> "Contact Intel directly for the Linux driver for their gigabit card. They > have a non-GPL driver. Because of the license conflict this driver may not > be pre-linked or pre-patched into the Linux kernel. " > > From where I sit this is a not a positive sign, does this mean I should > avoid PRO/1000 cards and/or embedded 82544 chips?
You got me...while the code might not be GPL, Intel *DOES* provide source for their drivers, so they're not as bad as MTD, which only provides a binary "chunk" with some wrapper code you use to build a kernel module. Saddly, I don't have any direct experience with the new Intel GBit ethernet chips...I'd suggest a bit of online research. You might download their drivers and take a quick browse through the code, as well. When I was building the drives, I didn't specifically look for any "black-box" bits of binary (actually these are usually a big "c" program file with nothing but raw data in it...representing the pre-compiled code) that were getting linked to... > >Hmm...if the prices aren't that much different, I'd probably go with > >the spiffier systems. Especially if they use a 'normal' desktop > >chipset you can verify LEAF (or linux 2.2.19) runs on successfully. > >Worst case, you might have to compile a custom kernel (or get someone > >to do it for you). > > As it happens, the dual PRO/1000s come on a motherboard with a ServerWorks > HE chipset, while the dual PRO/100+s come on a motherboard with an Intel > 440BX. Am I likely to have better results with the lower-tech chipset? Ah...I just picked up several 1U Intel servers that fit this description. They are NetStructure 1020's, and came with a 9 G SCSI HDD, Adaptec Ultra 160 SCSI controller, and 256 Meg of RAM. All for $635 (from CompGeeks...they sold out pretty quick). I have re-tasked them from the RedHat 6.2 based web-server, GUI interface boxes they were, and installed RedHat 7.2 via the serial port console. In general, I'd say unless you need the horse-power for VPN encryption or so mething, you'll have an easier time with the 440BX based systems. Also, if you're wanting to route gigabit ethernet at wirespeed, you're going to need something with a little more umph than a PC with a PCI based backplane. A lot of the newer switches will acutally do basic IP level routing at wire-speed...if you need an internal router for Giga-bit, this is probably the way to go. If you're using the LEAF box as a router/firewall for your upstream link, 100 Mbit shouldn't cause you any speed limits...and if it does, you're way beyond worrying about exactly how much your 1U router box is costing... > >Wear your gloves! Whenever I'm messing with rack-mount stuff, it > >seems like I always manage to slice up my hands... > > Yup. You're smarter than me, I just keep band-aids in my desk. ;) Actually, I manage to neither wear gloves *OR* have a box of band-aids handy...but I can still give out free advice, even though it's kind of hard to type with these bloddy stumps that used to be fingers. ;-) Charles Steinkuehler http://lrp.steinkuehler.net http://c0wz.steinkuehler.net (lrp.c0wz.com mirror) _______________________________________________ Leaf-user mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/leaf-user
