Linux Cube

[NadeChaser]

I am building this system to function as a LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP) server. I will be running the server build of Ubuntu, or possibly SUSE. Either way, this is going to be a completly Linux machine. I am going to design it from the scratch. Here are some renderings of my concept. Please not: The blue windows will not actually be blue, but clear. I made them blue in these renders to illustrate how I am going to light the case blue.

A view of "The Linux Cube"
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/9845/cubebp9.jpg

Front view:
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/6826/cubefrontad5.jpg

Rear view:
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/5015/cuberearje7.jpg

Side view:
http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/4010/cubesideir5.jpg

Top view:
http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/5355/cubetopoc8.jpg

And an X-Ray view of the internals:
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/4923/cubexrayos9.jpg


Construction Information:
- Edges will be made of 90 degree moulded aluminum
- Windows will be made of 1/8 think polycarbonate (clear)
- Case will be lighted with blue leds and cold cathode tubes
- I have not added fan holes to the renders because I am still working out where they will go


Note: This is my first case mod ever, so yup that makes me a noob. Forgive any mistakes or stupid questions.

Hope everyone likes it =P Any suggestions, comments, or critizisms are more than welcome. Thanks.

[OvRiDe]

Looks like a great concept so far.. Looking forward to seeing the construction phase! Good luck!!

[NadeChaser]

Thanks for the encouragement! I will post pictures of construction tommorow if all goes well =)

[elbarto241]

wow, looks nice, cant wait to see how this turns out

[Dgephri]

just noticed this...what clearance are you giving for a video card between your motherboard and the Drives? Looks like 4" or so?

Maybe the mobo you are using has integrated GPU, just checking...

[elbarto241]

might wanna make a mock-up model out of thick cardboard and mount the parts before you start anything.

[Airbozo]

Few linux suggestions for the hardware side;

As much as I LOVE ati, nvidia drivers are way better under linux (thanks sgi...), but ati is putting some effort into this issue.

I worked for almost 3 months to get bootable raid working in several distro's and so far the only stable one is in fedora 4+. This includes the paid for versions of EL from redhat (which are about 6 months to a year behind fedora in features and compatability). If you don't care a bout "bootable" raid, any distro will work fine out of the box, but if you want performance play with gentoo (not for the faint of heart!)

Most of all check to make sure someone has gotten the motherboard you intend to use "booted" into linux.

[NadeChaser]

just noticed this...what clearance are you giving for a video card between your motherboard and the Drives? Looks like 4" or so?
Maybe the mobo you are using has integrated GPU, just checking...
Yeah actualy when I was making the model I thought it was clear, now that i look back it it I will have to make some minor adjustments. I will post updated renders with this revision, along with some extra additions... lighting.. fan holes... etc..


wow, looks nice, cant wait to see how this turns out
Thanks! =D Hopefully it will look like the renders =P


might wanna make a mock-up model out of thick cardboard and mount the parts before you start anything.
Great idea, I will give it a shot while im waiting for materials and supplys for the case.



Few linux suggestions for the hardware side;

As much as I LOVE ati, nvidia drivers are way better under linux (thanks sgi...), but ati is putting some effort into this issue.

I worked for almost 3 months to get bootable raid working in several distro's and so far the only stable one is in fedora 4+. This includes the paid for versions of EL from redhat (which are about 6 months to a year behind fedora in features and compatability). If you don't care a bout "bootable" raid, any distro will work fine out of the box, but if you want performance play with gentoo (not for the faint of heart!)

Most of all check to make sure someone has gotten the motherboard you intend to use "booted" into linux.

Thanks for the tips, will do. I might use raid in the future but at the moment im low on cash... cant afford two hard drives =P


I'll post pics of my progress as soon as I get started!

[jestyyr]

interesting so far,
but I was wondering (because it isn't in the images) how you will go the Cpu heatsink/fan in that system, its just they are moderately tall and I suck at judging distances :P so it looks a little close to me. or that the drives might possibly block some of the airflow through the fan,
can't wait to see how this build goes :D

[.Maleficus.]

Looks good, I like it! One question: Where to you plan on putting the blue lights you said will be in it?

Linux wise, I like Ubuntu. I've never used any other distros, but I like Ubuntu a lot more than Windows, and apparently it's good for Linux n00bs like myself. I don't know if you're a Linux n00b, but that's what I would use.

[NadeChaser]

Looks good, I like it! One question: Where to you plan on putting the blue lights you said will be in it?

Linux wise, I like Ubuntu. I've never used any other distros, but I like Ubuntu a lot more than Windows, and apparently it's good for Linux n00bs like myself. I don't know if you're a Linux n00b, but that's what I would use.

Heh... might be a modding noob but not a linux noob =P... yeah Ubuntu is very user friendly. You can run it without having to go into the command line interface at all. And to answer your question... take a look at my updated renders... I added some cold cathode tubes at the front two sides of the case (hard to see but they are there!)


interesting so far,
but I was wondering (because it isn't in the images) how you will go the Cpu heatsink/fan in that system, its just they are moderately tall and I suck at judging distances :P so it looks a little close to me. or that the drives might possibly block some of the airflow through the fan,
can't wait to see how this build goes :D

Mmmm yeah I did some updates.. I may have to shift some components around when doing the final placements however, but I will get them to fit... no worries! =P

Updated Renders:

Fans added:
http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/6339/thecuberev2bs5.jpg

In this picture you can see the cold cathode tubes at the front...
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/4605/thecuberev2rearfv7.jpg

And a shot from a side angle...
http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/39/thecuberev2sidecq4.jpg

Anyway, havn't had power most of today and yesterday... California power crisis... so hopefully tommorow I will have started the construction. In the mean time... any suggestions... comments... are more than welcome. Thanks.

[Airbozo]

Nice work in scetchup. Wish I could make that good of plans...

power crisis? 112 here for the last 4 days and no crisis. Isolated outages maybe, but that's not a crisis. (unless of course you need that bf2 fix...)

[silverdemon]

why are you putting the fans in the middle of the 'windows'??
it makes it harder to look into the case... and you'll have the wiring running across the window...
the airflow will probably not be right if you put the fans along the side of the windows, but the looks will be better.... I think

[.Maleficus.]

Yeah, you will see all the wires going to the fans... That might be ok if you sleeve them good. But you might want to consider the parts by the fans and intake vs. outtake. For example, you could have an intake fan blowing on your expansion cards, and outtake near your CPU. Then they might be close enough to the edges that you could hide the wire that way.

[jestyyr]

am eagerly awaiting the completion of this, well the hardware part anyway :P.
it looks like you have picked an interesting design where both its size and the clear sides (creating need for aesthetic placement of parts) will make it interesting to see how it all finally goes together :D
was also thinking, depending on the actual HDD a fan near it might prove beneficial (I know some models get moderately warm).
just make sure it doesn't end up somewhere where people can see it and think flat surface (or kill anyone who puts stuff on it).

[xpc]

nice plans you got there. :)

[Omega]

Maleficus, you dipstick, it's called exhaust, not outtake, lol


but yeah, position the fans in useful positions, like intake over CPU/GPU and exhaust not too far from either.