Running Linux On Your Swimming Pool

Forkenhoppen writes: "Ever considered having a computer look after your swimming pool maintenance? Check out this project by Richard J. Kinch. Mr. Kinch uses a Linux box configured with several shell scripts to control the chlorination levels of his pool."

Comments

Oh good God!

[gatesh8r]

What next? A device that runs Linux so that their toilet flushes? :-)

Re:Oh good God!

[heliocentric]

What next? A device that runs Linux so that their toilet flushes? :-)

Hmmm... will you settle for one running slackware here -

http://tbp.berkeley.edu/~harlan/projects/ToiletPap er.html

dude!

[saviorsloth]

My family in The Sims could so use that. a free cookie to the first person to make that an item :)

MS is finished

[Anonymous Coward]

This is the app that will finally bring Linux into the mainstream. I had previously thought that the linux powered christmas tree would win over the masses, but it turned out to just be a computer running linux, that sat in a christmas tree.

This looks like the real deal however. Watch out Microsoft.

What theme is he running?

[WIAKywbfatw]

I'm willing to bet it's Aqua.

Re:Overkill?????

[mckeever]

I've seen worse.

The local rep for one of the major DSP manufacturers uses the eval boards he's given for home automation... his hot tub is currently controlled by a 600 MIP 32-bit DSP unit.

He claims the temperature hasn't changed more than half a degree in the past year.

its alive

[crystalplague]

Feb 10, 2002- A test script was run to more accurately monitor the chlorine levels. everything seemed alright until a power surge interrupted the script. the box hummed strangely. The water took on an eerie glow. arcs of electricity shot through the water. steam floated over the water. small globs of matter formed and floated to the surface. they began to take shape. the realization struck me like a bat...the machine had created primordial life...it was god. dun, duun, DUUUN!

The pool guy says:

[Anonymous Coward]

I had to recompile your kernel to add chlorine support.

Re:Yeah, but

[Metrollica]

Thought this would be appropriate

Homer: Ah, there's nothing like rising with the sun for a quiet,
peaceful dip in your very own pool.
[cheers, dives in]
[comes up covered in algae, yells and sputters]
[Lisa walks out] Lisa, the Blob has got me! Don't touch me or
he'll get you too.
Lisa: Dad, you have to put chlorine in the water every day to keep it
clean.
Homer: Chlorine, eh?
[later, all the kids scream and rub their bloodshot eyes]
Ralph: [coming up] Ow, my face is on fire!

how about those pool robots?

[OmegaDan]

this is cool, but ... I always loved those pool cleaner bots that drive around the pool bottom and pick up debris. Could we get a rediculously complicated computer controlled one? let it be run by perl scripts and have a mysql database to log the ammount leaves picked up and ammount of urine in the pool. This will be served from the pool robot itself running a custom apache rig via an 802.11 underwater access point :)

this would be a proper geek project

Dem pesky neighbours

[LadyLucky]

try {
PoolState poolState = pool.getPoolState();
if( poolState.getChlorineLevel() < MIN_CHLORINE_LEVEL ) {
dispense();
}
} catch( KidPissedInPoolException kpipe ) {
MainsPower.reRouteTo( pool, MainsPower.MAX_VOLTAGE );
}

Sorry. I just had to.

a Linux zealot's pool party

[nomadic]

"Thanks for inviting me to the pool party!"

"No problem, Ed."

Ed enters the water.

"Ahhh! It burns!"

"That's impossible, Ed. You see, the chlorination levels are controlled by several scripts running under Linux. It's Open Source, so it's stable and it can't help but work."

"For the love of all that's holy, someone help me!"

"You see, with open source any bugs that would have cropped up would have been immediately been fixed by the many independent programmers around the world who check the source code."

"Oh the pain! My skin is being flayed from my body!"

"See the neighbor's kid over there? The one in the Limp Bizkit t-shirt with the baseball cap? He's one of the many open source coders around the world who maintain the system I use to automate my pool. Don't let his age, lack of education, or immaturity fool you; because he's an open source coder he's far superior to any corporate drone with a masters in CS. Now don't you feel better?"

"Oh, the pain! It's like acid!"

"Ed, the chlorine level is precisely monitored, as I've been telling you. Whatever you're feeling is most definitely not the result of chlorine."

Ed finally manages to crawl out of the pool. His skin is an angry red, and his hair has turned white.

"Ohhh...someone...help..."

"Ok, I see how it is, Ed. You're one of those Microsoft supporters, just trying to spread FUD about the open source movement. I think you should leave."

Interesting slashdot effect

[flacco]

When I try to load the page, all I get is a blank screen with this across the top:

Swimming poo

Ick.

Re:What do you use Linux for?

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a Linux box controlling my social life
- how about that?
:)

Re:Overkill?????

[ccmay]

I loved it when I got to this part:

I cut up ready-made cables and stripped the ends to attach to the protoboard via cable ties; there's no point in making more work than necessary.

You don't say...

-ccm

But what about..

[Patrick Cable II]

... the gene pool?

Too bad we cant have a linux box control that ;-)

..pcable