I assumed that there would be a lot of information on this on both the Web in general and on Superuser, but to my surprise I can't find direct answers to these questions about using a laptop as a server.
I have been given an old iBook G4 which I hope to use as a server for a Web and SMS based system that I run (it would run in Debian Linux). I am confused on the following points however:
If the laptop is on AC power 24/7 and also has a battery (to keep it running during power cuts), will the battery be damaged? I could not get a clear answer on this from the various sources I found on the net, though the information here and in this SuperUser question implies that this is not a problem except in terms of screwing up the digital calibration. However, I am not sure if this is true if the laptop is also running 24 hours a day (that information seems to pertain to laptops that are charging all the time but not necessarily running all the time).
Overheating is clearly a potential risk, as several people warn against. Is there any other risk to laptop hardware from running continouosly, if overheating is guarded against?
In sum, if I were to do this for a year or two, and then try to hand over the laptop to someone else to use as a normal machine, would it function well enough for them to do so? Or should I plan on this use as a server on the assumption that it would 1) either die completely or 2) be rendered useless as a laptop after prolonged use?
Edit: Thanks for the suggestion to remove the battery, but that would actually defeat the main advantage of using the laptop (currently the system runs on a GoFlex Home ARM based small computer, but I live in an area with really frequent power cuts, and even though the system is on a UPS it shuts down a lot). So my questions apply to the situation where the battery is in the system.
Answer
If the laptop is on AC power 24/7 and also has a battery (to keep it running during power cuts), will the battery be damaged?
No, but if you want you can remove the battery and run the laptop with only AC, if you are concerned about battery wear.
Overheating is clearly a potential risk, as several people warn against. Is there any other risk to laptop hardware from running continouosly, if overheating is guarded against?
Overheating really isn't a big deal, the worst thing that can happen is that the computer forcibly shuts down when the temperatures get too high. It will not start burning. If there are no obstructions around the laptop, you'll be fine.
In sum, if I were to do this for a year or two, and then try to hand over the laptop to someone else to use as a normal machine, would it function well enough for them to do so?
Removing the battery is a good way to make sure you don't wear that out. Other than that, it depends on the temperature. If you run it with ok temperatures (no more than 50-60 degrees celsius I would say) it shouldn't matter. Make sure the LCD screen is turned off (it should be if the lid is closed).
No comments:
Post a Comment