Slashdot Mirror
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
The site looks slow so here is the text:
/srv/www/web1/html/includes/sql_layer.php on line 249
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
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