[sf-lug] need CentOS 5 (Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5) platform info

[Rick Moen]

Quoting jim stockford (jim at well.com):

>    wellllllll, the box reflected by the specs is a one-unit
> hopefully relatively low-power box to replace the
> over-powered and under storaged box we have in the
> ServePath colo.


OK.  Just curious.  (By my antique standards, a quad-core Xeon @ 2.12GHz
seems like a whole lot of CPU.  Lots of folks have more, though.)

>    I'll ask about the south bridge chip and motherboard
> maker, and thanks.

Honestly, nobody except hardware geeks can quote south bridge
identities, whereas everyone and his brother can quote motherboard
models.  ;->  It's usually hopeless to inquire after south bridge
models; replies if any are usually wrong.

The south bridge is the motherboard's chip where most I/O connects, and
thus is of vital importance for OS drivers.  North bridge is for CPU and
RAM.  Most likely, this _particular_ MB's south bridge will be one of the
Intel ICH (I/O Connector Hub) series.

Like a lot of chip parts, those have vague-fuzzy family names from Intel
Marketing Department (ICH6, ICH7, ICH7R, ICH8, ICH8M, etc.), whereas
Intel Engineering Dept. applies real, specific part numbers like i82801HEM.

Marketing also creates vague fuzzy names for motherboards as a whole.
E.g., Intel's "Centrino Pro" series of laptop motherboards (development
codename "Santa Rosa") are built around an Intel PM965 or GM965 series
north bridge and an Intel ICH8M south bridge.

First time I was inquiring of visiting representatives from
$BIG_HARDWARE_VAR about their new Centrino Pro-based laptop, I asked the
(supposedly) technical account manager, "What's the south bridge?", he
said "Intel 965", and I said "Um, no, that's the _north_ bridge."  Case
in point.