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geekhack Community => Off Topic => Topic started by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Sun, 29 November 2009, 16:35:07

Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Sun, 29 November 2009, 16:35:07
I have a computer lab at my mothers house, and soon I will have one at my dads house.  I am going to get more computers for it by putting an ad on craigslist for free computer recycling.  And yes, it will be in the basement (hence my username).
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: ch_123 on Sun, 29 November 2009, 16:40:49
My "lab" is in a spare room beside mine which I commandeered. I only have about three computers (not counting my laptop) in it, but I have the parts to build more if I so desired.

Oh how I wish I had a basement. Problem is that I probably never would leave it.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: microsoft windows on Sun, 29 November 2009, 17:33:21
I guess I'm lucky then. I've got a nice little office down in my cellar.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Sun, 29 November 2009, 17:48:01
Quote from: microsoft windows;137288
I guess I'm lucky then. I've got a nice little office down in my cellar.

lol a "nice" office?

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=5871&stc=1&d=1258905549)

Then again, mine's not much better:

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=5891&d=1258941977)
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=5892&d=1258941991)
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=5888&d=1258941373)
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: bigpook on Sun, 29 November 2009, 18:40:38
I wish I had a basement like that. Here is Florida everything is built on slab concrete.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: erricrice on Sun, 29 November 2009, 18:43:35
Quote from: bigpook;137306
I wish I had a basement like that. Here is Florida everything is built on slab concrete.


Lol yeah, everything would flood if we had basements here...

Ahh, for the days when I lived in Michigan and had a basement...
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: bigpook on Sun, 29 November 2009, 18:47:05
its kind of funny, I lived in Arizona for many years, I didn't have a basement there either.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: HaaTa on Sun, 29 November 2009, 22:01:17
I had an awesome basement room when I was still living in British Columbia (no where close to the ocean mind you).
I was a flat-roofed house, so every room had concrete walls (with water levels showing from a huge flood from the Columbia River (70 year ago I think)). It had high ceilings, but oddly sized doors (some huge, others for thin people no taller than 6').
I had about 6 computers set up at the time.

Though it wasn't as cool as the room I was given in my high school where I had about 8 computers set up and about 17 monitors... Too bad the school was torn down earlier this year.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: itlnstln on Mon, 30 November 2009, 08:00:31
We don't have basements here in TX, either.  The ground is too rocky.  My GF (who is from Chicago) was suprised.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: D-EJ915 on Mon, 30 November 2009, 13:28:54
also depends on the elevation as to whether a basement is a good idea or not...obviously none here though lol (my area used to be a swamp haha)
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: kode on Mon, 30 November 2009, 14:44:37
In lieu of basement, I keep the lab in my one room apartment.

It... works somewhat. At least I don't run a VAX in here, still gets a bit warm sometimes, though.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: itlnstln on Mon, 30 November 2009, 15:22:24
Finishing your basement can mean a tax increase in many areas.  Not like you would report it, or anything.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: ricercar on Mon, 30 November 2009, 15:30:54
My wife won't let me have my computers in the basement any more. The first time I used a laptop in the same room as the family was hanging out, well, that was the last time I had a separated computer room.

Now I have a desk and an office, but it's in what the architect called a dining room, so there is a traffic path through it. Wife and I have facing desks in the middle, so we're able to pretend that it's face time when we're both at our keyboards after dinner. (In truth it's a good thing, far better than facing the wall.)
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Mon, 30 November 2009, 15:39:52
I guess I'm not the only person who finds their basement a good place to put their computers...
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: iMav on Mon, 30 November 2009, 20:58:53
I've got a home office on the second floor of my home.  I work out of my home office, so I get a nice tax break for it as well.  :)

My comm room is downstairs and also serves as a server room (with a couple of beefy VM servers).  Works out well.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Mon, 30 November 2009, 21:12:45
I was thinking of turning one of my old desktops into a server, just throw a bunch of hard disks in it, load Windows 2000 on it, connect it to my network, and store all my files on there.  A perfect makeshift server.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: erricrice on Mon, 30 November 2009, 21:32:25
Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement;137530
I guess I'm not the only person who finds their basement a good place to put their computers...


I would love to have a basement to put computers in....sadly an apartment will have to do for now....

Maybe I'll be the first person in Florida to have a basement!  And the first person to also have a flooded basement lol.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: Xuan on Mon, 30 November 2009, 22:56:58
Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement;137651
I was thinking of turning one of my old desktops into a server, just throw a bunch of hard disks in it, load Windows 2000 on it, connect it to my network, and store all my files on there.  A perfect makeshift server.


You said the W word, not perfect.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: ch_123 on Tue, 01 December 2009, 07:24:46
Yup, Debian it up!
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: kode on Tue, 01 December 2009, 12:00:12
Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement;137651
I was thinking of turning one of my old desktops into a server, just throw a bunch of hard disks in it, load Windows 2000 on it, connect it to my network, and store all my files on there.  A perfect makeshift server.


My few weeks worth of it security consultant experience makes me feel very bad for anyone running windows 2000. It's not even funny what even the most basic script kiddie can do to a machine like that. I suggest you go with a linux distribution instead, cifs/smb file sharing with windows machines is pretty easy to set up.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: Hofy on Tue, 01 December 2009, 13:24:27
No computers in my basement.  That area is for my woodworking shop.
I do have an office on the first floor and a computer room on the second floor.
That's 8 or 9 computers off the top of my head.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Tue, 01 December 2009, 15:01:38
My computer lab was once my stepdads workshop, but I slowly started moving all my computers in there, and now it is mostly all my computer stuff in there.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: InSanCen on Tue, 01 December 2009, 17:02:39
I would kill for a basement to house my stuff. As it is, I live in a first floor flat (apartment).

I did however, help set up a friends attic as a LAN room. All boarded out, but not regulation, so it's not technically a room, but a storage space. Which is great when arguing over Council tax, but not great for property prices.

I would estimate about 40 computers in there from a 386/40 to pimped out quad cores, and several very hopped up Atari's (Highly modified Falcon running a CT63 and a TT030).

Huge fun in there, getting LAN games on Unreal Tournament 99 is great when the beer gets going.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: hyperlinked on Tue, 01 December 2009, 18:47:59
Quote from: InSanCen;137852
Huge fun in there, getting LAN games on Unreal Tournament 99 is great when the beer gets going.


UT99... *sigh* I miss... I miss...
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: arfink on Tue, 01 December 2009, 19:10:52
I have a de-comissioned dining room table in my apartment, which serves as the place of residence for my main rigs. Which includes my Apple IIgs, a somewhat crumy 5 year old HP laptop, and my old Pentium 1 rig, which I keep because it has ISA slots, which I need for my Xeltek Superpro chip burner. And because it's such a big table I can keep them all up.

Then, most of the time, when I'm not using the HP I put it away and get out my Tandy 102 or 200, or use the space for working on electronics projects. Like my kbdbabel, which I now have ordered the parts for.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: InSanCen on Wed, 02 December 2009, 09:07:29
Quote from: hyperlinked;137872
UT99... *sigh* I miss... I miss...


You can still get it in the UT Anthology on the budget labels. About 10 UK Pounds. If you can't find it, I can get it through work and send it. IIRC it contains UT99, UT 2004, Unreal 2 and Unreal 3.

On a semi-related note, using Firefox in Ubuntu, trying to use ALT+0163 (UK Pound sign, as I am currently using a US layout on an M13), results in switching between tabs. Anyone know how to disable this rather annoying behaviour?
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: ch_123 on Wed, 02 December 2009, 09:27:52
Use US International. Are you using Windows or Linux?
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: InSanCen on Wed, 02 December 2009, 09:35:09
Quote from: ch_123;137996
Use US International. Are you using Windows or Linux?

Quote from: InSanCen;137985
On a semi-related note, using Firefox in Ubuntu...

I have had a look through Firefox's options under Edit>Preferences and can not see anything relevant. Googling gives a lot of ALT+TAB related stuff, and a lot of "Yay, ALT+num is here!", but nothing on disabling it. Using US Intl makes no difference whatsoever, SHIFT+3 gives the has sign as usual on any US layout I've tried, and would expect.

Trying to use a .js script with greasemonkey. There is a way to disable this with the about:config, but every time you restart FF it reverts, although the setting is still how you left it. Playing with this now, but so far, no joy.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: ch_123 on Wed, 02 December 2009, 11:43:08
Set your GNOME keyboard layout to "US International with Alt-Gr Dead keys"

Pound is ALTGR + SHIFT + 4, a bit awkward, but it works. Euro is ALTGR + 5.
Title: Getting another computer lab.
Post by: InSanCen on Wed, 02 December 2009, 16:14:39
Quote from: ch_123;138041
Set your GNOME keyboard layout to "US International with Alt-Gr Dead keys"

Pound is ALTGR + SHIFT + 4, a bit awkward, but it works. Euro is ALTGR + 5.


Ding ding ding... we have a Winner!

ta muchly mate... have some inturwebs.