memory requirements?

[Danny MacMillan]

On Fri, Nov 05, 2004 at 10:17:59PM -0700, Jay O'Brien wrote:
> Kris Kennaway wrote:
> 
> > On Fri, Nov 05, 2004 at 08:49:56PM -0800, Jay O'Brien wrote:
> > 
> >>I inherited a 400 MHz Pentium II with 128MB of RAM 
> >>and a 20GB HD. 
> >>
> >>Is this an adequate configuration to run 5.2.1, or 
> >>do I need to add memory?
> > 
> > 
> > It all depends what you want to do with it...it's the applications you
> > run that take up most of the memory.  128MB is a bit on the small side
> > if you're going to be doing memory-heavy desktop work (e.g. running
> > mozilla, KDE, etc), but there are plenty of lighter-weight
> > alternatives to those applications.
> > 
> > Kris
> 
> Good point. I am bringing up another (very capable) machine and learning 
> as I go; I set it up with 4.10 and I now think I should be running 5.2.1.
> It will ultimately be a mail and web server. 
> 
> I thought I would bring this old machine (inherited from my 89 yr old 
> m-i-l who passed away in August) on 5.2.1 to get a feel for it; I would 
> probably not do much more than use it as a SSH terminal to connect to 
> the other machine and as a learning tool to learn (or re-learn) unix 
> commands. It presently runs Win98SE, had a CD reader and a NIC card, 
> so I know it has working hardware.
> 
> The bottom line is that 128MB seems adequate for FreeBSD itself?

More than adequate.  I have a 300MHz 64MB machine with a 7GB hard drive
running 5.2.1 handily.  I don't have much on there besides dovecot, but I
do use it as an installation and configuration testbed for new software
I'm interested in.  I don't have X installed.  There is no difference in
apparent speed at the console or through SSH between this machine and my
other much more capable (800MHz, 384MB) 5.2.1 machine.

Unless your needs are more substantial than they would appear, your
machine is overpowered.  I would just go ahead and try it.  If you find
that you need more power you haven't closed the door on any opportunities
by trying it.  As another poster has mentioned, you might want to wait
for 5.3, or put a pre-release version of 5.3 on it.

-- 
Danny