[Beowulf] Setting up First Beowulf System: Recommendations re racking, linux flavour, and up to date books

[arjuna]

Dear Beowulfers,

After dipping my toes in the pool of Beowulfery (doing research here and
there) I am about to sail my ship by creating my beowulf system.

I have four PCS that were cutting edge in their time over the past 5 years.
I am thinking of mounting them on a rack, connecting them with ethernet
cables.

I would summon your wide and deep experiences on the following:

1) Rack ideas, materials and warnings
2) Upto date classic Beowulfery books for  4 to 16 nodes
3) The right uptodate books on parrallel programming
4) Which flavour of linux is well adapted for beowulfery and has all the
required tools standardly?

Any online resources on getting the hardware aspect of it going, ie from the
box to the rack...

Thanks in advance...

-- 
Best regards,
arjuna
http://www.brahmaforces.com
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