Re: [gentoo-user] [ot] building a machine for Gentoo

[Philip Webb]

070709 Dan Farrell wrote:
> 070710 Iain Buchanan <iaindb@××××××××××××.au> wrote:
>> KVM's are OS independent; they can get you into the BIOS or console;
>> you can see boot messages; network doesn't need to be working
>> even though it's called a network, sometimes it doesn't ;)
> that's another huge pain.
> but all-in-all, I find switching between computers vastly less efficient
> (once they're up) than multiple X windows or virtual terminals.
> the big difference between our perspectives is
> that my other computers arent backups, they do other things
> & therefore are in that functioning state much of the time.
> If they were backups I probably wouldn't be nearly as comfortable
> getting at them with the primary desktop
> as when they're servers making that desktop function.

My set-up is very simple: a front-line machine I use all the time
& an older machine which is intended as an alternative in an emergency,
if the regular machine runs into a problem (hardware or software).
For this to work, I need to have a fairly upto-date version of files
in the back-up machine (without going off-site to get a back-up CD/DVD).
Therefore, I need to wake up the 2nd machine every few months or more often
& changing the connections in the backs of the boxes is a pain,
so being able to flip a switch to use the controls with the other box
is very attractive.  A network requires other connections (which cost CAD),
besides learning how to set it up & secure it from possible malware
when either machine is connected to the Internet.
The KVM switch mentioned costs  CAD 32  =  USD 30 .

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