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Linux On a Used Cash Register

Posted by timothy on from the paper-plastic-or-canvas dept.

codewolf writes: "Looking at this site, it seems that if someone has enough time on their hands, they can get Linux to run on just about anything. Looks like this guy got Red Hat Linux running on an Ultimate Techonologies Corporation cash register. This is a great hack if you ask me."

15 of 214 comments (clear)

  1. Great! by popeyethesailor · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now we can get all our stuff free from the Linux counter :)

  2. well if you need reliability... by Romancer · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'd hate to see a port of WinCE on a cash register, Imagine the small print on the back of the receipt.

    "...you agree by paying this amount, to never divulge what you paid, or purchased, in any form, written, recorded, or electronicly transcribed in any way, to anybody. By having this receipt, you are violating the EUCEA (End User Cash Exchange Agreement) and must distroy this document, or face an audit of all digital processing and storage devices you own."

    --


    ) Human Kind Vs Human Creation
    ) It'd be interesting to see how many humans would survive to serve us.
    1. Re:well if you need reliability... by Glorat · · Score: 4, Funny
      I'Id hate to see a port of WinCE on a cash register

      Heh, well at Wimbledon station in the UK, they run Windows NT to sell train tickets in one of those electronic hole in the wall ticket dispensers. (Choose ticket, insert money, out pops ticket).

      While waiting for my pickup, I amused my self as the machine spontaneously rebooted, saw the NT4 loader in it's comforting blue screen, see Windows launch, autologin, connect to some network shares and start up the ticket selling interface. And then watch it spontaneously reboot again =P
  3. Well it's confirmed... by Thaidog · · Score: 5, Funny

    Linux is a POS operating system...

    --

    ||| I still can't believe Parkay's not butter.

  4. I won't be truely impressed... by explosionhead · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...until I see an old, beat up, chrome covered toaster from the 60's running linux...

    ...wait a sec, with those mini-itx boards it'd just about be possible...

    Shit. I gotta lay off the caffine.

    --
    ?
  5. Linux can run on anything by Ed+Avis · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just goes to show that Linux will run on any old POS.

    --
    -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
  6. Re:And here I was... by flewp · · Score: 2, Funny

    Don't worry, it's how you use it that makes you a man.

    Sorry, couldn't resist.

    --
    WWJD.... for a Klondike bar?
  7. I can't imagine by jsse · · Score: 1, Funny

    if someone installed Quake on it. This will make the queue longer than ever...

    Hey mam what you are typing all I need is to get some change...

  8. Enough time? More like way too much time! by jonr · · Score: 3, Funny

    This is fun and whatnot, but SFW? You have full access to the kernel and everything, so what an excellent way of spending your weekend. A company that I work for, is hacking Linux to work on a embedded medical device eg.
    Do you have to mount /dev/cashdrawer?

    J.

  9. Slight bug though... by C+A+S+S+I+E+L · · Score: 5, Funny

    Apparently it still operates as a cash register while running Linux... except that it keeps insisting that anything run through it should be costing $0.00.

    1. Re:Slight bug though... by rusty0101 · · Score: 2, Funny

      and it invoices the item as beer...

      --
      You never know...
  10. Now it would be impressive by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    to see linux installed on an old mechanical cash register

  11. Re:This is not necessarily a "good thing"... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Are there, per chance, black helicopters in your back yard?

  12. Monty Hall would be proud by donpardo · · Score: 2, Funny
    I spent two hours looking for a 72 pin SIMM. I found 30 pin SIMMs and 168 pin DIMMs but no 72 pin anything. Luckily, in her purse Tracy had been carrying around a 32MB 72 pin SIMM from a Dell that got RMA'ed at her work.

    And I thought my wife carried everything in her purse.

    --
    Nothing to see here. Move along.
  13. Hey, here's an idea by nobodyman · · Score: 3, Funny

    Can you imagine a beowulf cluster of these *whack* ouch!! Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!!