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Dashboard Linux

zebziggle writes "The dashPC has Global Positioning (GPS) and Navigation, DVDs, Games (Quake 3, SoF, UT), Address book database, etc. It can run any programs that will run on an Intel/AMD i686 class computer. There is a Basic Stamp micro-controller that interfaces the Linux box to the car ignition for controlled boot/shutdown." The article says Linux, but that screenshot tells a different story. The website has other stuff and a lot more pictures.

24 of 249 comments (clear)

  1. what's better? by blugecko · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now when I get hit on my bike again by a car, instead of the old "i was on my cell" they will "i was in the middle of recompiling my kernel..." to the officer

    --
    Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, not just chemistry, reality!
    1. Re:what's better? by Jburkholder · · Score: 2, Funny

      More like "I was installing a service pack" from the looks of the screenshot?

  2. Beowulf? by czardonic · · Score: 4, Funny

    Imagine a ten car pile-up of these!

    --
    Takahashi Rumiko made beats! DON, taku, DON, taku. . .
  3. Driver distractions by Lewisham · · Score: 4, Funny

    Do drivers really need any more distractions? They're supposed to be watching the road, rather than whomping through pedestrians. Why the hell would you want to play UT in the car? Frag a few people at the traffic lights? The real kicker is that it doesn't actually run when the engine is off. Hooray!
    However, the rather pointless walnut styling on the keyboard really sells the thing to me :)

    1. Re:Driver distractions by S5o · · Score: 2, Funny

      There are always naysayers whenever Linux achieves something good. I say Linux needs MORE driver support, regardless of the consequences. If it takes a few dented bumpers to get a SANE interface to my Scanjet, well, dems the breaks.

  4. The Next Step by Talisman · · Score: 5, Funny

    What with all the automobile modifications for running computers, the next logical step is to simply replace the windshield with a monitor.

    Cameras mounted on the front of the car would provide the driver with images from the road. The rest of the 'screen' could be divided into whatever the user(s) would like.

    Say the passenger wants to play Quake, he opens a window and plays it on the right side, while the screen in the middle plays The Lion King for the kids in the back.

    This would also allow stronger bodies on cars, as the composite used in place of windows would be far stronger than glass.

    Talisman

    --

    "Study your math, kids. Key to the universe." -The Archangel Gabriel
    1. Re:The Next Step by brer_rabbit · · Score: 5, Funny

      And after that, the next obvious thing is to replace the mouse with the steering wheel. And wire up the gear shifter as a joystick.

      It's all fun and games until someone *thinks* they're playing Carmageddon but they're really driving around the Target parking lot at 80 mph...

    2. Re:The Next Step by Snowfox · · Score: 3, Funny
      What with all the automobile modifications for running computers, the next logical step is to simply replace the windshield with a monitor.

      Cameras mounted on the front of the car would provide the driver with images from the road. The rest of the 'screen' could be divided into whatever the user(s) would like.

      That's all very well and good until you swerve to avoid a fucking X10 popup and end up taking out some poor grannie crossing the road.com.

  5. redundant -1 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    it's allready mentioned in the blurb lazerbrain...

  6. Games!?!?! by Xenopax · · Score: 2, Funny

    I hope they come out with a driving game for this.

  7. Re:Jetta Coupe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Idiot.. You should read before opening your mouth. He is running win98 under vmware for some of the software (just gps according to the page).

    Also can clearly see the front door handle in one of the pictures with the back door open.

    The only thing that make this site fishy is that your head is buried in silt.

    This site and the information is one of the best uses for linux on pc equipment. I saw it a while back and is an arguement that if done right linux can be very user friendly.

    Overall this is a great hack.

  8. couple it with a "heads-up" display... by motherfuckin_spork · · Score: 2, Funny
    and get confused as to whether or not your shooting at the sniper in the tower or the Navigator cutting you off...

    --
    Nope, not me, I must be someone else...
  9. Ho-Hum, Friday afternoon ... by ReidMaynard · · Score: 5, Funny
    Please note: This system was designed for the enjoyment of my passengers.

    *My* passengers are to busy praying not to die, while I navigate my bmw @ 2xSpeed Limit speeds.

    --
    -- www.globaltics.net

    Political discussion for a new world

  10. wowowow! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    can you imagine a Steppenwolf Cluster of these??? Now *that's* a magic car-pet ride!!!

  11. Re:question... by Ledge · · Score: 2, Funny

    There is a REALLY long retractable spool of cat5 with amplifiers every so often mounted on the rear bumper. Works fine as long as you return home using the same route that you used to get to work.

    --
    If it ain't a Model M, it's a piece of crap.
  12. Great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    You can watch a DVD, make a call, or play Half life while running over pedestirans...

    I can not wait till cars start to fly and we have them start to hit buildings and fall from the sky so distracted drivers can kill people by the score. Because one or two at time is what we seem to be limited to now...

  13. What we REALLY need . . . by cjpez · · Score: 5, Funny
    A bunch of us were talking once about how keen it'd be to actually have Linux RUNNING your car. As in, replace whatever's in the "little black box" with Linux.

    So you'd actually have /dev/engine, /dev/wheel[0123] . . . Some stuff under /proc to report stats and the like. You'd have things like "steerd" running in the background to handle steering. Get a remote interet connection up and you could even SSH into your car to diagnose engine problems! Think of the possibilities!

    You could even use the standard Linux sound structure to deal with your car's audio system. /dev/audio and the like. Have mpg123 for mp3s, some cd player to deal with CDs. Heck, since we're doing mp3s now, you could actually serve mp3s up to OTHER cars running Linux! We could probably hack up Gnutella to do some keen P2P stuff. ("Damn, I forgot my NIN CD at home. But wait! That Honda over there is sharing them! Great!")

    Of course, then you've gotta worry about people h4x0ring into your car. That'd bite. We'd have to make sure there's some pretty thorough iptables rules going on . . . And what happens if your kernel panics? Doh! Probably not the best situation to be running a "testing" kernel on. I can see the website now: "Well, the bug that was causing engine meltdowns was fixed in 2.5.13-pre5, so I suggest everyone upgrade . . ."

    Gives a whole new meaning to the whole "no warranty implied" thing, eh? Would you want the preemptible kernel patches on that thing?

    So what do most cars actually run on, anyway?

  14. Priceless... by thrillbert · · Score: 5, Funny

    In-Dash PC emmulating windows: US$1,000

    802.11b Wireless LAN card: US$120

    Airsnort: Free

    Sending a WinPopUp that says "YOU ARE AN IDIOT" to the moron who just cut you off: Priceless

    For some things there are hand signals, for everything else, there's Linux.

  15. Re:Jetta Coupe? by vax · · Score: 1, Funny

    If i had one of these in my car, i have a hard time beliving i would actually drive anywhere.. who needs a apartment when you have your server in your car = ) all i would add is 802.11 and a cup holder.. (god knows it probly is the only thing is doesnt come with) hehe, yea go out and by a Gremlin and put one of these in it.. talk about spending more on the system than the car = ) heh. i would get one but i bet my insurance would go up right? I can see it now "well sir it appears since you have FreeBSD running on your dashboard we are going to have to charge you an extra 50 dollars a month in insurance due to "stability" issues".. but hey at least it would be crashing when you were in the middle of rush hour.. i can see it now 10 year old hacker arrested for causing 1000 BSODs during rush hour, imagine the clean up on that wreak.
    just my 2 cents
    VAX

  16. Scripting this baby by tangent3 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Anyone care to write a parallel parking script for this?

    cat "right 30" > /dev/wheel
    cat "25" > /dev/accelerator
    sleep 2
    cat "0" > /dev/accelerator
    cat "left 30" > /dev/wheel
    cat "reverse" > /dev/gear

  17. Carmegeddon by schporto · · Score: 4, Funny

    So you can play Carmegeddon while driving? There's just something inherently screwy about that. Or playing a racing game while stuck in a traffic jam. Yesh the irony.
    -cpd

  18. Re:Read this! by Quizme2000 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Great, now Bill Gates can say open source movement can kill.
    When somebody gets hit when the driver's attention is distracted by the radio, phone, or tv it is an accident that was 100% avoidable in the eyes of the law. Just having this rig in your car makes you liable for any accident your in, and any would be theif walking pass your ride. If this is for passenger use Only(?) it fine, just like the game systems/TVs in minivans. Adding anything to the dashboard that distracts the driver is extremly dangerous period. Voice activitation and HUD won't solve the problem either, its still distracts.
    IMHO when automated driving systems become standard (which they will) then I'll have no problem with the driver of the SUV fragging the scrpit kiddie in the minivan.

    --
    "Get them before they get....
  19. Re:question... by Jestyr · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah.
    He looks ouside the window.. instant weather updates :P

  20. More reasons to get in an accident by djsable · · Score: 4, Funny

    Jesus Christ, why not just paint over the windows with black spray paint, and go driving around in the mall. You won't be using the windows to see, between a computer, a dvd player, and a cell phone, why bother with such lame things as WATCHING WHERE YOU'RE DRIVING.

    badger