Computing resources optimisation [1C]

Since last considering this issue it has been decided to stick with just four computers on the desk. Email and some web browsing can be continued on mainpc as long as there is not too much memory used. Some of the browser stuff will get moved to mediapc as well as image viewing for maps. But I also plan to keep mediapc as the media player and it will have two 32″ screens to perform both functions to its best ability. And there will be no need for the fifth computer whether it’s a Pi or Antec or whatever because the extra keyboard is hard to use for a 5th computer.

What will be done is to optimise disk use so serverpc gets some disk space freed up to deal with the problems of it constantly running out of disk space.

serverpc has also got its one and only screen rotated to portrait view and although the window space usage is not quite so efficient, the arrangement is very good. Windows 10 pc also has its screen in portrait view.

The satellite TV receiver now plays back on a spare computer screen rather than a TV as I don’t watch so much TV now, live streams are more my thing and so mediapc has the TV as its primary playback screen.

Due to some issues with the shared internet feed which I have access to here, I had a look at a cheap 4G wireless broadband plan. Both Vodafone and Skinny have these plans, which typically cost around $1/GB (cheapest around $39/month) and have virtually no setup or joining fees as effectively you just put the modem somewhere it can get a good signal, plug it in and go. However there is currently not 4G coverage available near home at the moment so that isn’t presently achievable. It is a much cheaper option than casual cellular data which costs $20/GB at present.

The Antec is going to be used to test new distros as a media player (syncing off mediapc) as there is enough disk space for its RAID array to have all mediapc’s media share full synced and I will be putting Lubuntu Cosmic onto it today for testing.

Mediapc is getting reinstalled with Xubuntu rather than Debian as Ubuntu is more suited to media player computers with more compatibility with phones and stuff than is built into Debian where you have to muck around and install extra packages.