There were also a couple of the P4 Dells that had missing power supplies as well, some were missing drives (which is minor). I think one of the ones missing RAM had a Silicon Image Orion Add2-N Dual Pad x16 Card, which works with the onboard video to help produce a digital image using the DVI port on the card, it's NOT an actual video card for graphics. The RAM that is needed is PC2-4300 DDR2 also. Also, one of those machines has RAM in it but it is bad RAM. They're labeled as such on the testing table. Most of those Dells we pulled out still have Windows XP on them, so DBAN first. The Ubuntu installer was very simple, nowhere near as many steps as VL 5.9 required, so that was nice. Even with using the higher P3s, it doesn't take that long to install. On that front, we do need to come up with a check list and inspection sheet for Ubuntu. While Vector may have been a time consuming install, it served its purpose. We could always use the VL 5.9 disks for coasters! I took home a P4 Dell with a 3 Ghz CPU, 1.2 GB of RAM, I was hoping to have been able to swap it with the board that I'm currently using (P4, 1.6 GHZ, 768 MB RAM), but being that it's a Dell board, it's not going to work as I thought. My current board screws in, there's no way to mount the 3GHZ board in my case as it clips inside the Dell case. It just so happens that I really like my tower case (I've currently got 6 hard drives running in it with 2 optical drives, a floppy and a memory card reader), so i'll probably bring that Dell back in the next time I'm there and keep an eye out for a system I could swap the board with. I know one thing you did forget Goose-the light outside the bathroom and the light inside the bathroom currently do not work, although the heater inside the bathroom is still working and receiving power. So if you need to use the bathroom while at the warehouse (for the time being) then bring a flashlight!!! Then again, hopefully all the re-organizing our benefactor is doing will be finished soon that includes access to a bathroom. We also need to have a "deman party" soon as the deman is piling up. Phil Goldbach "Men cry not for themselves, but for their comrades." --- On Wed, 2/24/10, Richard Zimmerman <csxt@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: From: Richard Zimmerman <csxt@xxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: [frgeek-michiana] Warehouse report 02-23-2010 To: "Free Geek Michiana" <frgeek-michiana@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 8:48 AM Present: Goose, Phil, Kelsey, Dan First: Monday night, the Free Geek Michiana board talked at length about the production problems at the warehouse with the P3 computers and the problems Vector Linux is presenting on networking and getting it functional (correctly) with Spanish. In the end the board unanimously voted to move to the P4's we have in inventory AND move to Ubuntu LTS. History: FGM had selected Vector Linux in like 2004 or even 2003 when it started due in part the systems that were being donated at that time were P1 and P2's with the P3's being the golden systems! As the years progressed, FGM stayed with Vector Linux. Vector Linux 6.x series has presented some unique problems with networking but in general, with a some work it is solvable. However, with the request for Spanish being available on the systems, VL as it turns out has great 'front end' support for Spanish, but everything on the command line is English only. The solution as reported was going to take great efforts to get working and result in FGM having a custom version of VL. To add to this, our new volunteer Adrian whom is bilingual reported he uses Ubuntu with no issues with Spanish IIRC. Board Meeting: The meeting notes are forthcoming from Mark. The gist is: 1. We are wasting way too much time trying to repair older computers when much faster and newer computers are stored 2. While VL has been nice, it does not enjoy the wide spread acceptance of Ubuntu and does not support nearly as well 3. Nobody is happy about the fact we have not been able to ready computers for anyone Present: With the vote in hand from Monday we also made what I feel are some pretty smart decisions: 1. Use Ubuntu LTS. NOTE: We did not pin this to a specific version. Ubuntu LTS is supported for 3 years for desktop and 5 years for server systems. LTS releases only incorporate security fixes. They do NOT add any new functionality. By pinning to the LTS standard, we can automatically upgrade to the next LTS release when it is available. 2. P3 computers: In regard to the P3 systems, the standard was set to 1g cpu speed BUT if we find a closely specs systems that WORKS, we will use it. Last night I threw a P3-933 w/ 512mb or ram on the table and put Ubuntu on it. While slower then the P4's it does work acceptably. We can still use them on a case by case basis. Last night: 1. Access to Inventory Our host and I have been exchanging emails over the last week. We indeed have access to our inventory but with conditions. A. DO NOT WANDER from the immediate area. We WILL set off security alarms if we do. B. Two of our hand trucks are pinned into a secured area. We can look at them, just not use them as yet. I'm off 1/2 day on Friday for a Dr. appointment so I'll go over and move them so we can use them again. C. We can not get the recyclable on pallets out just yet. The inventory is stored in 10 rows of 6 deep. We do have room to move them around and organize; we just have to be careful of the alarm zones. 2. By chance, a gaylord of P4's were right on the outside so I grabbed them. By the end of the evening, we had 5 p4's and 1 p3 on the table, The p3-933, 512mb is loaded w/ Ubuntu and working - it needs final testing The 2 Carol? computers 1 is ready for final testing the other had a wired video issue as it turns out and is now ready for loading Dan took home a p4 w/ Ubuntu (old Debian server) so he can learn Ubuntu. He is suppose to return it Thursday. 2 p4's were being d banned and should be ready for loading Ubuntu. 3. Phil discovered that some of the P4's had been stripped of memory. To further aggravate the problem, those systems are DDR-2 systems! We will have to buy memory for them. I'll see what I have at home and if I happen to have some DDR-2 memory I'll bring it in to at least test the systems. So far, ZERO P4 systems have failed testing. 4. The game plan at present is getting systems ready NOW. I sent Carol an email asking her if it was possible we could squeeze a class in before the end of the school year. I haven't heard back from her as yet. 5. Dan who has NEVER seen Ubuntu loaded a system w/ no knowledge of Ubuntu and he was able to figure it out on the first try. This was a good acid test for the Ubuntu loader. Overall, everyone (the board and volunteers) agrees the Ubuntu move is a good one. I'm sure I am forgetting something. I'll be there Thursday to show Mike where the alarms are at, etc. MANY, MANY thanks to the volunteers for their efforts last night. Richard 3. -- Richard "Goose" Zimmerman, ke4rit Mishawaka, IN ** This list is PUBLICLY archived. ** PLEASE don't post personal or sensitive information unless you wish for it to be in the public domain. To visit the main website for Free Geek Michiana go to http://www.freegeekmichiana.org To post to the list send email to frgeek-michiana@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx The archive is available at //www.freelists.org/archives/frgeek-michiana/ You may unsubscribe or change your list settings by going to the list website at //www.freelists.org/webpage/frgeek-michiana