User:Dogcow
Contact Me
My handle on freenode (IRC) is 'dogcow'. If you'd like to contact me privately, please message me on IRC, and I can provide further contact details (e-mail, XMPP). I am in the USA Mountain time zone (UTC -7).
About Me
I am not a software developer, but rather a *nix (in order of preference: OpenBSD, FreeBSD, GNU/Linux) "power" (ha!) user who is fed up with the complete lack of transparency and near-ubiquity of user-hostile platforms in modern computing as a whole. I needed a desktop workstation to use as my "daily driver," and although the price tag was extremely painful, I thought it prudent to "vote with my wallet" and purchase the most open/least user-hostile system I could, which turns out is a Raptor system with an IBM POWER9 CPU. (Pretty much the only option if you want something in the same performance ballpark as x86).
I've been using open source operating systems almost exclusively for longer than I can remember at this point (still can't code worth a darn), but despite my familiarity with BSD and Linux, I'm sure there will be some rough edges with the Power platform (since PPC ports are not as well tested/optimized as their x86 counterparts). Freedom isn't free, as they say, so I'll chalk up any struggles to a learning experience as part of the fight for a brighter computing future.
That said, the desktop Power community is still extremely small, so I would like to help out however I can. If you are a developer and you're looking for testers running a Power system, please do not hesitate to reach out. I'll do the best I can to help. I can also assist with technical writing. I am particularly interested in helping improve FreeBSD on Power.
Regardless of OS, I look forward to contributing to the success and growth of the Power architecture for personal computing.
Build
Codename: Freebird
Status: Built and operational. [14 Sept 2019]
System Type: Raptor Blackbird
| Component | Brand | Model | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| System Mainboard/CPU | Raptor Blackbird | 8-Core POWER9 Bundle | $1,959.16 |
| Case | Fractal Design | Define R5 ATX | $137.53 |
| 650W PSU | SeaSonic | Prime Ultra 650W 80+ Titanium | $164.99 |
| 64GB RAM (32x2) | Micron | MTA36ASF4G72PZ-2G6D1 | $276.74 |
| 2x 500GB 2.5" SSDs | Crucial | MX500 500GB | $133.98 |
| Video Card | AMD | Radeon Pro WX 3100 | $159.99 |
| 10 Gigabit SFP+ NIC | Mellanox | ConnectX-3 MCX311A | $46.80 |
| 4x 2.5" Drive Caddy (5.25" Bay) | ICY Dock | ToughArmor MB607SP-B | $80.99 |
| Blu-Ray Optical RW Drive | Pioneer | BDR-209DBK | $74.99 |
| Dual 32-inch Displays | Dell | S3219D | $479.98 |
| UPS/Power Conditioning | CyberPower | 1350VA | $99.99 |
| Miscellaneous Cables | Various | DisplayPort, OM4 Fiber, SATA | $56.77 |
| Keyboard | IBM Model M | 1987 Vintage P/N 1390131 | $0 |
| Total | $3,671.01 | ||
Note: Blackbird bundle price includes shipping, taxes, and fees. Prices of other components do not include taxes or fees (shipping was free for all items).
