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On ebay there are some $100 hp and dell blade server units that I've seen in action in data center tours. My question is, would a single one with 32gb ram, 4 intel xeon 3ghz processors and NO graphics card be able to run ubuntu? And would ubuntu be able to actually use the entire system? I won't be using it for "big data" per se, but I am thinking of compiling my own custom android builds and building/compiling my own custom build of ubuntu (kind of just for the fun of it, maybe a little for the fact that I'll be able to show off computer prowess). Also, I want to know if a full desktop environment would even run right due to the lack of a graphics card. I might be able to get a graphics card, but if I can avoid it I will at all costs (except for if it exceeds the price of a card).

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It will run, but it is hard to install any os without a graphics card for use during the installation.

It can be done so long as you boot an ubuntu image with ssh-server installed.

See https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/OverSSH

If you are not running X, IMO, it is pointless to run a desktop, just do a minimal install or perhaps a server install.

You can get a Linux compatible graphics card for cheap, certainly does not need to be the latest greatest of cards. Perhaps you could pull one from most any other box just for the install.

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  • I'm not even sure it uses a normal graphics card, and if it does it uses a pci one. I want a graphical install but do I have to have a gcard to install linux normally from a graphical install? I want to know if the cpu can handle the graphics processing
    – sbergeron
    Jul 22, 2014 at 22:04
  • If you have 4 Intel Xeon 3 GHz processors, you can handle the graphics.
    – saiarcot895
    Jul 22, 2014 at 22:09
  • You can install Ubuntu Server just fine over a serial console.
    – dobey
    Jul 22, 2014 at 22:18
  • @dobey - do you have a better link on that ?
    – Panther
    Jul 22, 2014 at 22:21
  • @bodhi.zazen: I believe it's just the matter of inserting the Ubuntu server DVD into the DVD module, connecting to the blade's serial console, and using telnet or screen. Edit: Instructions are here.
    – saiarcot895
    Jul 22, 2014 at 22:37
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Blade hardware is just a standard PC and should work out-of-the-box with Ubuntu, but the question here is really whether or not the onboard GPU has enough power to run Ubuntu. The Dell Poweredge m600 and m605 blades have ATI RN50/ES1000 GPUs which can only do 2D. I have an server with ES1000 running Xubuntu, it is fine for basic tasks (no video, no 3d). Unity will not run due to the lack of 3D acceleration.

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  • will it run kde with effects? and if I add a gcard will it work?
    – sbergeron
    Jul 22, 2014 at 23:29
  • 1. Probably not. These GPUs are very basic, 2D acceleration only, so even if acceleration works for your particular card (which it might not) you will likely get faster window dragging and resizing, but not fancy effects. 2. That would depend on the particular system and GPU. Dell is notorious for limiting the use of third party video cards on their servers. Even if you find one that the BIOS allows, the blade system may not have enough power or cooling for an extra graphics card.
    – bain
    Jul 22, 2014 at 23:43
  • im talking about an HP Proliant BL685c 4x AMD Opteron Dual-Core 2.6GHz 32GB DDR2 Blade Server
    – sbergeron
    Jul 22, 2014 at 23:46

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