[plug] Beowulf

[The Thought Assassin]

> Has anyone looked at the Extreme Linux CD?  I just downloaded a copy, and
> would like to create a nice Beowulf class cluster using the PC's that I
> own...  Has anyone done this yet, that could give me some advice, I've
> read all the information and just want practical advice...

There are very few applications that already have a Beowulf-ready
implementation floating around, so the #1 thing is to get a very good grasp of 
parellel programming before you start writing for Beowulf. Without good code, 
the cluster can be slower than a single node.
For this reason, Beowulf and Extreme Linux are very much aimed at users who
have past experience with using supercomputers.
Obviously performance and setup are very application-specific, so I doubt
anyone here can offer you any really useful advice without knowing your
intended use for the cluster. You may well find someone with some thoughts and
ideas about your particular project, as I know at least a couple of PLUG
people with an interest in distributed programming/distributed systems.

-Greg