Which distro for linux server?

ProcalX · 06-01-2008, 09:44 PM

My younger brother wants to run a call of duty 4 server, thanks to broadband slowly moving forward (and in a good area) his 20mb download package is dishing out around 2.1mb/s (2100kb/s on multiple downloads) and has a solid 450-600kb/s upload rate.

He's asked me to setup a dedicated server for him on a:
Celeron 2Ghz Laptop with 1GB memory and a 60gb hard drive, it's currently running XP, I'd just slap Ubuntu on it but would quite like to make a project of it and get a suitable distro and perhaps a custom kernel suited to the job.

Basic functions being SSH & FTP, was wondering what you'd recommend?

Addis · 06-01-2008, 10:53 PM

For a server Debian is probably the best, I use it on a small 900Mhz file/web/samba server and it handles everything fine. You could also use CentOS too.

Anti-Trend · 06-01-2008, 11:56 PM

A laptop is a very unusual dedicated server, since they're not designed for 24x7 operation, and they don't handle heat distribution very well. That said, I'd agree with Addis and also recommend Debian for a gaming server, specifically Debian with a low-latency kernel. Here's a kernel for Debian "Lenny", the current testing version of Debian, built for low-latency response and optimized for the P4 architecture:

Index of /pub/.repo/kernels/lenny/p4-desktop

If you opt to build one yourself instead, I'd download the latest stable source from kernel.org and build it the Debian way, with kernel-pkg. I'd definitely give it a 1000Hz kernel timer and opt for the lowest-latency voluntary preemption you can get, since game servers benefit much more greatly from quick response times than from the few CPU cycles lost to the added overhead.

Addis · 07-01-2008, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anti-Trend

If you opt to build one yourself instead, I'd download the latest stable source from kernel.org and build it the Debian way, with kernel-pkg. I'd definitely give it a 1000Hz kernel timer and opt for the lowest-latency voluntary preemption you can get, since game servers benefit much more greatly from quick response times than from the few CPU cycles lost to the added overhead.

Amen. A really annoying thing about Ubuntu is that the default kernel has a 250Hz timer, which means that midi sequencing software like Rosegarden doesn't function correctly. There's a low latency one available in the repos though.

ProcalX · 07-01-2008, 06:28 PM

I realise that laptops are far from ideal for use as servers but this one's battery is dead anyway and it's a unused machine so I might as well use it. Plus it'll be kept in a cool out of the way environment.

Cheers for that, i'll use debian and the low latency kernel, was going to use gentoo but last time i tried customising a kernel for that (learning it) it took me 4 months!

06-01-2008, 09:44 PM	#1 (permalink) Top
ProcalX Student Bum Join Date: Nov 2003 Age: 22 Male Posts: 1,536 Times Helpful: 30 My Mood: Cheerful Status: Offline My Computer	Which distro for linux server? My younger brother wants to run a call of duty 4 server, thanks to broadband slowly moving forward (and in a good area) his 20mb download package is dishing out around 2.1mb/s (2100kb/s on multiple downloads) and has a solid 450-600kb/s upload rate. He's asked me to setup a dedicated server for him on a: Celeron 2Ghz Laptop with 1GB memory and a 60gb hard drive, it's currently running XP, I'd just slap Ubuntu on it but would quite like to make a project of it and get a suitable distro and perhaps a custom kernel suited to the job. Basic functions being SSH & FTP, was wondering what you'd recommend? __________________ Laptop // Toshiba Satellite A210-11P // AMD Turion 64 X2 1.8Ghz Dual Core // 4GB DDR2 // 200GB Sata HD // Dual Layer DVD-RW // ATI Radeon HD2400XT 256MB // 15.4" HD Crystal Display // Vista Premium Desktop // HP DC7700* // Pentium Dual Core 3.4Ghz // 2GB DDR2 // 2x 160GB Sata2 // 16x DVD-RW // Crucial Ballistix // ATI Radeon X1950GT 512MB // 20" Dell Screen // XP Pro SP2*

06-01-2008, 10:53 PM	#2 (permalink) Top
Addis The King Join Date: Jan 2004 Age: 18 Male Posts: 5,255 Times Helpful: 403 My Mood: Drunk Status: Offline My Computer	For a server Debian is probably the best, I use it on a small 900Mhz file/web/samba server and it handles everything fine. You could also use CentOS too. __________________ Never trust a program you don't have the source code for. My website \| Powerful Desktop Linux \| Linux for human beings \| Linux for power users \| Linux for ricers

06-01-2008, 11:56 PM	#3 (permalink) Top
Anti-Trend Nonconformist Geek Join Date: Oct 2003 Age: 27 Male Posts: 4,880 Times Helpful: 536 Status: Offline My Computer	A laptop is a very unusual dedicated server, since they're not designed for 24x7 operation, and they don't handle heat distribution very well. That said, I'd agree with Addis and also recommend Debian for a gaming server, specifically Debian with a low-latency kernel. Here's a kernel for Debian "Lenny", the current testing version of Debian, built for low-latency response and optimized for the P4 architecture: Index of /pub/.repo/kernels/lenny/p4-desktop If you opt to build one yourself instead, I'd download the latest stable source from kernel.org and build it the Debian way, with kernel-pkg. I'd definitely give it a 1000Hz kernel timer and opt for the lowest-latency voluntary preemption you can get, since game servers benefit much more greatly from quick response times than from the few CPU cycles lost to the added overhead. __________________ See My Desktop \| Try Linux \| Install Linux \| Visit My Server \| Support Hardware Forums \| Easily rip DVDs in Linux \| Remember Everything

07-01-2008, 06:28 PM	#5 (permalink) Top
ProcalX Student Bum Join Date: Nov 2003 Age: 22 Male Posts: 1,536 Times Helpful: 30 My Mood: Cheerful Status: Offline My Computer	I realise that laptops are far from ideal for use as servers but this one's battery is dead anyway and it's a unused machine so I might as well use it. Plus it'll be kept in a cool out of the way environment. Cheers for that, i'll use debian and the low latency kernel, was going to use gentoo but last time i tried customising a kernel for that (learning it) it took me 4 months! __________________ Laptop // Toshiba Satellite A210-11P // AMD Turion 64 X2 1.8Ghz Dual Core // 4GB DDR2 // 200GB Sata HD // Dual Layer DVD-RW // ATI Radeon HD2400XT 256MB // 15.4" HD Crystal Display // Vista Premium Desktop // HP DC7700* // Pentium Dual Core 3.4Ghz // 2GB DDR2 // 2x 160GB Sata2 // 16x DVD-RW // Crucial Ballistix // ATI Radeon X1950GT 512MB // 20" Dell Screen // XP Pro SP2*

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Linux FTP Server	megamaced	Linux and Other OSes	7	08-12-2006 07:53 PM
The Linux Distro Poll	Big B	Linux and Other OSes	13	09-11-2006 08:59 AM
Oracle Releasing Linux Distro?	Big B	News and Article Comments	3	22-04-2006 08:00 PM
LAN gaming server distro	StimpE	Linux and Other OSes	3	04-11-2005 06:46 AM

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)