I’ve been thinking about this old desktop machine under my desk that hasn’t been used in years. I’m thinking the death of the desktop computer is not too far ahead for me. I can’t see myself buying another in my lifetime and my building days ended in the mid 90s. I don’t really have a need for this thing at all, I don’t game, I’m pretty much off the internet already. Ageing out of all of it I suppose.

My question is, as a bit of a weekend hobby, is it feasible for a bit of an ordinary Joe, middle/a little older aged, to go from a life in MS and never having to run a server or hosting anything, to follow something like this to any meaningful outcome? https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/5911320

I write a bit of vba, do a fair bit of querying to a database someone else maintains for a living. (SQL). Again, never much but basic tables and queries/procedures.

The desktop currently is: OS: windows 10 home Processor: Intel i7-6700k @ 4GHz Graphics: GTX970 Ram: 16gb

Kidding myself? Obviously I’m thinking Linux and learning a new OS to some extent would in theory be in the mix.

  • swordsmanluke
    1·
    1 year ago

    Go for it!

    I set up a home server for my family so long ago the first version still had a SCSI drive(!) and I’ve never regretted it.

    Our server does a little bit of everything now, from hosting media to ad-blocking DNS (PiHole ftw!).

    These days, setting up Linux is easier than ever. There are lots of newb-friendly Linux versions (distros) out there. Everything from Mac/Windows Desktop clones to purpose-built, CLI-only server images.

    It’s a seemingly vast landscape, but most distros are based on one of three common parents:

    • Debian - Possibly the most popular base distro. Ubuntu (and many more distros) are based on it. Pure Debian tends to upgrade slowly, making it stable, but often semi out of date. Most of its descendants are some version of “Debian, but with newer stuff”.

    • RedHat - Feels a little less popular than it used to, but still not uncommon. RedHat seems to be most popular with “enterprise-y” / security focused distros.

    • Arch - a semi-newcomer, Arch embodies the DIY ethos of Linux, by providing almost nothing by default… Besides an amazingly helpful manual that will teach you how to configure your personal system to your needs. Start from scratch and build a system tuned for gaming, web hosting, file serving, or whatever else you might desire. If computers were cars, this is the distro the “Hot-rod guys” would be using. Children of Arch are wildly divergent. Some are still very DIY-focused, while others have already been preconfigured by the distro maintainer. Notably, the Steam Deck is running a preconfigured Arch variant.

    Downstream distros from these three can often be managed using the same tools as their parent, so if you know you’re using, say, a Debian-based distro, instructions for most any other Debian-based distro should work for you too. (Though not always! Distros can and do choose different install paths, or library versions or other variances that can cause headaches. This is a Rule of Thumb.)

    Anyway, once you know the parentage of a distro, it becomes easier to evaluate (and to debug should the need arise).

    Personally, I lean toward Debian distros, because I’ve been running various Debian-children since the early 2000s. But it all depends on what works for you and what you’re looking for!

    Good luck, and have fun!