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Install An Xbox/Linux Media System In Your Car
AltGrendel writes "Bored during those rush-hour traffic jams? An enterprising UK geek has installed an Xbox/Linux system in his car. With a mod chip, Freevo, a LogiTech Wingman, and a 40 gig hard drive, he has access to music, video, and games during drive time. Details and pictures are here."
Other than to just do it, what's the point?
For most people, these entertainment systems in cars seem useless. I don't know about you, but I don't hang out in my car. There are much more comfortable places to be. So, if I'm driving, what good is an X-Box?
For parents, it might make sense, to keep the kids busy. Other than that, it's just more geekiness for geekiness' sake (not that that's really bad, it's just useless). Unless you're a showy bitch with a ridiculous stereo and shiny wheels, then it's a genetic defect.
Down with Saudi Arabia!!!
but then realised how cumbersome the setup is. Anything short of a custom LCD driver and navigation buttons is terribly unnecessary, in my humble opinion. Commercial solutions, even for MP3 stuff, are preferred by myself.
It's not like the X-Box is small, for starters. I can put together a much smaller system from parts.
Heck, I could conceivably make a decent and very small sound system out of a Zaurus.
And best of all, Microsoft doesn't get one cent from me.
Friends with whom I installed my first LCD and keypad-driven in-car MP3 player were really impressed at the time, but it was considerable work, and there was lots of software tweaking involved.
With Freevo's help, and some off the shelf components, this guy has a whole different level of cool going on without significantly more work.
When people point and look and ask questions, they're going ask what software it's running, and they're going to hear Linux. In the mindspace of youth, it's cool stuff like this that competes with all the fluff in WinXP (it really is pretty), and challenges the assumption as to which is cooler. Projects like this will win us more teenage users than Clippy could ever hope to.
Kudos John.
I mean having a monitor is OK, but HUD, that would ROCK!
And just think about once you get past having the necassary stuff on the HUD, and get into the simulated effects.
Yep, X-Box is OK, but I want a HUD, with Falcon 4.0 installed.
You know you're a geek if you've ever replied to a tagline.
The xbox is a pretty barebones legacy-free PC. It could use more ram (As I understand some models have the motherboard requirements to upgrade to double the memory fulfilled, with some hard work) for the purpose of in-car use but I think that it is fairly well sufficient for the things I would want to use it for; in-car navigation (using linux, probably, and gpsdrive) and playing of DVDs, MP3s, and the like. I think I'd go ahead and install a mixer alongside it to support a classic car CD changer, with the control box used with the "FM" type car changers which have the radio modulator. Naturally, I'd tap into the audio lines directly...
The xbox seems an ideal candidate for this. They're $130 used. The little in-dash screen will cost you several times that. I guess you could use it with the redant tft 5" or 7" from lik-sang if they'd ever get them in, that seems like a decent screen, plus you can flip the image (at least on the 7") so you can use it for a rear view mirror, and/or hang it from the ceiling. The install will have to be custom, though, whereas the in-dash fits in a 1/2 ISO DIN or something, there are numerous adapters for that.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Here is my setup: Hardware: Pentium II 400mhz 256megs of ram 80gig HD Voodoo 3 pci video card. Creative Labs DVD accel. video card Kworld USB TV Tuner with custom wired antenna. DVD 16x drive. 802.11b wireless USB card. Installed on back dash. Garmin GPS serial sensor. Mint!!! Looks like a mouse. Datalux 10" touch screen off ebay. With full 360 hardware mounting clamp. USB, serial, etc cables 10 feet up to the front dash of the car. SB Live into Alpine 7959 tape deck. Canadian Tire power inverter. Cheap, Cheap! Software: Windows 2000 Power DVD Holleywood DVD player CDEX mp3 ripper. Microsoft Streets and Trips 2003 Microsoft Map Point 2002 Winamp v3.0. Love the backgroud displays. Mame v.62 Doom Shareware virtual keyboard with speech. For keyboard input. Great software. Voice notification for maps and gps. Putting the system together was some time. Not a lot, but the system is a full Windows system. It blows the shit out of anything on the market. It nice to connect to my mp3 server in my house. I download new mp3's or backup some mp3 which I ripped from the car. I can also connect to my main system which runs Linux and the apache server. Backup data and anything else. The environment: The system has been installed in my car for two years. Previous laptop was installed for 5 years. NOT ONE FAILURE. I can not believe it. Nothing has gone wrong. I live in Canada, so I can expect the temperature range of -30oc to +35oc. I would of thought that the dew would get to the componets. Nope, no problem. I also have the power to change anything I like. Other commericial systems you are locked into their operating system and software. With a regular computer. You have the freedom to do anything you want. The hardest thing, is the LCD display. It's also the most costly. If you look on ebay, you can find something cheap. I paid $200US for mine. You can put together some really cheap......