Category → office IT
Apple Mac appreciation
In contrast to my other post, I have had some positive experience using Apple computers recently…
I decided to set up a small, low-power server in one of our offices at AdvoCard. It’s not our main server (that’s a PowerMac G5 on the other site), it simply has to serve files to an office comprising eight PCs and one printer.
I hit upon the idea of using an old Apple Mac Mini G4. As I say, they are small, quiet, have low power consumption, and can be picked up cheaply on Ebay. Debian GNU/Linux is an available distribution which is still supports the PowerPC processor (unlike Apple itself, which stopped supporting PowerPC on its last but one release of OS X (10.5 – Leopard) – see rant.
There’s even a site dedicated to this kind of set-up:
http://sowerbutts.com/linux-mac-mini/
I set up the server 50 days ago and according to the logs on the system, it’s been running smoothly ever since. Here’s to the next 500 days!
The trouble with Apple Macs…
Usually my posts are all about solutions. Sadly, this one is about an unresolved problem.
I work at an Edinburgh-based charity, AdvoCard. In one of our offices we have 10 PowerPC Apple Mac G5s. They all run OS X 10.3 at the moment. This is a problem because I cannot purchase an upgrade. 10.5 (Snow Leopard) is all that Apple sells, which is not compatible with PowerPC Macs – same with all retail outlets. It is, literally, a closed shop.
It’s a problem in day-to-day usage because, without an upgrade to OS X, I cannot update Firefox beyond version 2. This causes issues accessing many websites, notably Google docs. Internet Explorer and Safari are in the same boat (if not worse). Another issue is that MS Office (on OS X 10.3) cannot install the converter to read docx formatted documents (from Office 2007 onward). Pretty much any new software I want to install demands at least version 10.4 of OS x.
My only option (aside from spending a stupid amount of money on hardware which AdvoCard cannot afford), seems to be to install Ubuntu, or Debian, or Yellow Dog Linux. Believe it or not (given my track record of Linux usage), I’m loathed to do this, due to the training and migration implications. It’s certainly do-able but, frankly, I have bigger fish to fry than training everyone in AdvoCard how to use Gnome or KDE. I’m not an IT manager, and we certainly don’t have the cash to employ one.
Answers on a postcard please…
Debian Linux for Servers
I’ve built quite a few Debian-based office servers in the last few years. Recently, I used this tutorial which was very helpful (given that I don’t do this every day, I can’t always remember every step – so tutorials are good for me).
There are lots of good reasons for using Debian. My main ones are:
- It’s a (relatively) straightforward OS to install on many machines
- The aptitude package manager allows for easy updates/upgrades
- The range of packages available is amazing
- The security is good, by default
- Debian is a great for stability – servers can run for years without rebooting
My most recent server build has been installing Debian on an old Apple Mac Mini. It’s based around the PowerPC processor, which Apple no longer supports. I’ll be blogging again soon about my this experience.
Boot multiple linux distros from USB stick
One of my most used tools is a live Linux distribution booted from a USB drive. I’ve been a fan of pendrivelinux.com for a while which gives tutorials for getting various distributions up and running on a USB drive.
Amongst other things, running a live pen drive installation allows me to run various diagnostic and recovery tools on a PC (which may be unable to boot into Windows). Also, using a USB stick means that you can update the distribution without wasting a CD-R (although many old machines can’t boot directly from a USB device).
This latest article caught my eye, as it’s a way to install multiple distributions on the one (large) USB stick. Admittedly, I haven’t had a chance to road test it yet but it looks very promising.
Boot Multiple ISO from USB (MultiBoot USB) | USB Pen Drive Linux