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We use Familiar as the basis of our distribution. Familiar is nice because it leverages most Debian-ARM packages, so you don't have to do very much compiling, and most of the build system is scripts and easily compilable programs.

I've personally ported the entire Familiar system to another architecture, too - PowerPC (IBM/AMCC 405 series), and Debian-PowerPC for the most part works. Took me a couple of weeks to create the port, which involved repackaging a number of Debian-PowerPC packages for size.

The ability to leverage a normal Linux distribution, especially Debian (there aren't many distributions that have the immense number of architectures as Debian) saves a LOT of time. Recompiling sucks.

Here are some links - I did a lot of work on the build process.
http://download.intrinsyc.com/supported/iso/i-linu x/

The PowerPC one is similar to the 4.x releases, 5.0 is ARM only but uses a later version of Familiar, so you'll want that.

it's here but you're right - it wouldn't really do what you want because it won't do wireless (not easily anyway)

There is a good list of small embedded linux devices at (strangely enough) linux devices which should help you out.

One that isn't on that list but which looks pretty much perfect is the meshcube

but there's also the Wireless Router Application Platform which looks pretty interesting and is actually affordable without any expensive developer kit required

HTH

FAT is positively not good for flash drives because these systems will begin to fail have a set number of writes to a specific area of the memory.

I've always liked the Cerfcube myself.

I wouldn't be too suprised if Ja.Net did something just like that.

The Simputer is intended as a community-shared device (hence it's smartcard), but its sad that you're mostly right. The Simputer's progress has been a bit of a disappointment so far, with only development kits available... I wish it's creators had GPL'd/LGPL'd the hardware right from the beginning (IIRC, the software is GPL'd anyway) and had gotten hardware developers the world over involved in on this... this could have done the same thing for the PDA, as Linux did for Operating systems.

Right now, the hardware seems pretty dated (the Dell Axim you mentioned runs 100Mhz faster for $50 less -- but it doesn't have the smartcard, USB, or modem of the Simputer). However, it's the Simputer's software that could be the breadwinner -- the claim is (haven't tested it myself) seamless integration of smart card access, SSL security, document annotation, voice-to-text, etc. Simputer hardware development kits are available, but are expensive. My understanding is the software should compile/work on another StrongARM platform like the IPaq/Cerfcube/Lart, maybe even the Axim!

i don't see where ms profit from closing the format here. obviously it would benefit them as well as everyone to open the "standard". i can't see how integrating excel+word etc into every-day web services produced by anyone with a .NET || J2EE || whatever server would hurt. there's plenty of stuff around now that provides a hint of what it could be like.

Everybody seems to think that a low end Pentium machine is fine as far as power consumption goes. I think we should be able to do better than that: There are much more efficient solid state systems with low-power cpus. Something along the lines of the cerfcube comes to mind. We have the technology to move away from i386 based machines, especially in the small server arena. Let's do it.

to the Intrinsyc CerfCube?
3"x3"x3", supports CompactFlash / IBM Microdrive and the like, I think it has a 400mhz XScale processor, optional USB hub / VGA / Sound daughterboards, built in NIC... and it's only CDN $379. Or is this aimed at a different vertical?

I can remember designing a 68000 based computer with ethernet chipset from scratch at University; as I had complete control over the chipset; I could make this thing look like any PC that was already attached to their network, MAC address and all. With the full flexibility of the hardware at your control, defeating most in-house security measures is a no brainer. As for current candidates for this kind of attack, I would say that you would go a long way to beat using intrinsycs, Cerfcubeyou must be able to hide that in a wall cavity.

There's no point in RMI->DCOM->DCOM->RMI, you might as well do RMI->RMI. However, there are plenty of uses for Java->COM and Java->Dotnet.

Intrinsyc is an embedded software company that supports Linux in some cases. Although not dead, they still haven't posted a profit yet.

MS's Java extensions were done in a way that broke compatibility with other JVM's on the same platform, such as those from Sun or IBM, and which violated the JVM specification (the part that said that annotations added to classes could not change the semantics of the object). MS's COM integration used magic comments that only their java compiler would turn into class annotations. Their JVM would recognize these annotations and do the work to convert a call on a Java method into a call to a COM component. There were other approaches available to MS that they chose not to take. For instance, the JIntegra product (here) can read a COM type library specification and generate a pure Java class to communicate with that component. Originally, they only did ou-of-proc communication via DCOM, but now they advertise inproc operation as well.

Couldn't MS have taken an approach like this that didn't try to change Java? Given e-mails from the DOJ trial in which there were discussions of killing cross-platform java by distributing a polluted Java, I think we can guess why this approach wasn't taken.

A slashdot fave, why not consider the Intrinsyc cerfBoard? It's small, got an ultra-low-power StrongARM CPU, PCMCIA for 802.11, and runs Linux too.

The CerfCube is a ARM-based development board that can be used for designing USB devices. It runs Linux and has a number I/O capabilities.

I would like to say that school isn't always a bitch. My advice, don't go to a university to get technical knowledge. Universities teach you how to learn, tech schools teach you how to do. Example: I took a two year CST Diploma at BCIT majoring in Data Communications. When I was there I had numerous industry standard projects, as well as 2 projects actually working for local companies (like the CerfCube people at Intrinsyc) My older brother on the other hand took 4 years of commerce at UBC, worked 3 years as a loans officer at the bank of montreal, got pissed off with his job and is now taking what I took at BCIT. I enjoyed school so much, when I was there I had a job in computer resources, I had classes 6-8 hours a day, worked 12 hours a week, and stayed at school until at least midnight doing projects. Usually I ended up sleeping at school because going home was a waste of time. I landed the first job I asked for at a higher salary than I asked for, and every single person from my class got exactly what they wanted. Just the flip side to school being a bitch...

I've been eyeing up Intrinsyc's CerfCube. It cost $379 but it's worth a look. There was an thread on /. a couple months ago so maybe some /.ers can give you some first hand feedback.

Or maybe you want to consider Buy Nothing Day. If so, get you Christmas Gift Exemption Voucher here.

When you look at the CerfPod.

There is a slash site for the CerfCube here

They have a contest to win one of these cool little things plus some star wars robot: http://www.intrinsyc.com/contests/contest.asp

"Pussy: You spend 9 months trying to get out of it, and the rest of your life trying to get back in..."

The Cube is a cute little box, however I can't help thinking $379 is a tad on the expensive side, true, it does have a 206mhz ARM chip and a nice case. Seems like an iPaq with ethernet.

However, iButton produce a java-based embedded computer called TINI that sells for $50, including Ethernet, RS232, 1-wire & can buses. A new version is due later this year which has a 10x speed increase, it also integrates all the functions of the device into a single chip, excluding flash.

PDF HERE
Looks good. Could be a fun box to fart around with, but for $400, man, that is a lot of beer money!

Well, not the beast. Just Intrinsyc.

Here are the various reference platforms as made available by the manufacturer.

Dancin Santa

Well, not the beast. Just Intrinsyc.

Here are the various reference platforms as made available by the manufacturer.

Dancin Santa

Only $379... not too shabby!

http://www.intrinsyc.com/products/referenceplatfor ms/cerfcube.html

I'd rather have a cluster of these little 3"x3"x3" aluminum strongarm-based boxes, made by the kanadian company Intrinsyc. you could always take handhelds and do similar things... plus they would be more portable.

I'd rather have a cluster of these little 3"x3"x3" aluminum strongarm-based boxes, made by the kanadian company Intrinsyc. you could always take handhelds and do similar things... plus they would be more portable.

The Cerf Cube price has been cut to $299 until 7/13/01. That brings the cost/coolness ratio under my limit. Mine should be here Monday.

There a Slash based site for the Cube here.