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Tiny Boxen

Posted by michael on from the blink-and-you'll-miss-it dept.

swg101 writes "These people (openbrick.org) have developed a small computer designed for open source and free software. I quote: "This great little Linux box can be used as a firewall, micro-server, PABX, thin client, multimedia, almost anything imaginable. It contains a fanless 300 Mhz x86 compatible Geode processor and 128 MB SDRAM. Software can be installed on a Compact Flash or on an optional Hard Disk." Sounds like a nice solution for many applications."

10 of 282 comments (clear)

  1. Google Cache by OrangeHairMan · · Score: 4, Informative

    Get the Google cache here: http://216.239.39.100/search?q=cache:fi5nQ4GvkE0C: openbrick.org/+&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

    Orange

  2. Article with more details by gregfortune · · Score: 5, Informative

    openbrick.org seems to be getting hit pretty hard, but Linux Max has a pretty detailed article on the Open Brick.. And it's not slashdotted.. yet... http://www.linuxmax.net/news/00816.html

  3. Unfortunately by __aahlyu4518 · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you look at this page, you'll see that for some of the features you need a non-free XFree 3.3.6 driver. Another fun detail on that page : description says : 300 to 400 EUR while it is sold for 590 EUR. But it definately is cool. Once they sell it for less than that 590 (which would buy you a nice PC WITH storage), and that non-free Xfree 3.3.6 driver thing is solved... it is a really nice box.

  4. Too much money!! by nweaver · · Score: 5, Informative

    300 to 400 euros is WAY too much money for what you get, when you compare with things like the Via Epia motherboard (available for $130 at outpost. The Via Epia has an 800 Mhz x86 processor, SDRAM slots, is 18 cm on a side, and has practically everything you need but memory, storage and an ATX power supply. They even have a completely fanless 500 MHz version (althouh you can't get that version from Fry's).

    --
    Test your net with Netalyzr
  5. Filesystems... by Vengie · · Score: 5, Informative

    One thing about all the compact flash stuff. Typical flashable memory can only be "erased" on the order of 100,000 times. Now, many of you are saying "sure, this isn't a problem" -- but i dont think most /.'ers realize how many temp files Linux (and Operating Systems in general) create. Unfortunately, using Fat32 or NTFS(if you were "Gasp" running nt/2k), you would be repeatledy using the same flash sectors, quickly burning them out.


    This means the only really useful filesystem is LFS (see the SPRITE project -- http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/projects/sprite/sprite. html ) and even at that, you need to be able to have some mechanism to rotate your two checkpoints or else THEY get burnt out.
    So no, you can't have a box that has no hard drive, as of yet, unless you have very specialized uses for which lfs work well. (sequential writes/reads, etc)
    Wee! Final exam questions with applications in the real world!
    --
    When in doubt, parenthesize. At the very least it will let some poor schmuck bounce on the % key in vi. (Larry Wall)
    1. Re:Filesystems... by Roadmaster · · Score: 5, Informative

      "but i dont think most /.'ers realize how many temp files Linux (and Operating Systems in general) create. "

      So, just mount /tmp/ on a ram drive...

      Actually, there are many projects, a lot of them aimed at diskless workstations, that do just that, and even symlink all other commonly changing files so that they actually reside on /tmp.

  6. Link to specs and pics. by 10+Speed · · Score: 4, Informative

    specs and pics

  7. Bah! This is what you need for a diskless firewall by ^MB^ · · Score: 4, Informative
    Lex LIGHT barebones system
    Lex Systems
    Its tiny, powerfull, and has tripple ethernet... what more could you ask for?

    well maybe a fanless cpu.
    -Nick

    now if i can only find somewhere that sells it....

  8. Re:Dual NIC by hazard · · Score: 4, Informative

    Take a look here: Nagasaki Thin Client, there are versions with three NICs. OpenBrick actually looks to be a rebranded MS2100.

  9. Re:Dual NIC by friscolr · · Score: 5, Informative
    in case you haven't seen these before- www.soekris.com/
    486/133, 3 NICs, 4.85" x 5.7" mobos, 64 mb RAM, plus dedicated encryption boards for $332

    There's also http://www.bcmcom.com/tech/BOX-3410/BOX-3410.htm
    Geode 300mhz, 2 NICs in 106mm (W) x 178mm (L) x 65mm (H)

    and http://www.nexcom.com/product/ebc/ebs1563p/
    VIA C3 processor, 3 NICs, 177 (W) x 51 (H) x 228.6 (D) mm

    Depending on what you need, you could buy an old laptop off of ebay and get 2 nics for it.

    --

    -f
    www.blackant.net