RE: Any advice for ambitious newbie?

["Kenneth Watt" <kennwatt@xxxxxxx>]

> What I plan for the new home is to replace the Windows PCs with
diskless
> linux workstations NFS mounting their filesystems from the server,
which
> will eliminate one source of noise and make for a faster bootup. I
should
> be
> able to get the noise down to a minimum using components from
companies
> like
> QuietPC, such as the Zalman heatsinks and the quiet PSUs. I will
use
NICs
> with WOL (Wake-on-LAN), so that movement sensors can send an X10
signal
> when
> someone enters a room, which the server can pickup and trigger a
WOL
> signal
> to the workstation in that room, so it begins booting when someone
comes
> in,
> which should mean it is ready to roll by the time that person wants
to
use
> it. Alternatively, the motherboards should have
Wake-on-Keyboard/Mouse
> etc.
> so that they can be started without having to press the power
switch.

This is the reason I went to dedicated playback devices for MP3 more or
less and I sympathise with your issues here. Zalman stuff works very
well indeed I use a cooling fan on the server and it made a hell of a
difference to the noise level.

> Then all I need is a practical interface. I have two options: use
a
> conventional window manager and get the desktop and apps to use
large
> fonts
> and icons; or get hold of a bespoke interface such as OEone
> (www.oeone.com).
> Although the latter looks very nice, I would prefer the former, and
I
> think
> it shouldn't be too much of a problem under X-Windows. Anyone have
any
> advice?

Have you looked at ACE?

> I was thinking of getting one of LetsAutomate's LoftBox units for
> distributing TV/radio signals, although in an ideal world I would
have
9,
> rather than 8 room feeds. Can you split the feeds to give more than
8?

I use one here and I can't see any reason why you couldn't "T"
off a
connection for and extra zone although whether you would be able to do
this with a sat/FM/TV plate I really don't know.

> My intention for recording was to go for hard-disk recording. But
rather
> than get a Tivo or other one-box solution, I was thinking of
putting
TV
> tuner cards in a couple of the workstations, so that I could record
to
the
> server, and be able to watch any recorded programs from anywhere
in
the
> house with a screen. Are there serious problems with this approach?
I
was
> thinking of going for ATI 7500 All-in-Wonder cards. I understand
they
are
> one of the best cards for these purposes for linux support. Does
anyone
> have
> any comments on their suitability for this purpose, or suggestions
of
> better
> alternatives for recording TV from linux

As for Linux alternatives I really don't know. What I do know is that
the TiVo/PC argument has come up several times over the past year or so
and the consensus of opinion always seems to be "go TiVo"!

> Lighting and appliances:-
> 
> I was planning to go X10 for lighting control. From what I have
read,
I
> should go for the DIN modules in preference to the X10 wall
switches,
> right?
> My electrician says this will increase the cost of getting the
house
> wired,
> as running a loop for each circuit is more labour intensive and
probably
> will require more cable. He works for the family company, so I am
sure
he
> is
> not trying to rip me off, but is this people's experience?

Yes and yes! DIN modules offer far more nice touches than the plug-in
affairs and require some special wiring so I would say that was fair.

> Does anyone have experience of lighting a barn? I have heard a lot
of
> teeth
> sucking whenever I have asked people (electricians or lighting
salesmen)
> how
> to best achieve this. I have yet to meet someone with a barn who
felt
that
> they had managed to get good quality lighting across the room. The
problem
> is that the light tends to disappear into the rafters, and it's
difficult
> to
> position sufficient downlighters without a ceiling. You also want
the
> lighting to be as inobtrusive as possible, so as not to detract
from
the
> traditional appearance. I've also got to incorporate a couple of
> cartwheels
> which my wife wants to adapt as chandeliers, which will give a lot
of
> lighting, almost none of which will be cast downwards. And just to
make
> life
> really difficult, I'd love the lighting to be as efficient as
possible
(I
> work in the environmental field, and ought to live by my
principles),
but
> I
> understand that low-energy bulbs don't work well with X10 (or at
least
not
> with the lamp modules).

No, LE bulbs do not work on lamp modules you are correct. Have you
considered the "strung" type LV downlighters as I'm sure you
could run a
few alongside a rafter and they would not be too obtrusive but give a
crisp natural lighting effect?

> I wanted to setup a garden irrigation system, but my wife is a
garden
> designer and very particular about how the plants get watered.
Apparently,
> the systems that drip release water slowly into the ground are no
good
for
> the plants. If it was going to be a sprinkler system, how would
you
> control
> the sprinklers? Sounds like it would need a lot of hose, a lot of
> sprinklers, and a lot of valves. And the valves advertised on
Letsautomate
> say they are not for use at mains pressure. So what do people use?

Ian Bird is your man for that question! ;)

> I was going to stick some of the kitchen appliances on X10
controls.
Would
> I
> be better off going again for the DIN modules rather than the wall
> switches,
> plugin modules or mains sockets? Are there any other appliances I
should
> think of X10 enabling while I am at it?

Not an idea I would support with many of the appliances available just
now, but if you get me a list of the appliances I'll try to find out
how
viable that would be.

HTH a bit :)

K.

(phew, no Windows plugs or Linux digs :P)

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