setting up a linux rendering cluster
 

Hi

I would like to setup a rendering cluster.

I'm editing in Adobe pro 1.5, outputting to a frame server, on XP, into an mpg encoding app, which would probably need to be linux based.

I would like to use mandrake 9.1 simply cause I have it and I have a little experience with it. I've Googled and Googled this topic many, many times over the past 6 months and have megs and megs of info but it feels like a scatter gun approach and never a complete picture.

I feel I have the hardware to do this, and I'm not committed to any software. I would like it if this could also be a live CD setup but I think I'm reaching a little to far for that.

I know this is a MAJOR project, you'll find out how little I know by the question that will follow.

I would really appreciate some help with this

You will probably want to look at the Oscar homepage. Mandriva 10.0 and Mandriva 10.1 are supported for x86.
http://oscar.openclustergroup.org/

You might also be interested in Ganglia:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/ganglia/

http://www.dynebolic.org/

A live CD with Cinellera on it..

Cinellera is a Video app that can render in a clustered setup. (Renderfarm)
Sorry I couldn't tell you if the live CD will let you utilize the video rendering cluster feature or not..

http://heroinewarrior.com/cinelerra.php3

Holy crap farslayer, that cinelerra looks amazing, well, so much for me thinking I had the hardware.

jschiwal I was just looking at Oscar last night and was ready to download and start setting up when I read it requires power pack edtion of mandrake, sorry, mandriva 10.1, though, it did point to where you could download the extra rpm's, but I've never had much success in installing apps to linux once it's setup, so that's what stopped me there, otherwise that would be a fairly good fit for me.

I'm just going to have a look at Ganglia and if it looks duanting enough, might give me the courage to try Oscar.

You can use Cinellera on a single workstation.. the renderfarm is just an additional option if you have the hrosepower laying around (thinkg Shrek... At night when all the artist and devs go home thier workstations join the renderfarm to render the video.. )

so don't write off cinellera because you only have a single machine, it'll just take longer to do rendering.

the studios tend to feed back a lot to these projects from what I understand..
http://www.linuxjournal.com/node/8589/print