Topic: creating a new section: Mini PC (Read 438 times)

But it strictly talks about mining on CPU, GPU and ASIC, while OP example about mini computer which runs full nodes and wallet which have almost no correlation.

@LoyceV we actually have tried this in our local board on creating other subsections for it (e.g. Marketplace, Trading) since 2016 but we never have any developments regarding this matter. And from what I know our own local mod, Dabs, has been gathering enough votes from our local board to show the demand for theymos but it never pushed through. Looks like creating a new section is a hard and long process to take so I think the temporary solution for the OP is creating his personal thread about "Mini PCs" in the Development and Technical Discussion board and talked about his concerns their.

not really since the mining section is one for alt coins and one for btc.

So you then would need at least 2 threads.

For instance I am on a mac mini 2014  uses and extrenal ssd as the boot drive.  I run two core wallets  with full nodes one for LTC and one for BTC  if I wanted to do a thread under mining I would need two thread one in alt coins and one in BTC.

My guess is this was or is the op's main reason for a small form factor section.

In the same desk area I have a dell optiplex micro it is hooked up to the same  monitor and has an xmr wallet/node  It would be nice to have a goto thread showing the advantages  of these small pcs for running wallets nodes etc.

There are a lot of different ones available.

four or five rasp pi models
many apple mac mini models
dell optiplex
lenovo tiny
hp elite
intel nuc
zotac has a whole line of them
giga byte brix


current rules of forum  would mean a threads in the sections below

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=76.0  btc hardware
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=81.0  btc speculation
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=4.0  btc technical support

 those above would be for btc

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=160.0  alt coin mining  ---- I do the gpu threads here.


I can see why op is asking for a spot to have all this.  Also if a thread says  how to use a rasp pi you won't find it with a mini pc as  the search

If a thread says  are lenovo tinys good enough to run a core wallet you wont find it with a mini pc search.

 If I wanted to spend the time to develop a thread  for using mini pcs.

  I would need to do 4 threads to follow forum rules.  It starts to be too hard to do that.

My gpu threads 1 to 8 had more then 1 million hits.

For instance  if you go to dell outlet right now  they have

optiplex 3060 micro
optiplex 5060 micro
optiplex 7060 micro

and
a precision small form factor

I could write a few thousand words  about the pcs above no problem

But  I can't do it in one section.

I own a 7060 dell optiplex.  I could right how I use it why it is out standing for a core wallet/node how to mod it how to back it up. 

I read meta a lot and I post on it once in a while  I read this thread and it caught my interest as I am in mining and crypto due to my mac mini mod business.  Apple altered the newer mac mini's in 2012 and  2014 thus it made my mod business obsolete.  I had lots of pc building experience with small pc's  and started doing gpu btc builds in 2012  when I saw the end of my mac mini modding.

These can be summed up in mining section, doesn't it?

You don't have to create new section for every new thing, it's just makes things cumbersome.

I am willing to run a small form factor thread.  It would list small form / mini PCs / what nodes etc.

I would self mod it. Can’t be any harder to run then the GPU threads I ran.

I only ask a mod to tell me where to list it.

It would be inclusive of all coins and all nodes.

Even pos staking which I don’t like.

Not sure where to post it.  But since I use a lot of small PCs a good thread is worth while.

Since this isn't the first board request topic I'm responding to, I'm going to quote (albeit with minor adjustments) what I've previously said on the subject so as to not repeat myself (since AFAIK the same soft requirements still apply):



In the overwhelming majority of cases, boards are created not to encourage discussion of a subject but to stop a certain subject from dominating a board meant for a larger array of topics.

Sure, and while we're at it, let's also make a memes section for posting area 51 raid memes and make all of the million newbies the mod of that section, it'd be fun.

---

After searching for topics posted on bitcointalk using keyword mini pc on Google, the few topics that exist have been posted on various sections. One is off topic, another is bitcoin>mining and in mining(altcoins). Don't really think a new section is required for it as of now maybe later when there's enough discussion on a regular basis then sure of course.

This discussion would be more fitting on other tech-forums IMO, or it can snug itself in the Technical sub-forums. Or, it can also seek its place within the Mining section--though it's not exclusively mining-related but it's a core component of the said process. 5-6 pages of the said topic, most of which are from years ago, IMO isn't enough demand to create a new board of its own. It's a fun stuff to discuss about, and I do have my own sets of Dell Optiplex and other compact PCs (mini-ITX builds) since they save space in the office and inside my house, but yeah, this is more of a bitcoin-centric forum revolving around things on bitcoin and not form-factor of nodes and other gears.

Agreed.  I also remembering that term for a series of small computers released in the 60s with all the features of the mainframes.


http://ecomputernotes.com/fundamental/introduction-to-computer/minicomputer

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Apple-Mac-Mini-Late-2014/dp/B07FMWT6Z3?psc=1&SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-fpas-uk-21&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B07FMWT6Z3 <-- it looked a bit like that actually so it probably was - around that time period too.

I would probably agree on the full node section as its quite nice to have a dedicated section for that. I know there's multiple posts within the Bitcoin technical, and development & technical discussion about full nodes even if they are in the wrong section. Although, I can't look at the demand right now.

Are you referring to the Apple mini's? As far as I know apple hasn't released anything on the scale of Raspberry pi's though.

Didn't apple make something even smaller at one point? I seem to remember doing some work somewhere where they used a computer (probably the size of a raspberry pi but a cube-like shape) that was used for archiving data.

Maybe the miniPC section is a bit specialised but a section to running full nodes makes a bit of sense (although maye the alternative clients sections could be split up into "thic" and "thin" software).

There are a few people on here that were enquiring about the new raspberry pi 4 too (I think at least 2 threads opened up from that discussion - I might try using an old raspberry pi myself once I have the sync out of the way since it's limited to a maximum of 5W even with a hard drive installed).

Disagree size matters for many people.

Mac mini’s

Dell optiplex micro

Hp

Lenovo

All make 8 inch by 8 inch  by 2 inch pc’s

You can get cheap ones run wallets nodes etc

Don’t mix with your mining gear.
I have four Mac mini’s
One dell optiplex micro
One hp
One Lenovo

They are used for nodes wallets etc.  they offer a lot of security.

I would agree with the others that 4-6 pages isn't enough demand to warrant a entire new section in my opinion. The discussion of mini computers can already fit in existing sections without any issue. Especially, as pointed out by bob some of them are buying, and selling mini computers.

However, I wouldn't be totally against having a sub section within technical support solely for the purpose of discussion about nodes, and running them.

I think this is the right sections, where mods and Theymos read the most.
About your request and your screenshot, I don't think this will be approved, as someone one already pointed out a lot of those results are from 5+ years ago.

Also if you read carefully some of those posts are even on local boars.
Often people will sell their items only on the local board to get an easier communication or meeting with the buyer.

I'd suggest that it might be more useful to have a nomadic computing board. This could include low power and small form factor computing for mining, and running a node. It could also include solar and other power sources, and network connectivity, and this could include the emerging software controlled radio networks.

5 pages isn't a lot, especially since your screenshot shows search results starting 7 years ago... 5 pages in 7 years, including for-sale threads...

Don't get me wrong, i'm defenately not against your idear if there's a real demand for such a subforum, but maybe Theymos would want to avoid another subforum that's barely used? Anyways, it's Theymos's call, but if you're really serious, i'd try to make a better case (just my 2 satoshi's tough)

Why is it necessary to have a dedicated section for small computers ?

The majority of the results shown in your screenshot are offer to sell/buy a raspberry. They would not belong in such a section.
Another result was asking about the cheapest device to host a node. This generic question wouldn't belong there either.

Is it also necessary to create a section regarding large and medium-large computers?
What about operating systems? One section for each OS (MSDOS, Win2000, WinXP, Win7, Win8, Win10, ... ) ?

The questions and discussion aren't about raspberries or the OS. They are bitcoin-related with a connection to a specific OS (e.g. "why is it not running on OS XYZ") or a specific architecture (e.g. "Wallet X is not running on architecture Y").
Are there even more than a handful discussions dedicated to (only) "small computers" ?

For example, here are 5 pages for the word raspberry.
And how many more questions on the topic of coins how to make a wallet or configure it correctly, I'm sure that the section will be very popular among users.


And about single Board and about mini PCs like Intel nuke

What do you mean by a " mini computer ". I remember when DEC produced small alternatives to IBM and Control Data mainframes. Are you referring to single board micros such as the Raspberry Pi. I'd be interested in discussions about these for digital nomads, but couldn't they be discussed on the current technical board