Wanted: Project for linux noob with 'spare' PC

[lordyosch]

I've got an older (replaced a month ago) PC sat on my study floor. It runs Ubuntu straight out of the box.

Currently it has Jaunty on it, to see if I'd notice any difference between it and 8.10. I use my PC everyday (too much probably) but for work and reading this forum.

I've not really used the old one enough to see any improvement with Jaunty -I'm not putting it on this PC because of the ATI graphics driver problem.


What can I do with my old PC - I want to learn more about Linux and I'm not bothered if I 'break' it and i need to re-install everything


Can you guys recommend a project for me?


Jay

[TheNosh]

if i had an extra pc lying around that i didn't care about breaking the OS and needing to reinstall, i would use it to try out different distros and get a feel for them. (i do this a bit with an extra partition)

if you wanna stick with ubuntu, you can at least try out other window managers and desktop environments, but that could be done on your main PC with little risk.

[markbuntu]

The good opportunity to learn with a spare machine would be to set up a home network or set up a media server. You can fool around with ssh and all the network stuff without a lot of danger to your main machine.

[perpetualcacophany]

Use it to make an LFS install. You'll learn an awful lot about Linux that way. It'll be hard though.

[Alterax]

Ideas:

Streaming media server with MythTV

SAMBA/NFS/CUPS print/fileserver

Application server (forwarding apps via ssh -X tunnels) for stuff you use occasionally

Virtualization server--install QEMU and use it to test out liveCDs

LAMP server--install apache2, mysql, and PHP and use it to make interactive database applications.

...lots of ideas.

[uncannybuzzard]

i'd go with a mythtv media server (or xbmc, elisa, etc). or if you really hate yourself, a wireless freebsd gateway.

[decoherence]

I second the LFS idea. Or if that's too much, try a stage 1 Gentoo install -- you'll learn a lot from that as well.

[Skip Da Shu]

First, the easy 1... install and run BOINC

[lordyosch]

I found a project...

This weekend I installed Karmic Server edition, as a LAMP server. After a few false starts (RTFM!) I got it going. I now host my very own (and very crappy) website, with my very own Moodle VLE (with no courses on it yet)

I decided I should learn about network admin (and SSH and linux CLI) and HTML (then PHP)

I love a project!


Jay

[Tethtibis]

Could we have a link to your site? I'm curious to see what you've done.