Mobile Linux Project In Ammo Canister

Chaosrider writes "Army Linux is a mobile development platform constructed from a 50-caliber ammunition canister. This site documents the development of an embedded Linux project, which features a backlit LCD screen, a VIA technologies Mini-ITX form factor motherboard and a 1U power supply. The site covers construction techniques, costs and hardware installation." The site also points to a similar PC-in-ammo-box project at Epiacenter.com.

Comments

US Government Rules Linux a WMD

[Anonymous Coward]

After intense lobbying by Microsoft, the United States today recognized Linux as a weapon of mass destruction. The breaking point was apparently news that Linux now runs in an ammo canister. "We plan to wipe out Linux where ever it may be... and hopefully there's lots of it in Iraq!" said President George W. Bush.

Re:US Government Rules Linux a WMD

[grub]

armylinux.com seems /.ed too, so George will have as much luck finding those WMD as he is the ones in Iraq..

Re:US Government Rules Linux a WMD

[Stonent1]

After intense lobbying by Microsoft, the United States today recognized Linux as a weapon of mass destruction

Well after a quick search of the domain for samba clients I find 5 Mac OSX systems, 1 redhat, and one unknown system.

Re:US Government Rules Linux a WMD

[Krunch]

For that occasion, the US army decided to use their new secret weapon: Slashdotting.

Re:US Government Rules Linux a WMD

[Stonent1]

Sounds crappy to me.

Lovely!

[grub]

Just the perfect thing to use on a certain company in Utah..

Homer sez: Booorrring!

[mrpuffypants]

Check out this case mod that was at Quakecon. It doesn't run Linux but it still looks damn cool!

The guy that built it actually changed all of his cable ends to fit into the custom plugs on the front of the case. He did a REALLY great job!

here's the picture

Re:Homer sez: Booorrring!

[mrpuffypants]

Goddamnit!

Here's the real link!

Re:Homer sez: Booorrring!

[Anonymous Coward]

-ZapWizard

Cool, that is my PC!
not to get slashdot'ed but the link is:
http://www.zapwizard.com/lanpc

Re:Homer sez: Booorrring!

[Oliver Wendell Jones]

I like it, I like it!

Re:Homer sez: Booorrring!

[Vadim the Conqueror]

i figured someone would post your lan box in here. if not, i was gonna.

Re:Homer sez: Booorrring!

[SEWilco]

Seeing your 25MM ammo cans gave me an idea for weatherproof enclosures for wireless hotspots.

"No signal. Fire a burst of hotspots up there."

more links

[klocwerk]

also at mini-itx.com,
ammobox pc
another one
aaaand yet another

-your friendly mini-itx loving geek

Re:more links

[mrtroy]

mini-itx is DELICIOUS and very NOURISHING

when I get a little spare cash im getting a mini-itx machine setup to solve all my living room business.

EXCELLENT and TASTY.

ammo box

[korgull]

Seems not very portable to me if you need to catch a flight.
I would love to see thos efaces at the check-in counter.

Re:ammo box

[Distan]

Why would they care? It is perfectly legal and normal to check your ammunition (and firearms) at the airline counter.

Re:ammo box

[Delirium Tremens]

Fifty calibre ammunition?
With tracers?
You live in Colombia, don't you?

No need to be from Columbine^H^Ha. There are plenty of wackos in any other country too.
Hmm... Actually, it is possible that some country has a few more eNRAged wackos than others.

Re:ammo box

[tato22]

I had an all patriotic response for you, since I'm from colombia, but I prefere not to fight with your ignorance.

Re:ammo box

[jbottero]

Who said anything about checking it? What about carry-on?

Re:ammo box

[JesseL]

You can get 150 rounds of .50 BMG tracers sent to your house for $199 from right here, they're not any more restricted in most of the USA than any other ammo. I don't know why you would think they would be more of a problem to check on a plane than any other ammo. For info on firearms and ammo in checked baggage look here.

Re:ammo box

[Anonymous Coward]

Just because it's being sold over the Internet doesn't mean that it's legal to bring it over state lines without the proper legal paperwork. Some states do not allow this transaction.

It is certainly going to cause you trouble when flying, since you could easily pick up a route and end up in a state or country where such items are contraband, or at least illegal to transport in that manner. Not to mention the fact that primed and sealed ammunition can become tiny hand grenades in the presence of extreme heat, or that the contents may deteriorate to an unstable state in the presence of high-moisture environments.

There is also an age limit on the sale of ammunition, and anything that is "armor piercing" or otherwise exotic is subject to prior licensing and fitness for sale under federal regulations.

But why should .50 BMG be treated differently? It certainly isn't any more dangerous than most other cartridges out there, and isn't the most powerful either. But I understand, its name evokes emotional response from hoplophobes at large, therefore it is evil.

-Frd

Re:ammo box

[JesseL]

I'm not aware of any state that has a ban on .50 BMG ammo. I believe there are some states with restrictions on the use of tracer ammo on state land due to fire danger.

The temperatures required to start "cooking off" ammo are never going to happen in the cargo hold of a plane unless it crashes and burns. Remember that this ammo is intended to be chambered in machine guns that get very hot after a few hundred prior rounds.

I've never heard of any legal requirements on ammunition shelf-life (In fact I regularly see pre-WWII surplus ammo advertised for sale). There is no licensing of AP or other exotic ammo, the only restrictions I'm aware of are that hollow points are illegal in New Jersey, and AP ammo is banned from importation or production in calibers for which handguns are chambered, there may be other state and local regulations. Buyers of ammunition must be 18yoa for rifle ammo and 21yoa for handgun ammo.

I suggest you look over these FAQs from the BATF.

Re:ammo box

[ThisIsFred]

No really, take a look at Ammonman's shipping information page. There is listed all the states to which they cannot ship the ammunition. And it isn't .50 BMG specifically, it's everything.

Remember that the BATFE only handles federal law. State and local laws apply as well. :)

There is a federal law requiring that "handgun" ammo only be sold to those 21 and older? When was that law passed? What's "handgun" ammo?

Question: Which of these are "rifle ammo," and which are "handgun ammo?"
.357 S&W Mag. :: .45-70 Gov't :: .223 Rem. :: .44 Rem. Mag.

(hint: it's a trick question)

Re:ammo box

[JesseL]

Question: Which of these are "rifle ammo," and which are "handgun ammo?" .357 S&W Mag. :: .45-70 Gov't :: .223 Rem. :: .44 Rem. Mag.

(hint: it's a trick question)

Yes, I know there are rifles and handguns chambered for all these calibers (in fact the Thopmson/Center 'Contender' was chambered for every one of these calibers). Typicaly, when an over 18 and under 21 purchaser is buying ammunition which could be for a pistol or rifle the retailer just asks which it's for, savvy buyers will know to always say the ammo is for a rifle.

You are correct that state and local laws apply as well, but there aren't that many. Ammoman.com says they will not ship to Alaska, Hawaii, or New Jersey (AK & HI because of cost I think, NJ for legal reasons), no sales period to Massachusetts, and Illinois residents must provide a copy of their F.O.I.D. card. That still leaves 45 states without any issues for ordering. My point was just that the legal isssues surrounding owning/purchasing/shipping ammunition aren't as resrictive as many people assume, and .50 BMG isn't any more restricted than .22lr.

Embedded.

[mindstrm]

The idea of an embedded system is one that seems to be badly distorted nowadays..
.
A small, but otherwise fully functional PC in a strange case is not an embedded system.

The computer that handles your car's internals is an embedded.

Your tivo is kind of an embedded system... not sure on that one.

But a full on PC inside something weird certainly isn't.

As it was once described to me.. an embedded system is a computer inside something that isn't a computer. A case doesn't count.

Those little boards the size of a dimm slice with a processor, ram, i/o, and other stuff on them are good for embedded work.

It's not about what version of linux runs, or what OS, or even what it does.. but a PC in a disguise is still a PC, not embedded.

Re:Embedded.

[Miniluv]

DirecTivo is technically more of an embedded system than a standalone Tivo, in that the DirecTivo is technically a satellite receiver, that happens to also have some linux stuff bolted on to do PVR functionality. The Tivo is just a nifty case around a PPC processor and a harddrive which has a TV-IN card.

A real embedded system is the controllers for, say, an automated automobile assembly station. The device builds cars, it just happens to have a brain composed partly of linux/qnx/tron/winCE/PalmOS to do the car building.

Re:Embedded.

[gl4ss]

there's one definition i like (don't know how accurate it is): if it is obvious that there is a computer inside it isn't embedded(that is, when you use the thing you know and think that you're working with a computer).

Re:Embedded.

[tuffy]

It's not about what version of linux runs, or what OS, or even what it does.. but a PC in a disguise is still a PC, not embedded.

Linux in an ammo case is clearly "embedded", much like american journalists.

Re:Embedded.

[PCM2]

Linux in an ammo case is clearly "embedded", much like american journalists.

Right. Just like the original poster said. An embedded system is a computer inside something that is not a computer -- just like an embedded journalist is a journalist inside something that is clearly not journalism.

Re:Embedded.

[Rufosx]

In this case, the computer could be embedded.

Like, if it was fired from a 50mm gun and "embedded" into the side of a building.

Re:Embedded.

[theLOUDroom]

Then what's an "embedded" reporter? :)

Re:Embedded.

[EverDense]

Then what's an "embedded" reporter? :)

Someone who is so supportive of the current US Government,
that they can be said to be "In Bed" with them.

How many people

[TerryAtWork]

Are going to pull their code from Linux now that they know it will be used to kill people?

Can you even pull your code from Linux?

Re:How many people

[Voivod]

A) None, B) no.

And sorry to break it to you, but people have been putting Linux in missiles, tanks, and all sorts of other deadly devices for years. I work for an embedded systems company and I do Linux developer support all the time for people in the defense industry. Once they figure out how to get some pseudo real-time behavior out of Linux, they are very comfortable with it.

Re:How many people

[TerryAtWork]

You are right - I am an idiot.

This is one of those times when you fall on your ass so hard you can only laugh about it.

Lesson learned - in your rush to get an early /.post, try to comprehend the actual article better so you don't look stupid in front of 300,000 geeks... :-)

Kick my ass - I deserve it.

Re:How many people

[Xzzy]

> Kick my ass - I deserve it.

You doofus, you're not supposed to be graceful about having your foot stuffed into your mouth. Rather, to be a TRUE geek, you are required to fly into a spitting rage, construct a multi-paragraph essay defending your point. You are to conjure up as many off the wall and ill-supported arguments as you can in an effort to win the debate.

As an aside, "winning" is not defined in terms of making anyone actually agree with you. "Winning" is defined as beating the subject to death until no one wants to hear about it again, and ceases posting to the thread. By getting in the last word, you will have earned the right to say you won the argument. If these people in the future act like you're a nimcompoop who doesn't know jack, it's just because they're jealous and closeminded.

You got a lot of work to becoming a forum junkie.

Re:How many people

[Chaosrider]

I'm not making a statement about the state of the world or the war on Iraq. If anything this project should be seen as positive. An canister used to hold ammunition that brought down firery destruction and death is now used creatively to create through programming and developing ideas for new embedded projects. There are some pretty cool projects out there using these Mini-ITX boards. Check out VIA technologies site for some examples.

Re:How many people

[Zachary Kessin]

I don't think you can pull your code from linux, you can stop working on it.

But lets be honest this is not a military use of linux, its putting a board into an empty ammo box. Its no different than putting a PC motherboard into any other kind of strange box.

Personally I would like to see a very small and cheap linux server something about the size ofa large book, that I can drop onto my lan and use as a development database platform.

Re:How many people

[Krunch]

Something like that ?

Holy Case Mods Batman

[pope1]

Thats a pretty interesting design, i love how computers are working thier way into stranger and smaller containers all the time.

I really think there will be a market for Computers As Art someday. Like a woodcarving with a server in it, for some establishment that wants an ultra-fancy kiosk.

Or maybe we'll see a return of the "Electronics in Victorian Style Furniture" that was popular in the 30's, 40's.

Re:Holy Case Mods Batman

[raider_red]

William Gibson actually talked about this in some of his books. In "Idoru", there was a portable computer built in a driftwood case, which used VR goggles and hand trackers for its interface.

Re:Holy Case Mods Batman

[stratjakt]

There already is a market for such stuff. Look at how much heavily modded cases can sell for on eBay. There's some company that sells wood-veneered antec cases (well you know, the same style as the venerable antec/chieftec towers). They come in all sorts of exotic woods, teak and cherry and whatnot, and sell for 500 bucks apiece. Definately something for the exec to match is $5000 desk.

Re:Holy Case Mods Batman

[HeyLaughingBoy]

I really think there will be a market for Computers As Art someday. Like a woodcarving with a server in it, for some establishment that wants an ultra-fancy kiosk.

This was modded Funny(?) but I think you're onto something. I have been thinking of this for a while. I make small art boxes/miniature books and silly sculptures from bits of wood, stone and metal and I have been thinking of incorporating technology into some of them for a CPU controlled kinetic sculpture. That, and it's interesting to find other ways of expressing ideas, or decorating custom hardware (e.g., MP3 player in an enclosure milled from a solid block of aluminum). Look at some of the handwork that goes into overpriced tube amplifiers these days. William Gibson wrote a short story that reminds me of this ("All the time in the world" or something like that) where the main character had a hand built game console in a custom enclosure.

Think of it as another form of case modding.

Re:Holy Case Mods Batman

[bhima]

There is a thriving market about for things like this, think intelligent kinetic sculptures.

I've a friend that's into that sort of thing... very cool way to spend time, money and CPU cycles

Perfect for travel

[snoopyjd]

I am sure the nice people at airport security will let you through with an ammo box full of electronics.

Use Army Mobile Linux!

[Tumbleweed]

Travel to far away web sites.
Chat online with exciting, unusual people.
Then DDOS them!

*chuckles quietly*

[technos]

It was only a matter of time before some cheap geek figured out they could stick a micro board in one of those $8 ammo cannisters you find at surplus stores and regged a nifty domain name for it. I know people and companies that have been sticking embedded stuff in the 50cal and 7.68 carbine containers for ten years..

Really, this article should be (-1, Obvious), if not (-1, Been-there-done-that)..

Re:*chuckles quietly*

[stratjakt]

It's not embedded, it's just a PC stuck in something other than a PC case.

Embedded systems is like the software that runs my microwave. Replace my microwaves software with linux, have it still function as a microwave, but maybe be able to send and recieve data from my PDA, then you've got yourself something you can call an embedded project.

Re:*chuckles quietly*

[confused one]

It's embedded it the ammo box contains a sbc that's monitoring a remote sensor. Ammo boxes aren't exactly NEMA quality but they work fairly well and they're cheap.

Re:*chuckles quietly*

[technos]

I dunno..

For example, a WAP is an embedded device.. This can function as a WAP.

An electronic turnstile counter is an embedded device. This can function as an electronic turnstile counter.

These are examples of a PC as an embedded device.. I think you'd have no argument that the vehicle controller in your minivan is an embedded device, right? There's an in-house port of linux, etc, to the older style Chrysler vehicle controllers out there.. Turns your minivan into a PC.

The line is quite thin between the two..

Sad thing is...

[FileNotFound]

..that this wouldn't be news at all if it ran say WindowsCE.

Come on, there is nothing special about a case mod.

This is almost as bad as that Apple Ie project..whoopdie doo..

Re:Sad thing is...

[Dark Lord Seth]

..that this wouldn't be news at all if it ran say WindowsCE.

It would if said WinCE installation was stable, fast and legitimate. But fuck ammo-boxes, I'm waiting for someone to stuff a computer in a magazine/clip!

Once Again

[stratjakt]

An article about shoving an epia board into something other than a PC case. I get it already, the boards are small.

It goes without saying, of course, that this wouldn't be news if the installed OS was anything but lunix.

They epia boards are relatively gutless, and frankly the "easy way" to make a small form factor PC. I want to see some FlexATX boards with honest-to-god processing power in these boxes.

Myself, I'm working on fitting a flexATX board with a P3 800 (I cant remember the model now, I got it on eBay for 20 bucks on a whim) into a hacked PSX arcade stick. With built-in tv-out and mame it'll make a really funky portable arcade. Of course, I have big heat issues and others to solve, which makes it fun.

I've built other boxes with great success using Shuttles spacewalker mainboards (I think the FV25 is the greatest thing since sliced bread for a small, cheap, but useful PC)

I dunno, this just isnt all that interesting. You may as well just crazy glue a Zaurus inside the ammo box. It'll be faster.

Re:Once Again

[Anonymous Coward]

It goes without saying, of course, that this wouldn't be news if the installed OS was anything but lunix.

You have to RTFA, he's running XP.

Re:Once Again

[confused one]

In an earlier /. article, a manufacturer is beginning production on a 1.6GHz Pentium 4M miniITX board with gigabit ethernet. I wouldn't call that gutless.

Oh, it'll run Windows (if you must...)

Re:Once Again

[stratjakt]

Well, I was referring to the VIA eden boards, with their gutless CPUs that require very little effort to dissipate heat.

I'd be impressed if someone shoved any board with a 1.6ghz P4 into a NES/Ammo box, or whatever, because then they have to solve some really sticky heat and space issues. It's not the form factor of the board since FlexATX and MiniITX are really, really close in size. (flex can technically be taller, I think 9x7.5 inches, but many boards available are the square 7x7 variety)

I'm just saying wake me when dude shoves in a p4 board with a 3+ghz processor, a high end video card, and a couple gigs of dual channel DDR. Show me a miniature PC that blows big towers away, not something that can barely keep up with a higher-end PDA.

Re:Once Again

[confused one]

The heat output for a 3+GHz p4 or Athlon are on the order of 60-80W. That's not gonna happen in a small box -- the CPU cooling requires an 80mm fan with ducting, all by itself, just to keep from melting down.

Re:Once Again

[stratjakt]

And therein lies the challenge, the solution to which would impress me.

The fan doesn't have to sit on the CPU as per convention, in such a small box you could set it up such that air is drawn through a front vent, channelled through the heatsink, and funnelled straight out the back. You turn the seeming disadvantage of very little space into an advantage (no stale air pockets, constant flow like a little windtunnel)

This is the approach I'm taking with my portable arcade project, and it works exceedingly well. I'm actually getting better cooling than the stock intel heatsink was giving me, and all from one of those cheap "drive cooler" deals, with the three little 40 mm fans that fit in a 5.25 bay and a 1u rackmount heatsink.

My next series of problems is the back i/o panel. I plan to hardwire an AV socket from a butchered SNES so I can use one of their AV cables, as well as a generic power cable (PSX or stereo kind)

I'm no engineer, and I'm sure there are folks out there who can solve such problems much better than I.

Re:Once Again

[greg_barton]

I want to see some FlexATX boards with honest-to-god processing power in these boxes.

Intel Pentium M processor running at 1600+ MHz with a mini-itx form factor, courtesy of mini-itx.com

Re:Once Again

[bitrott]

The reason this is cool is because it looks cool. Some people can't see the forest for the trees.

Re:Once Again

[bhtooefr]

Pentium M. There's a difference. I won't explain it in detail here, but call it the Pentium 3.5 Supermobile.

Re:Once Again

[confused one]

It might work in something the size of an ammo box... But if we're talking NES, it's going to be much more difficult. If we assume that the power supply is external and you're using the on board video, By the time you get two drives into the case (CD-RW or DVD and Harddrive) you're getting pretty tight on space.

Mounting the fan onto the processor is only done in commodity Intel/AMD PCs. Actually, Dell uses a 4" or 5" case mounted fan and a duct like you describe. Most high end equipment does the same.

As an engineer, I applaud your effort. I still suspect it's gonna get a little warm (too warm to be reliable?). You might want to check the temperatures of the drives, and the north/south bridge chips. You might find they're hotter than you think, once the things been on for several hours (days).

You're already talking about using a 1u rackmount server's heat sink. While you're at it, consider ditching the 40mm fan and run a rackmount blower fan. It'll move more air and be quieter.

Tech-TV

[Hayzeus]

A similiar mod was just featured on Tech-TV last week. I can't get to either site at the monent for obvious reasons -- so I don't know if it was the same one. I think I've seen a lot of these of late. Must be an Iraqui War meme at work.

big deal

[Anonymous Coward]

My gIrlfriend (obviously imagInary) built a mini ATX clone in a Tampex box...

Show us something 0rIginal.

text

[yerdaddy_777]

The site looks slow so here is the text:

error in sql-statement: mysql_query, err-no: 1040
qry: update nuke_counter set count=count+1 where (type='total' and var='hits') or (var='MSIE' and type='browser') or (var='Windows' and type='os')
description: Too many connections

error in sql-statement: mysql_query, err-no: 1040
qry: select year from nuke_stats_year where year='2003'
description: Too many connections

Warning: mysql_num_rows(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /srv/www/web1/html/includes/sql_layer.php on line 249

error in sql-statement: mysql_num_rows, err-no: 1040
description: Too many connections

error in sql-statement: mysql_query, err-no: 1040
qry: insert into nuke_stats_year values('2003', '0')
description: Too many connections

Not Bullet Proof...

[simi-lost]

Ammo boxes may be great for storing ammo, but fire a few /. readers at them, and the bottom falls out. Maybe they should have used a crate from a 500lb cluster bomb...

Re:Not Bullet Proof...

[Lumpy]

Ok....

Here you go

ask and ye shall recieve....

Re:Not Bullet Proof...

[Desert Raven]

Um, you've never seen a crate from a cluster bomb, have you?

Hint, they're bloody huge. Each crate holds one fully-assembled cluster bomb, cradled in straps to prevent damage in transit. It's about the size of a refrigerator.

Be fun to case-mod an old mainframe with though....

Re:Sad thing is...It's not how you look, but...

[FileNotFound]

So if we manage to stick a computer in your brain case? Then by your logic it isn't anything special.

Well..yes and no. See the thing is that in that case they are simply using the case. If for example they used a fully functional ammo container, with the ammo still in it, and it did something useful. Then yes, it would be newsworthy.

If for example it was a gun with Linux on it that kept count of bullets fired, barrel wear, ammo left in clip, average recoil per shot etc. That'd be cool.

In the case of the article, the original functionality is lost and replaced by a PC.

So your argument does not apply as stated. It would apply if you said "if we managed to stick a computer in your skull after removing your useless brain". Even then I'd say it's nothing special, although somewhat cool in a gothy sort of way..

Disturbing

[SCO Linux]

The site appears to be slashdotted, and I haven't actually been able to see it myself, so I hope that what I'm about to say isn't overly judgemental. I just don't understand what this fascination with military hardware is about, and I find it somewhat disturbing. A computer constructed from a 50 caliber ammunition cannister? Why on earth would someone want that? Why would you want hardware that reminds you of a technology that's been used to kill hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people? Why is that supposed to be fun or amusing? It's sad that in this time of warmongering world leaders that ordinary people so readily embrace symbols of the military and the culture of death that surrounds it.

Re:Disturbing

[Tristan Tzara]

Death is inevitable; what might matter is who dies when, and why. Some disagreements are worth fighting for, and cannot be solved any other way.

Re:Disturbing

[PD]

Jon Katz, is that you?

Re:Disturbing

[Skater]

Good thing Zefram Cochrane didn't listen to this when he built the warp ship. ;)

(I am making a point here...sometimes it's good to use old war materials for something more peaceful...)

--RJ

Re:Disturbing

[Anonymous Coward]

The best defense of military technology you could come up with was the actions of an imaginary charcter, in a fictional TV show.

I for one

[Anonymous Coward]

I, for one, welcome our new military overlords. Oh wait...

This is nothing.

[Tristan Tzara]

Fit a Linux machine into a .50 caliber *cartridge* and we'll be talking.

Re:This is nothing.

[azaris]

Fit a Linux machine into a .50 caliber *cartridge* and we'll be talking.

<dogbert>Bah!</dogbert>

Fit one inside a 1/35 scale model of a .50 cal ammo cannister.

w00t!!!

[JoeLinux]

I have been looking for a strange case to stick my new PC in. I have found it! (Though I think I'm going to do something Navy.)

Thank you again slashdot.

Re:wow AMAZING

[stratjakt]

Gimme a link to the sump pump article. We've had a ton of rain this summer, and I'm constantly running down to the basement to make sure my sump pumps are working, paranoid of the consequences should they fail. The ball cocks (heh) on the little sliding pole get gunked up so easily and refuse to move (and turn on the pump). Especially considering they sit in sludge 24/7.

I'd love it if they'd email me when they come on, shut off, especially when the water level rises and they dont come on.

A buddy of mine had about 80 grand worth of damage to his newly finished basement when it flooded.

Web enabling my sump pumps is news I can use!

Silver bullet?

[Atario]

...where MS's monopoly is the werewolf?

Filk version of "Werewolves in London", anyone? Maybe "Werewolf from Redmond"?

Re:Silver bullet?

[sharkey]

Maybe "Werewolf from Redmond"?

Aaaaa-Blooooo-Screen!!!
Werewolfs of Redmond!

Dammit, I made one of these

[NetDrain]

I have a 30mm ammo box Linux machine sitting right next to me that I built in August of 2001 from sheer boredom. Apparently the editors didn't like my submission, oh well.

Take a look yourself here. It's running Gentoo now instead of Redhat, and there have been some other subtle modifications in that time, but it's largely the same machine. And 30mm explosive rounds are a TON more manly than wimpy 50 caliber. hehehehe

:D

Re:Dammit, I made one of these

[stratjakt]

And you didnt puss out and use an all-in-one epia board with far fewer heat and space issues to solve. Good for you.

As soon as I read mini-itx, the mod's potential impressiveness is cut in half, because I know no matter how cool it looks, it can't function as anything more than an mp3 player or word processor.

Case mods should be judged on both looks and how well they can play games.

Re:Dammit, I made one of these

[NetDrain]

Hahaha, thanks :D

I run Ghost Recon at 1600x1200 without a hitch, unless it's 90+F outside (we rarely use the AC here).

One of the additions I've made since making that page was adding a 120mm intake fan on the side aimed right at the GeForce3. I used a PSU voltage switch (the red one that lets you pick 110 or 220V) to adjust the voltage the fan receives - either 9V or a full 12V (it's a noisy, noisy bastard.)

And to anyone who thinks it's sick or strange to use military hardware...It's made with my tax dollars, whether I like it or not, and military surplus generally is extremely durable (ALICE packs, pants and coats, for example), and easily available cheaply at thrift stores; so for a generally poor college student, it's what is cost-effective.

I'm not trying to make a statement with it, just got bored during summer and thought I'd house my PC in something that I could kick when angry without damaging it. : )

Re:Dammit, I made one of these

[bhtooefr]

Commell makes P4/P4M mobos (P4 on a fucking Mini-ITX mobo, though?) in the Mini-ITX format. Lippert is going to release a Pentium M Mini-ITX mobo (there is a difference between Pentium M and P4M). How's that?

Ba-da-bing

[SpamJunkie]

Sounds like we found the computer used to write the blaster worm...

But seriously folks...

Mis-Labeled and Old-Hat

[nurb432]

First of all, sticking a pc board in a box doesnt automatically make it 'embedded'.

"Embedded" is more about using cpu power in non-PC applications. its not about making small PC's

Secondly, so what? Those boards are behing shoved in all sorts of strange 'boxes'... This is just yet another ... hohum..

Re:Mis-Labeled and Old-Hat

[BrK]

I tend to agree... Mini-ITX system boards have now been stuck in all sorts of odd cases, in vehicles, on bikes, on boats, etc. Its not interesting to see that someone else has simply wrapped a PC in a new skin.

WE GET IT ALREADY, you can put mini-itx mobo's in places that you can't put other mobos.

Also, while we're on the topic, small LCD screens are no longer "kewl" either, they're readily available, and not all that expensive, and easy to interface to.

VIA M10000 and HW MPEG

[Halo-]

I have actually been spending the last few days looking at the VIA EPIA mobo's. For less than $200 you can get everything you need except RAM, HD, and PSU. The thing keeping me from pulling the trigger is a kinda yucky trend of so-so linux support. For example, the M10000 (Which is the 1Ghz VIA system) is pretty cool (even though it needs a fan, unlike the lower end models), but the hardware MPEG is not supported under linux... And it looks like VIA is willing to take compatability where they can find it. If you read a lot of the forums, it seems like a lot of hackers are using winXP instead of linux.

Re:VIA M10000 and HW MPEG

[stratjakt]

Take a look around at FlexATX boards, like Shuttle's FV25 if you can find it. It has everything onboard, minus the CPU. But for about 200 bucks you can get the board and a 1ghz tualitin based celeron, which has a hell of a lot more horsepower than anything VIA puts out.

If, at the end of the day, you're computer cant play funky games, your case mod has failed it. Who needs a funky modded machine to run type up word documents?

Re:VIA M10000 and HW MPEG

[mflaster]

Actually, see this thread on Via's board. Someone has reverse-engineered the mpeg driver. It seems possible that hardware support for the Epia will get standardized after all.
Mike

Re:VIA M10000 and HW MPEG

[satterth]

Just don't try to drop in a Dlink G520 wirless network card. (802.11G)

The supported windows drivers crash XP hard. All i can get out of D-link tech support is to try different PCI slots. (if only they knew)

I thought it was funny that the 3rd party unsupported drivers (madwifi) work better than the supported ones.

Mobile Linux Project

[iantri]

This project is da bomb!

It has to be said...

[ThePlague]

Make linux, not war.

Links for the sites in subject

[OdanTheAncient]

noticed the epia site having touble. http://www.thexdershome.com/Armybox/page1.html trying to get armylinux.com http://www.thexdershome.com/armylinux/www.armylinu x.com

Re:Sad thing is...It's not how you look, but...

[FileNotFound]

If for example they used a fully functional ammo container, with the ammo still in it, and it did something useful.

Like... aim?

No maybe like keep count of the numbers of bullets and play some fitting music...

Hell it could keep count of the bullets, the rate at which they are being used and predict the remaining firing time.

This could help find the WMD...

[Art_Vandelai]

1. Paradrop cases of "ammo" into Iraq. Let the Iraqis take and hide in their weapons caches.

2. CIA makes a discrete phone call to SCO.

3. SCO sends an army of lawyers over to Iraq to sue anyone with "ammo".

4. ???

5. Profit!

Re:...Imagine...

[JonKatzIsAnIdiot]

Gatling Linux?

custom plugs, eh?

[Mobster75]

So what happens when one of his custom-plug peripherals breaks? More blood, sweat, and tears......

I'm waiting for a mini-ITX board with good 3D...

[Thag]

It would make the foundation for a kickass Linux game distribution, since all the important hardware would be on the same board, and thus standardized.

Kind of like the Indrema, only real.

Jon Acheson

Bulletproof?

[ibullard]

Does this make Linux bullet-proof or just provide ammo for anti-MS fanatics?

Another ( not linux :( ) PC in ammo box

[enrico_suave]

Ammo Arcade

The toggle "safety" power switch is what totally "makes" this one IMHO

E.

And another link...

[Parkudah]

My Ammo box PC is better!. [livejournal.com]

Re:And another link...

[Desert Raven]

You *really* should put a bulkhead grommet in the hole where the power cord comes through.

Yo

[makapuf]

this PC is da bomb, man !

Be wary of your containers while traveling

[vudufixit]

Carrying one of those around might invite trouble/scrutiny from the authorities (especially if flying) due to it being in an ammo box. There is still a lot of terrorism hype and unfortunate anti-gun attitudes these days.

Re:more links - TechTV's Yoshi built one

[netringer]

Yoshi of TechTV's The Screen Savers also built a PC in an ammo box..

Skeleton mod!

[RobertB-DC]

It would apply if you said "if we managed to stick a computer in your skull after removing your useless brain". Even then I'd say it's nothing special, although somewhat cool in a gothy sort of way...

Someone, someday, will have to make a "mod" using one of those high school classroom skeletons. Now *that* would be a gothy mod:

* Motherboard (including the processor, or heart of the system) suspended in the chest cavity.

* Hard drive (long-term memory) mounted in the cranium.

* Power supply (fuel source) clamped to the spine below the ribcage, where the stomach once resided.

* Eye sockets would be a good place for your HDD activity and power lights. Also on the skull are the logical locations for the speaker and microphones.

* The right hand would hold the power cord. In the left, the peripheral connections (USB, mouse, keyboard, etc).

* Of course, the connector for the screen should be at the base of the skull. The location of the game controller port will not be discussed here.

* And to top it all off, a watercooler for the overclocked CPU can have piping and radiators throughout the body! An appropriately-colored fluid would help with leak detection.

Ooh, this is now getting *too* creepy.

On the other hand... it could be worse. Gunther von Hagens has some pretty extreme "case mods" at his BodyWorlds expositions...

Armed geeks

[aWalrus]

Judging from the comments in this story I have to say... The amount of /. geeks that "have an ammo box lying around somewhere" is somewhat scary.

Re:Armed geeks

[whaley]

And very useful for GeoCaching.

In other news... Spamix!

[nacturation]

Hackers have been working feverishly to get an embedded linux small enough to be fully functional inside a can of Spam. The project makes use of a 10GB IBM Microdrive, a custom power supply, and a hacked Palm device.

Iva Knowlife, the project leader for the linux-in-spam project, Spamix, stated that while it won't have any display or input devices, it supports gigabit ethernet and has a high geek factor, so the whole world should know about it. When asked what the practical purpose was, he said "Hell if I know, probably none... but isn't it cool?" Another project member, known only by his handle L4m3rB0y, stated "D00d, it makes a great anti-spam filter for my GNU/Sendmail server!" When asked if this can't already be done on the same machine a lot faster and at no additional cost, L4m3rB0y got agitated and only replied with a terse "Shut up, man!" He was about to say something else, but his mother called him upstairs for lunch.

Spamix is expected to be released in kit form with an expected retail price of $99. Interested parties will need to supply their own hard drive, gutted Palm internals, and empty luncheon meat container.

Times are a changin.

[wideBlueSkies]

My Dad used to use an ammo box as a toolbox. It was just the right size to carry the socket sets and wrenches he used for automotive work.

He'd get a good kick out of seeing a computer running out of one.

wbs.

No Weapon provision in GPL?

[Max von H.]

***A bit offtopic, but...

I wish there were provisions in the GPL (and in other Open Source licenses) prohibiting the use of OSS in weapon systems (or anything else designed to kill or destroy anything but pixels), unless maybe if ALL the involved developers specifically agree to such use. It is my understanding that the open-source/free software movement's goal was to improve some things in humanity's scheme, not bring further destruction.

For example, I don't believe ALL the people involved in Linux (Linus being the first) would specifically agree to having their work being an instrument of Death & Destruction(tm), so one can wonder about the philosophical approach to such a problem - Free Software belong to all but can it be used for absolutely everything?

I, for one, absolutely refuse that any of my work may be used (directly or indirectly) as an instrument of death. I don't want one of my icons or programs to be linked - and thus associated - to somebody's death or misery. I wonder how other OSS contributors here would react if such a thing came to their knowledge, or if it's already come to their mind if it's happened. Any opinions?

Re:No Weapon provision in GPL?

[odoitau]

IHBT, and it's a little offtopic, but what the hell...

All arguments about the definition of "free" aside, "freedom" means "freedom". The whole point of copyleft is to give people the freedom to do what they want with the software, and putting a "No weapons" clause in the GPL restricts those freedoms.

I've seen this discussion here many times before, and all I have to say is, if you don't want your software used for such things, don't license it under the GPL.

Re:No Weapon provision in GPL?

[Anonymous Coward]

Anything made for good potentially can be misused, especially if one has the freedom to do so. While I suspect that while a large number of developers wouldn't want their work used for destructive purposes, the whole purpose of the GPL is to avoid arbitrary restrictions on use. If you start attaching restrictions to the GPL, its not free anymore.

Maybe that restriction would make the license better to some people, but not more free, which is the GPL's raison d'etre.

Re:Sad thing is...It's not how you look, but...

[TClevenger]

Yeah, and after every few shots, it would say something like, "Let God sort 'em out" and "Come get some."

Or my favorite, "Hmm hmm hmm, wasted."

Re:That is nothing....

[fishybell]

Interesting...just saw your pc. Like it. Good use of cables et al. The most interesting part is that I already read it before I read your post. How you say? Somebody else liked it too and had a link to your rig at Quakcon 2003.

Re:Sad thing is...It's not how you look, but...

[bhtooefr]

But... but... I need my wallhack!

Yawn

[gmhowell]

Christ, this article sucks. The site is /.'ed, but who cares? It probably runs something like this:

I found something roughly square shaped. I used some stuff to make a template. I cut out stuff with a dremel. I mounted stuff (particularly a mini-ITX board) in the rectangular box.

Big. Fucking. Deal.

Aren't there more interesting things out there? Putting up shit like this, and you wonder why people want to read through the submission trash heap? Go read some journals, and you'll find stuff far more interesting than this.

It's a box. With a computer in it. OMFG! That roxxors!!!

Re:Yawn

[gmhowell]

Undoubtedly much cooler than whatever the story linked to.

P4 in an Ammo Box.

[DigitalReligion]

I just did it with a microATX mobo running a 2.4C and a radeon 9600 ;)

This ammo box rocks my socks

[Shonufftheshogun]

It may not run Linux, but this mod is much cooler IMHO.

Re:Sad thing is...It's not how you look, but...

[ThisIsFred]

There's plenty of room in mine, so no, it wouldn't be anything special.

Slashdot Effect - take note

[/Idiot\]

Seriously, what do you expect? Some of the images are 2Mb and need to be shrunk on screen to be seen!

If you wanna post pics of your latest project, think about the design of your site, us who call ourselves slash have little mercy for ye of large files.

The Slashdot Effect - Take note

[/Idiot\]

What does the guy expect? Some of the images are nearly 2Mb and need to be resized to be seen on-screen.

If you are going to post snaps of your latest project, please consider the design of your site - for we who are slash have little sympathy for ye of large files...

Re:The Slashdot Effect - Take note

[Chaosrider]

Alright, the site has been mirrored and all large images have been reduced to 800 x 600. Ye of little bandwidth bows down to ye of little sympathy.

Not really embedded Linux

[EmbeddedJanitor]

This is just regular PC Linux. Real embedded Linux runs on ARM, PowerPC etc CPUs.

I wonder.....

[hashwolf]

I really wonder how a Beowulf Cluster of these would look like.

Re:Sad thing is...It's not how you look, but...

[FileNotFound]

Hmm good idea...

How about "Killing Spree!" ...."MMMMMMMMMONSTER KILL!"

Re:Yea

[Hognoxious]

What's the point in putting it in a container marked "DANGER! .50 CALIBUR BULLETS!"

It doesn't say 50 cal at all. It clearly says 5.56 MM (actually, should say mm, but never mind), which is nowhere near 50 calibur [sic], and if Chosrider doesn't know the difference it's nowhere near the thickness of his noggin, either. Well I suppose it begins with a 5.

That said, he's still not as stupid, up himself, look-at-me-I'm-wearing-a-uniform (and did I mention stupid?) as airport security guards, so you do have a point.

They make damn good camera cases too. Ammo boxes, not airport guards, that is.