Anatomy Of A uClinux-Powered VPN Gadget

An anonymous reader writes "LinuxDevices.com technical editor Jerry Epplin takes a look at SnapGear's award-winning uClinux-based VPN appliances from the perspective of a developer's ability to customize them -- and in the process, becomes a uClinux convert. 'uClinux is probably the most exciting development in embedded Linux today, and perhaps in the larger Linux world as well. If, like me, you were skeptical of uClinux because the idea of redesigning a desktop operating system to work in the most deeply embedded devices just seems wrong, you really need to take a look at the project now,' says Epplin."

Comments

Where are the cheap boxes?

[bill_mcgonigle]

I'm looking for a $200 embedded linux platform that has a couple NIC's, some bootable ROM, and a firewire connector on it. I expect it to have the low-horsepower, low-memory features this thing has - all I need to be able to do is blowfish at 10Mbps. But this one costs $499!

At the moment I'm actively developing a linux-based network appliance. I'm currently buying a mini-PC with USB, 1394, audio, video, NIC, PCI slot, a Celeron, 256MB of RAM, a CD-ROM drive for secure boot media, and a hard drive for data cacheing (important for my application). All for less than this box sells for - paying retail prices.

It seems to me a tightly-integrated solution ought to be much cheaper than the box of parts approach. Am I dreaming?