Cool things to do with gentoo

dav1d · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 31 Dec 2003 Posts: 134

Being on my summer holidays now, I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions for some cool projects to try with gentoo. I have 2 other spare computers lying around, and have already tried things with server stuff and distcc (but never put them to any real use).

I was thinking probably software (to keep it linux orientated), but maybe also a hardware project. Do you have any ideas?

meital · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 17 Feb 2004 Posts: 93

emerge sync :lol:

denstark · l33t Joined: 02 Jun 2003 Posts: 654 Location: sd.ca.us

1) Run a gentoo server with Apache, PHP, and MySQL

2) Create your own website,

3) Register a domain name at http://dyndns.org

4) Welcome yourself to the world wide web

As for the other computers, you could always try out different kernels, get all sorts of linux games like et and the such... or you could just play nethack all summer

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placeholder · Advocate Joined: 07 Feb 2004 Posts: 2500

Oh yeah, and don't feel ashamed to go for a free ath.cx domain name. A few other server things to do:

1) Install a mail server (I use cyrus-imap with postfix)
2) Install an FTP server (vsftpd is good)

lamaistres · Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2004 12:14 am Post subject:

A speech recognition mp3 computer where you give the computer verbal instructions and it performs them. For example you say, "play <insert song title here>" and the computer plays the song. Lets get rid of the keyboard and mouse.

However, it may not perform well on old computers, therefore; maybe a music jukebox would be a better project or how about playing xmame on the TV.
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playfool · Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2004 12:32 am Post subject:

replace it with FreeBSD.. there's a cool task

You could also build a personal music player based out of one of your spare machines, add a LCD display and a few buttons - hack up some code to queue up songs and have profiles for all members of your family so everyone can have their favorite songs in collections and so on. (something like rhythmbox's quality mode shuffling comes to mind)
Now add a web frontend to add songs to the database.. and hack the kernel to boot really fast (as well as the init scripts).

That should keep you busy.

dav1d · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 31 Dec 2003 Posts: 134

I've done all the server things you suggested before, but I'm not allowed to leave a computer on all day according to my parents. An mp3 jukebox sounds cool, but I only ever listen to music on my PC in my room, so I'd have no real use for it. Also, I don't want to spend money on an LCD screen for it.

Any other ideas?

Raoul_Duke · Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2004 2:02 pm Post subject:

Cut your programming teeth by turning project looking glass into something useful :wink:

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Titeuf · Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2004 4:03 pm Post subject:

You could try to make a terminal server. Where the most powerfull computer is the server, and the two others can connect to the server.
This can be cool, because you can then access your account from 3 different computers.
I always wanted to make this, but I don't have a spare computer

cryptodev · n00b Joined: 16 Apr 2004 Posts: 53

Make it a server and serve up some content for us mindless drones out here to suck up.
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bluedevils · Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2004 5:52 pm Post subject:

turn it into a pvr

tom56 · Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 2:08 pm Post subject:

turn it off?

al · Guru Joined: 26 Dec 2002 Posts: 304 Location: Scotland

Install "blender" then follow the tutorials here: http://www.blender3d.org/cms/Tutorials.243.0.html

and check out the forum here: http://www.elysiun.com/forum/index.php

example: http://www.elysiun.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=28132

Wi1d · Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 6:14 pm Post subject:

virtual e-mail & web server is a fun project or maybe change to ipv6.

drutten · Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 12:26 am Post subject:

buy a video-out card and connect it to your tv to watch movies.

John5788 · Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 12:38 am Post subject:

make a robot
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placeholder · Advocate Joined: 07 Feb 2004 Posts: 2500

Install a phpBB.

Wi1d · Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 12:56 am Post subject:

:edit (for those who are dense):
*sarcastically* Hack a couple of *.gov sites

oniq · Guru Joined: 02 Sep 2002 Posts: 597 Location: Connecticut

placeholder · Advocate Joined: 07 Feb 2004 Posts: 2500

Wi1d · Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 1:23 am Post subject:

John5788 · Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 1:46 am Post subject:

Hack
v. hacked, hack·ing, hacks
v. tr.

1. To cut or chop with repeated and irregular blows: hacked down the saplings.
2. To break up the surface of (soil).
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Wi1d · Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 1:49 am Post subject:

Cracking
1. crack, cracking, snap -- (a sudden sharp noise; "the crack of a whip"; "he heard the cracking of the ice"; "he can hear the snap of a twig")

uglyb0b · Apprentice Joined: 07 Sep 2003 Posts: 280

I would say play a fun game of "beat the old computer with the baseball bat" in a very Office-Space-esque moment. Seriously, I would set up ridiculously strong firewalls and spend your time hacking away...
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d_adams · Apprentice Joined: 20 Oct 2003 Posts: 223

Your parents won't let you leave the other 2 computers on all the time??? Why???? If the boxes are more than a year old, they probably suck up less electricity than leaving on the television that your parents are sitting there watching. Unless of course you've got 500 watt power supplies in them and 3 or 4 hard drives in them and leave the monitors on. Server boxes don't need monitors, use tightvnc or remote desktop to connect to them.
I've got 8 boxes on my network at home on average (7 are always on, 8 and up are repair boxes) and my bill isn't tooo awful bad. I do bitch about everybody leaving all the lights on in the house, as well as the tv's when there's no one at home though.
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