Topic: SME on RAQ4 hardware?

[dave simmons]

I've got a couple of RAQ4's here in a cupboard.  They have 80GB hard drives, 512MB memory, AMD 450 processors and are silent and very economic in use of electricity.

My current SME 7.3 server is not very much stronger I think - Poweredge 350 - also 512MB RAM, Celeron 850 proc

I know that Strongbolt (RAQ replacement software) is based on Centos (I think Centos 4.6 ?).  Has anybody tried installing SME on a RAQ?  I know that you can choose to install Strongbolt without Bluequartz from the Strongbolt CD.  Could you then maybe layer SME on top of this?

I've seen a couple of very old posts which weren't very positive, but I was wondering if anyone has any more recent experience?

I've found instructions on other sites to get a Debian install on the RAQ.  This works - even for me and my technical knowledge lies somewhere between "idiot" and "downright dangerous".  I even managed to get the LCD screen to work!!!

Sorry if this post is in the wrong place, and if my questions are plain stupid, but it would be great to get some use out of these machines.  I could use them with Strongbolt, but I find the SME a better front-end.

[Joe Gerardi]

It won't work- a good part of the Cobalts' kernels were loaded from ROM, and unless you could figure out a way to flash the ROM with the kernel, the appliance will never boot up.

If you want to use them as file servers, you could go to the Sun ftp site and D/L the ISO for the Qube 3. The RaQ4 will take that ISO easily, and the Qubes had far more of a full Linux install that the RaQs did. This is what I did with my RaQ 3 and it works fine. I just gave it to a friend who's beginning to get into servers.

The only problem you might have is finding a NIC that the RaQs will recognize for the network install. IIRC, the 3COM 3C509's were good.

..Joe

[dave simmons]

Hi Joe,

Thanks for your reply.  I have however already got 2 different Linux versions to install and run on the RAQ4 - Strongbolt (the replacement for the Cobalt RAQ system - based on Centos - not difficult to install) - and Debian (quite difficult to install, but it works).

As (I think) SME is also based on Centos, I thought it would maybe be possible to get it somehow to install.  I would like to do this for 2 reasons - SME is far and away the best disto for my needs (I've been using it for years) - and the tiny power use of the RAQ.  And they're pretty.

I was hoping that maybe someone in the forum had already done it and could give me some pointers.

I see in another post that you're new to SME.  I hope you're as happy with it as I am - it's done everything I've ever needed to do - web/e-mail/vpn for several years now - and if you have a problem you can usually find a solution on this forum.

Dave

[Joe Gerardi]

Hi Joe,

Thanks for your reply.  I have however already got 2 different Linux versions to install and run on the RAQ4 - Strongbolt (the replacement for the Cobalt RAQ system - based on Centos - not difficult to install) - and Debian (quite difficult to install, but it works).

As (I think) SME is also based on Centos, I thought it would maybe be possible to get it somehow to install.  I would like to do this for 2 reasons - SME is far and away the best disto for my needs (I've been using it for years) - and the tiny power use of the RAQ.  And they're pretty.

I was hoping that maybe someone in the forum had already done it and could give me some pointers.

I see in another post that you're new to SME.  I hope you're as happy with it as I am - it's done everything I've ever needed to do - web/e-mail/vpn for several years now - and if you have a problem you can usually find a solution on this forum.

Dave

Strongbolt works because it's specifically designed to. The Strongbolt installer is based off the RaQ550- Sun open sourced the 550's OS in 2003.

There is another install that works too: Blue Quartz. It's a new interface based off the 550's interface.

You're right when you state that CentOS will work- it's what comes paired Blue Quartz.

How you got Debian to run I'll never know. By any chance did you re-flash the ROM?

There is a site called www.zeffie.com. He still supports Cobalts, and there's lots of tips, tricks, and free stuff there.

..Joe