by tangles » Fri May 03, 2024 5:33 am
Hi Jean-Claude,
Your point is a valid one.
I've found that getting your desired OS to boot with the specified OS boot loader is the most challenging. Linux can use GRUB (but also has it's own now) and I can't even remember what BSD flavours uses now. ← was always more of an issue which is what my last post was primarily based on.
You'll definitely be able to natively install a flavour of Linux of BSD from around and up to 2018, but anything more modern than that I just don't know anymore. ← i.e. I've retired all my cheese-graters now and am about to do the same to the last trashcans I have in use. i.e. pull out the CPU/RAM and use in some generic mobo.
I can still remember having issues with Chelsio 10Gb Ethernet PCIe3 adapters being used with MPros given they're only PCIe2 slots and this WAS with macOS.
Unless you have some legacy macOS software you want/need to run, then this is really the only reason why I'd still have a MacPro on my VLANs running "whatever" macOS.
Take the plunge, grab some old PC that's suitable as a Server, learn as much as you can/need to for your environment (assuming your personality is of this nature) and have some fun on the way.
If your personality is not exactly thinking this is fun, then I guess it's time to look at something like a Mac Mini as a replacement and call it a a day.
Probably not what you wanted to hear, and I'm thinking you've found some solution by now anyway.
Cheers,