Co-op co-lo server?

Ben Scott dragonhawk at gmail.com
Tue Mar 28 13:12:01 EST 2006


Hello, world!

  I've had this idea that I've been tossing around inside my head, and
I decided I wanted to toss it out here to see what people think.

  I'd like to have a Linix box on a "real" IP feed (symmetric,
reliable, etc.), with proper power, cooling, and all that, that I
could put my own spare-time projects and such on.  Something I could
host my personal email on, maybe a vanity website, some other website
ideas I've had, plus a place to SSH to for utility purposes.  Sort of
a $HOME away from home, if you will.

  I've even got some hardware (a nice 1U box) to throw at the idea.

  However, I don't want to pay any serious amount of money for this. 
Even Brian (karas.net)'s very nice $50/month is more than I want to
spend.  This is basically for play, when it comes right down to it.

  But then I started thinking, there's prolly others who'd like the
same thing, but who are also cheap bastards like me.  If, say, ten
people signed up for this, and we could get a rate like that $50/month
for the colo, well, $5/month I could easily throw away on a play box.

  So: Would anyone here be interested in co-op for a colo server for
this kind of thing?

  Right off the bat, I'd have to say there is no guarantee of
reliability. It would prolly have to be personal only -- no
businesses.  General bandwidth demands would have to be fairly
minimal, too -- no hosting a Red Hat mirror or streaming MP3's for
your band or anything.  (Occasional big file transfer would be fine,
it's the big picture I'd be worried about.)

  We'd have to work out some kind of internal governance for things
like root access and software install and that kind of thing, to keep
it from turning into a disaster.  But in general, I'd hope to keep it
as "open" as possible.

  Comments, commendations, condemnations, suggestions, interest, etc.?

-- Ben "What am I getting myself into?" Scott




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