Hesperos

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hesperos
Hesperos G6
Hardware
CPU:	Various@Various
Software
OS:	Various
Collection Data
Acquired:	2000
Catalog Data
Location:	Various
Usage Info
Role:	Various

Summary

Hesperos has been a steady staple in my computing lexicon since the G1 machine was built up in 2000. Having served multiple roles, from Oracle database server to Windows NT 4 domain controller to multitrack recording workstation to work machine, I have a deep fondness and sentimentality for the Hesperos name, much as Joel Martinez has a fondness for athena.

The article is divided into generations representing each substantial change to or replacement of the machine.

DFI 486 (G0)

Hesperos G0
No Photo Available
Hardware
Vendor:	DFI
CPU:	AMD 486DX4@100MHz
Software
OS:	Windows 95/Solaris RTM/7 (x86)
Collection Data
Acquired:	1998
From:	University Presbyterian Church
Paid:	$120
Relinquished:	2000
Relinquished to:	Hesperos G1
Catalog Data
Location:	Durango Ct/Martinez Household
Usage Info
Role:	Alternative Personal Workstation

Summary

This machine was purchased from University Presbyterian Church, where it had been used by Shelia Hornsby as a bookkeeping machine. I had payments for it deducted from my paycheck when I was working there as an administrative assistant.

Naming

I have a theory that this generation was originally named davinci, but I'm not anywhere near sure about that. When I moved into the Martinez household, it definitely had an artist name (just as Poseidon (Original) was originally named picasso). At the time, I also had a machine named mozart, so consistency in naming was nowhere near in place when I bought this machine.

Hesperos (G1)

Hesperos G1
Hesperos G1/G2 (Right)
Hardware
Vendor:	DFI
CPU:	AMD 486DX4@100MHz
RAM:	8MB
Software
OS:	Solaris
Collection Data
Acquired:	2000
From:	JDR Microdevices
Relinquished:	2000
Relinquished to:	Hesperos G2
Catalog Data
Location:	Martinez Household
Usage Info
Role:	Oracle 7 Database Server

Summary

The first-gen Hesperos was built from the bones of the DFI 486. I had recently installed Solaris 7 for x86 on the DFI, and it proved unusably slow. My first step was to order a full-tower AT case from JDR Microdevices, and move the bones of the DFI into it. This provided no performance gains, for obvious reasons.

Unique to this machine was a QIC-80 tape drive that was intended to connect to the floppy drive controller. As I had both 3.5" and 5.25" floppy drives in the machine, I never actually connected the tape drive, which ended up being there more for appearances than anything else.

The G1 machine was a short-lived part of the Hesperos story, and gave way to Hesperos (G2) as soon as funding was available for procuring upgraded components.

Hesperos (G2)

Hesperos G2
Hesperos G1/G2 (Right)
Hardware
Vendor:	JDR Microdevices
CPU:	Pentium MMX@233MHz
RAM:	32MB
Software
OS:	Solaris 7/8
Collection Data
Acquired:	2000
From:	JDR Microdevices
Relinquished:	2000
Relinquished to:	Hesperos G3
Catalog Data
Location:	Martinez Household
Usage Info
Role:	Oracle 7 Database Server

Summary

In this incarnation, the machine was vested with an ATi Rage IIc video card, an 8GB HDD, and 32MB of RAM, and shortly upgraded from Solaris 7 to Solaris 8. I was never able to get the network card to work, as Solaris 8 wanted nothing to do with ISA NICs. This gave way to Hesperos G3.

Hesperos (G3)

Hesperos G3
Hesperos G1/G2 (Right)
Hardware
Vendor:	JDR Microdevices
CPU:	Pentium MMX@233MHz
RAM:	32MB
Software
OS:	Windows NT Server 4.0
Collection Data
Acquired:	2000
From:	JDR Microdevices
Relinquished:	2001
Relinquished to:	Hesperos G4
Catalog Data
Location:	Martinez Household
Usage Info
Role:	Windows PDC/SQL Server

This incarnation of the machine ran Windows NT Server 4 (from BackOffice 4.5), as Joel Martinez acquired the installation media (along with copies of Microsoft Macro Assembler 6.11 and FrontPage Server Extensions) from the IT manager at Sendero Capital Management, his then-current workplace.

At the end of the G2 era, I moved out of the Martinez household. At this point, Hesperos G3 remained on-loan to Dr. and Mrs. Martinez so they could continue using it as a WinRoute Pro router sharing their dialup connection. When Dr. and Mrs. Martinez finally switched to ADSL, this machine went back to my mother's home and was wiped/reinstalled, giving away to Hesperos (G4).

Hesperos (G4)

Hesperos G4
Hesperos G4 (Right)
Hardware
Vendor:	JDR Microdevices
CPU:	Pentium MMX@233MHz
RAM:	32MB
Software
OS:	Caldera OpenLinux 2.3
Collection Data
Acquired:	2001
From:	JDR Microdevices
Relinquished:	2001
Relinquished to:	Hesperos G4
Catalog Data
Location:	Durango Ct
Usage Info
Role:	Linux Development

Summary

This generation of the machine was used to develop the C18POLL MODBUS polling app under Caldera OpenLinux 2.3, for Elephant Butte Irrigation District on a contract with Megahertz Computer Consulting. The roots of my "programming" playlist (including Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, the OST of Ah! My Goddess, and many others) were formed under XMMS on this machine.

Once that contract was over, OpenLinux was disposed of. Joel Martinez, Jonathon Moon and I were also gearing up to begin our adventures in digital multitrack audio recording. This, in turn, gave birth to Hesperos (G5).

• 

  Caldera OpenLinux 2.3

Hesperos (G5)

Hesperos G5
Hesperos G4 (Right)
Hardware
Vendor:	JDR Microdevices
CPU:	Pentium MMX@233MHz
RAM:	32MB
Software
OS:	Windows 98 RTM
Collection Data
Acquired:	2001
From:	JDR Microdevices
Relinquished:	2003
Relinquished to:	Landfill
Catalog Data
Location:	Durango Ct
Usage Info
Role:	Digital Multitrack Recording

Summary

In this generation, Windows 98 RTM was installed on the machine, along with Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 (eventually upgraded to Sonar). We recorded such classics as Repent, Goddess Amongst Us, The Screamer, and Psychedelic Chocolate Beauty Sculpture on here.

It is somewhat related to Dimetrius (Original), in that that laptop was the first machine on which we tried multitrack recording (with n-Track Studio). That machine proved unable to produce synchronized multitrack audio, which inspired the build-up of Hesperos in its new role.

The Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 ISA sound board was incapable of functioning in full-duplex at its full quality, so the sound quality of headphone monitoring was terrible while simultaneously recording audio. It was also prone to 60-cycle hum and other EMI/RFI noise, which would harm the quality of its recordings. This prompted us to install a Yamaha XG sound card that Joel procured, which was able to handle full-duplex 16-bit/44kHz operation.

When we moved the studio out of my mother's house, this machine ended up being gutted for parts and its hulking, empty case left in her garage until it was run over. It was thus disposed of. The sad tale of its last days (written during the trailer era) follows in the section below.

Historical Summary

This section is included from my old home page, The VAX Pirate's Lair, and as such is not to be considered accurate or up-to-date.

This machine is enormous. Not currently functional, as it is missing a hard drive, floppy drive, CD-ROM and memory. This is one of those massive full-tower monstrosities with 6 external 5.25" drive bays that only supports AT/Baby AT motherboards. It originally ran Solaris 7 for Intel. I plan to rebuild it as a Windows domain controller once I get the needed components.

Historical Specifications

• Intel Pentium 233 MMX
• 5.25" 1.2MB floppy drive
• Internal QIC-80 tape backup unit

Hiatus

At this point, a hiatus in the Hesperos naming tradition began. The multitrack recording setup during the rest of the trailer era, and indeed, all the way into the early days of the Alamo St. era, was a horrific machine called music. That machine caused nothing but the worst problems until being retired around 2008 in favor of a Power Macintosh G5 2.0DP.

Hesperos (G6)

Hesperos G6
Hesperos G6
Hardware
Vendor:	Various
CPU:	Xeon E5645@2.4GHz
RAM:	24GB
Video:	NVIDIA GeForce GTX-1080 Founders Edition
Software
OS:	Debian Linux 10
Collection Data
Acquired:	2013
From:	Various
Paid:	$4000
Catalog Data
Location:	Office
Usage Info
Role:	Business Workstation

Summary

Hesperos G6 began as my work desktop, and the most powerful computer that I had ever owned, being worthy heir to the Hesperos legacy.

Specifications

• Dual Intel Xeon E5645 CPUs at 2.4GHz (6 core, 12 thread)
• 24GB ECC RAM
• HIS AMD Radeon 7950 GPU
• Corsair AX1200i Power Supply (1200W)
• 2x 120GB SSD in RAID0
• 4x 2TB 10KRPM HDD
• EVGA Classified SR-2 motherboard
• Dual-booting Debian 8 and Windows 7
• Four monitors

Hesperos (G6.1)

In 2017, the Radeon 7950 GPU was replaced with an NVIDIA GTX1080 Founders Edition.

Hesperos (G6.2)

On October 23, 2019, Hesperos was upgraded thus:

• 2.4GHz Intel Xeon E5645 CPUs were replaced with 3.3GHz Intel Xeon X5680 CPUs

The ultimate goal is to overclock the X5680s to 4.0GHz, though I've had no success so far. I may also add a second GTX1080 Founders Edition for SLI goodness. The machine is snappy as-is.

The machine has also been updated to run Debian 10, which was an exercise in frustration.

Hesperos (G7) (FUTURE BUILD)

The next generation system will be built around one of the following platforms, listed in order of preference, most- to least-preferred:

• Raptor Talos II (Dual-Socket IBM POWER9)
• A next-generation dual-socket Intel Xeon platform
• AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX on an Asus ROG Zenith Extreme motherboard

Likely to be paired with high-end GPUs, and I'm considering workstation-class GPUs for this build.