Okay, so me and my mates have a lot of old computers lying around the place - none of them that good to do anything with.

So I know you can have a network, where the computers can send some of their CPU power to another computer. So could I say, have 5 computers, and 4 of them sending most of their power to 1 computer?

If so, how would I do this? I wouldn't even know where to start.
I can get any operating system onto any of the computers btw.

Thanks in advance!

Jam

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Didn't you make this thread before, or was it someone else?, I distinctly remember a member asking the same thing & I said that in England there are centres that you can take them to, where they refurbish them & send them to third world countries.

erm, no I don't think I've made this post before...

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Tut, wish I could remember who did!!

Well if you want to use cluster computing, you're use of Linux is a good start. more time later.

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Well... im not positive on the transfering power from four computers all to one.But in the event that you are able to complete this, i would suggest using Gold-Plated crossover cables.This premote the fastest transfer speeds and rule out all interference.This might be needed on connecting the computers together.Good Luck!

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Are you thinking of something along the lines of the SETI project, perhaps? In that, the satellite processors don't really "give" their power to the central PC - the central PC just divides up a million tasks and gets one or other satellite to process the data in its own time at a normal rate, then send back the answer. There's probably someone there who'd explain the bones of the system to you if you asked in the right way...

What I do with my old boxes is crude but effective - allocate certain machines for certain uses, and share the power by not clogging up a good machine with stuff doesn't need to be there. Programs that don't need much in the way of resources go on the old, slow machines - e.g. I do virtually all of my html editing in wordpad, so an old 486 is fine for that; archives get stored on daisychained HDs salvaged from boxes with dead motherboards; etc, etc.

All in all, though, you'll just be wasting electricity, keeping five machines going at the same time unless you've got a good project for them to be working on. If they're in working order, you'd be better off passing them on to someone who can use them.

Thanks for the reply.
And yeah, I was thinking about something like SETI@home... well, the same idea anyways.

And thinking about it now, your right, It will use a lot of power up...
I've decided that I'mgoing to try and make my own linux from scratch on one of them.. So I'll just do other lil projects like that on each.

Thanks again

Jam

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