]

I need a new PC anyways, mine's older than most of my kids.

Chances are I wouldn't have a clue what to do with a LAMP box. As I sit I am basically a computer idiot. I want to learn what makes computers do what they do, and how to do everything on them. As of right now though, I am running a dinosaur that is enough to do the little basic things I do on a computer.

A lamp box IS a pc.

It's just a cheap build that you put Linux on instead of windows.

Lamp stands for Linux(operating system), apache(a free web server), MySQL(free database), and PHP, pearl or python(programming languages

All free software for a development machine. You can do pretty much everything on Linux you could on Microsoft...it's a little different, but still a competent operating system.

If I didn't need Visual Studio for work, I would be doing a Unix box...and still may dual boot my new machine.

Here's a bare bones AMD setup...under 300 without a display
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/eclark53520/saved/1rD4

This is a nicer Intel budget setup under $500 without display
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/eclark53520/saved/1rD0

 

[MCDavis]

eclark, you should build me a laptop computer.

 

[eclark53520]

eclark, you should build me a laptop computer.

Got a shell? That's about the only way it can be done...they don't really sell laptop 'cases' aftermarket...that I know of anyway...never looked into it.

I hate laptops with a passion...even though my home computer has been a laptop for the last 6 years...

 

[MCDavis]

Nope, darn it. Don't even have a laptop.

 

[nututhugame]

A lamp box IS a pc.

It's just a cheap build that you put Linux on instead of windows.

Lamp stands for Linux(operating system), apache(a free web server), MySQL(free database), and PHP, pearl or python(programming languages

All free software for a development machine. You can do pretty much everything on Linux you could on Microsoft...it's a little different, but still a competent operating system.

If I didn't need Visual Studio for work, I would be doing a Unix box...and still may dual boot my new machine.

Here's a bare bones AMD setup...under 300 without a display
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/eclark53520/saved/1rD4

This is a nicer Intel budget setup under $500 without display
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/eclark53520/saved/1rD0

I dig that. Looking them up and saw that what some people do is just buy a preloaded Ubuntu system or something of that ilk and then install the Apache, MySQL, and PHP on it.

 

[nututhugame]

I'm assuming the video is on board the motherboard, but is upgradeable on the system in your first link...

 

[eclark53520]

I'm assuming the video is on board the motherboard, but is upgradeable on the system in your first link...

Both are on board graphics with the CPU. Both are upgradeable with dedicated graphics cards if you wanted to.

 

[nututhugame]

Both are on board graphics with the CPU. Both are upgradeable with dedicated graphics cards if you wanted to.

It's been a good while since I even thought about a Linux system. I have ATT Uverse for an internet provider. I have DSL to this computer, but have WiFi available in the house. What would I need in that system to connect to the internet and will it be a problem with ATT? Do most major ISP's support Linux these days? Also, if I put the stuff I want to keep on a disc (pics, vids, etc...) it shouldn't be a problem putting them on that system right?

 

[eclark53520]

The isp doesn't care what your operating system is. So long as it makes appropriate requests its fine. All major distributions will be fine accessing the internet.

Files on media will be good to go.

 

[nututhugame]

The isp doesn't care what your operating system is. So long as it makes appropriate requests its fine. All major distributions will be fine accessing the internet.

Files on media will be good to go.

So what would I need to add to that system to connect then... ethernet card?

Ah, I see where you can buy hardware for wired or wireless connection. I remember when it was hard to find hardware that was compatable with Linux. It must be easier now.

 

[eclark53520]

So what would I need to add to that system to connect then... ethernet card?

Almost all current motherboards have Ethernet connections built in.

 

[nututhugame]

Almost all current motherboards have Ethernet connections built in.

I assume that'd support wired and wireless connection or i'd have to buy a seperate card for wireless?

 

[nututhugame]

So I went and did some reading about different distros of Linux and while it seems to have gotten better... a lot of the same problems I remember still ring out loudly amongst people who have tried to convert. Hardware recognition issues mainly. I am still interested in getting one for SQL and programming purposes, but it still seems not practical for say, my wife, who doesn't want to be anything more than point and click with computers. That said, i'd have to either get the wife a laptop of her own or build a machine and go dual boot with something like Ubuntu or Mint opposite Windows 7 maybe.

 

[eclark53520]

I assume that'd support wired and wireless connection or i'd have to buy a seperate card for wireless?

For those particular boards, wireless is probably not included. I didn't do a ton of research on the parts themselves, but at that price point, for a wireless connection you will most likely have to buy a wireless NIC for one of the PCI slots. Those are pretty cheap, although with a desktop, I would personally just wire it up.

Dropping wireless drives me up the wall, so anything that's not super mobile(phone or tablet) I like wired.

 

[eclark53520]

So I went and did some reading about different distros of Linux and while it seems to have gotten better... a lot of the same problems I remember still ring out loudly amongst people who have tried to convert. Hardware recognition issues mainly. I am still interested in getting one for SQL and programming purposes, but it still seems not practical for say, my wife, who doesn't want to be anything more than point and click with computers. That said, i'd have to either get the wife a laptop of her own or build a machine and go dual boot with something like Ubuntu or Mint opposite Windows 7 maybe.

Once you have the drivers installed for the hardware you have, which is pretty easy typically, you don't really have to mess with it anymore. The major distros like ubuntu and mint are pretty point and click.