Use the idle time on your computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux) to cure diseases, study global warming, discover pulsars, and do many other types of scientific research. It's safe, secure, and easy. I run BOINC (using XP) as part of http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/ team "PTabolinsky"

I would like to run migrate over to Linux but first would like to operate BOINC in RAMDisk for starters. Has anyone ported or brought over a procedure to run BOINC in a RAMdisk on any of the LINUX live editions?

http://boinc.berkeley.edu/

Here's some stuff on "BOINCpe" version:
With BOINCpe ( http://blog.schreiter.info/index.php...ecd-for-boinc/ ) you can run a dedicated BOINC machine in-RAM (using a RAM disk) starting from only 256 MB of total RAM. This is useful to operate your BOINC farm more energy-efficient (without HDDs) or to temporarily activate machines without hard disk drives (HDD) for BOINC.

You only need the following components for a fully capable BOINC crunching machine:

* Mainboard + CPU
* at least 256 MB of RAM
* Network interface card (optional: PXE compatible)
* CD-ROM drive (only if booting from CD)

BOINCpe is based on BartPE and, therefore, on a preinstalled Microsoft Windows® environment. It is as light-weight as any Windows can be. There is no 24 hour limit for operation like in WinPE. Of course, you need a proper license for the Windows version you are running (XP Home is sufficient). BOINCpe itself is free!

In combination with a BAM (BOINC Account Manager) Account, it is extremely easy and comfortable to integrate new machines. Basically, it is copying a couple of files (~4 of them), burning the CD and booting up…

SLAX (live CD version of Slackware) includes add-on BOINC modules that can be built into the ISO and burned along with the live CD.

That would give you a BOINC client on a live CD easy enough, but probably isn't what you are looking for if you want to run this on a whole farm of servers.

Well, if you say so, I really don't know since I am new to this. My idea is to get as many people crunching the numbers as possible with each building a mini-farm. If hooking them up with hardware kits that will do the job inexpensively then a good thing is done. I'm thinking 4 to 6 kits (blocks) per person. Low power requirements. I figure, I could take some orders, built & send the kits, and then turnover more kits recusively. Or, list parts with sources and instructions.
If a Hard Disk costs 50 bucks and is not needed (USB 512mb thumb drives are cheap) then it's an additional savings. I don't think anyone has approached the idea of a mini-farm using minimul, specific equipment. An intergrated battery B/U unit could be used for power and increase reliability. Once the equipment is running then ethernet/USB/remote hookup is just needed once in a while for maintenance. Since nearly everyone using Worldcommunitygrid (WCG) has a computer or two (the average is just over 2) then an inexpensive mini-farm could be, just guessing, cost effective. Their home computer could be the mini-farm watchdog server.
Here is what one fellow did to get 22Giga-Flops of number power. But it wasn't cheap on an individual basis, I couldn't afford it on my fixed income. I'm thinking smaller, specific, inexpensive and reliable. :>)https://secure.worldcommunitygrid.or...d?thread=10211
Your advice, comments, ideas are truely appreciated.
Come back please.
PaulT

edit added "parts"