Please suggest a project.

spud17

PC specs,
AMD Athlon 64 4000+,
4x1GB ram
500GB, 200Gb and 160GB HDs available.

It has been running Win 8 preview, bored now, I need to find another use for it.
Please don't suggest a media server, because I've got no use for anything like that.
I've already got an old Celeron running NAS4Free with a large HD for backup.
I already run some VMs on my main pc, thinking about freeing up resources, I had a look at ESXi, but my system is not supported.

Any suggestions?

Toxteth_OGrady

Linux firewall box?

http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/30/how-to-build-your-own-network-firewall/

paddyrg

How would you feel about breaking it into many smaller virtual machines and downloading 30-day trials of some chunky business systems and getting to play with them to improve your integration skills?

For instance, configure up a SQL Server instance, a couple of Exchange instances, then set up TLS on the exchange boxen and try encrypting all mail at source between domains (to simulate real-world enterprise nonsense), then try setting all the system permissions for the SQL server to talk to another virtual machine with sharepoint on (or similar) with minimal privs. Maybe another virtual machine with some penetration testing tools too - create a little virtual enterprise test box to play with?

spud17

Toxteth_OGrady wrote: »

Linux firewall box?

http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/30/how-to-build-your-own-network-firewall/

That's a possibility, I've some extra NICs lying around. I don't want to sound negative, but it does seem to be a bit overkill with the specs available.
Got a couple of lower powered ones here that punters on Freecycle couldn't be bothered to pick up.
Definitely one to take a closer look at, thanks.

paddyrg wrote: »

How would you feel about breaking it into many smaller virtual machines and downloading 30-day trials of some chunky business systems and getting to play with them to improve your integration skills?

For instance, configure up a SQL Server instance, a couple of Exchange instances, then set up TLS on the exchange boxen and try encrypting all mail at source between domains (to simulate real-world enterprise nonsense), then try setting all the system permissions for the SQL server to talk to another virtual machine with sharepoint on (or similar) with minimal privs. Maybe another virtual machine with some penetration testing tools too - create a little virtual enterprise test box to play with?

Thanks.
Sorry, but well beyond my expertise. Barely understood your reply.
I'm well into my 50s, self taught (with help from reading this forum) and had not been near a computer until 2005.

spud17

Update/bump.

ESXi is limited in its hardware support, but while searching around I saw mention of the Free version of Xenserver

I've got as far as installing it, and can access it from my main pc using Citrix XenCenter.
I've already got my Oracle VMs backed up in OVF format, and reading the Xenserver 'Help' it suggests (to me) it could be possible to import them direct.
That would be too easy.

Time has run out until next weekend.

p.s. ironically, I found out that both my main pc and the laptop I'm currently repairing will run ESXi.

debitcardmayhem

Hey Spud, how about creating your own VPN ...

spud17

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

Hey Spud, how about creating your own VPN ...

Cheers matey! And use it for what?

Need to go to bedybyes, or it will be a very grumpy potato at 5.30am.:D

debitcardmayhem

spud17 wrote: »

Cheers matey! And use it for what?

Need to go to bedybyes, or it will be a very grumpy potato at 5.30am.:D

Obvious answer is to save me working out how to do it for when I go on my hols so I can let Mrs DCM watch iPlayer whilst I can do what I do best in the nearest bar :beer:

esuhl

Getting Arch Linux installed and set up exactly as you want it will teach you a fair bit about how Linux works... if you're into that sort of thing...

https://www.archlinux.org/

It's a great OS...

gonzo127

a slight different train of thought, how about case modding? ok so not a free option as you need some tools and usualy some extra materials but can be an amazing challenge

victor2

Turn it into your own little web server?
Doesn't need to be connected to the internet, just stick Apache on it and see what you can do with it through local connections. Loads of additional freeware you could put on it, like PHP, MySQL, WordPress etc.