Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Austin, Roger" <rda AT rti.org>]

 It is very easy to build a PC. Debugging the wayward glitch on a hybrid
system is the problem. For example, we got 20 identical CD-ROM drives a
couple of years ago to upgrade some old systems. A big stack of video
adapters also. These things are really cheap. Well, 5 or 6 of the CD
drives were DOA and all of them were clones. The video adapters were all
identical except that a couple of them wouldn't work with the drivers.
It turns out they came from different pallets from Taiwan. This was from
a reputable dealer who we have dealt with for years, not someone out of
the back of a magazine.

 If you have 20 new drives it is a pain to test them by swapping them
out, however, if you are at home you have nothing to swap (usually).
Debugging can be a nightmare. You don't know "what you don't know...".

 Buy the best parts, you say? Well you might as well buy from Dell or
some other whole system if you buy the best. It just doesn't pay for the
unwashed to get involved in building their own system unless they have a
14 year old geek in the family who will spend most of their waking hours
to figure it out. Moral of story, $1000 for high speed computer with
support is a good deal.

 If you really want to build one, I suggest you have some backup from a
friend who knows how to debug a system. It might work perfectly the
first time and last 20 years. Get something that has been together
working and use it to do the Linux stuff. Check on-line about how to set
up a system with Linux or go to one of the very good Linux users groups
to find out more information. Make sure you have the drivers for the
disks and other peripherals before you get started or it will be
frustrating. You probably want to play with Linux, not debug hardware.
 Advice worth $0.02, Roger (in RTP)

Snow Tempest wrote:
> 
> What _does_ one need to know to build a pc? I'd like to get a used
> computer and run Linux at home, but I don't know much about hardware. I
> should probably just buy someone's old system, for now, but at least for
> future reference I'd like to know what's involved and if there are any
> references I could read.