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Shuttle XPC Linux Network Appliance

Posted by michael on from the little-black-noisy dept.

NoPants writes "Another big name looks like it's going to shack up with Linux. Shuttle, the maker of those small little cube looking PCs, is adopting Mandrake Linux with their newest network appliance XPCs. You can check out a review of the machine at Sudhian."

19 of 186 comments (clear)

  1. Network Appliance? by signalgod · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What exactly qualifies this small form factor computer as a network applicance?

    I'm just curious...

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    --------------------------------------------- SignalGod ---------------------------------------------
    1. Re:Network Appliance? by erikdotla · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I have to agree with the original poster. It's seamless, simple, kiosk-like software that makes a computer into an appliance. Form factor and cool knobs are a start, and have the potential to allow an enthusiast to turn it into an appliance, but it sure isn't an appliance out of the box.

      After I complete my Mandrake installation, how do I instruct my non-techie brother to copy a video he downloaded to the appliance, and then play it on the TV? I have to write some script to monitor a folder for new videos and play them automatically. Same for pictures? Need some sort of folder monitor and slideshow. Not to mention I have to set up the shares. Forget it.

      A true appliance won't even need a keyboard or mouse. It's front panel would have all the controls you need and well documented usage instructions. I don't have to telnet to my microwave, nor do I have to telnet to my complicated DVD and surround sound equipment, which supports VCDs and the like. I put them in and they start. I put food in, press a button, and it gets hot.

      Since this is a computer-based appliance, it should have the option for remote configuration. Perhaps I'd name my machine Linguo. I'd expect to dump a video to \\linguo\Play_Video and press a video button on the front panel. When it's done, it would archive it into a DVR-like system that I could call up and play later using http://linguo from any computer in the house.

      I'd dump a picture to \\linguo\Pictures and press a picture button on the front panel and it would start a slideshow. Another front panel button would flip it into thumbnail mode (like my digital camera) and a few arrow keys and the picture button would let me view the pictures.

      I'd dump an MP3 to \\linguo\Music and press a music button on the front panel. It would start playing the first track and would have two buttons - album select, track select. If I had 4000 MP3s up there, I might choose to visit http://linguo and ask it to play a specific song.

      Of course, a standard tv-style remote control unit should eliminate the need for even the web server, though it should maybe stay for the "select one song from 4000" example, where a PC interface is simply the most efficient.

      Ideally, I'd never even install the OS, and wouldn't even know or care what it was running. All I know is that it creates shares on my network compatible with Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux, and it works.

      That's an appliance.

      --
      # Erik
  2. Re:The installation review is really impressive by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    My co-worker was plenty impressed with Mandrake 9.2 until he tried to rename CDROM1 and CDROM2 to DVD and CD_WRITER. Thats when Mandrake started self-destructing. Its not a very robust system. Very easy to break if you try to deviate at all from the standard install.

    He went right back to Windows XP. Too bad... ;-(

  3. Just got my own Shuttle system by Bander · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I just built out my own Shuttle system a couple of weeks ago, based around the SB65G2 and a P4 3Ghz. Unless you've seen one in person, the "cube" format is smaller than you expect from pictures.

    The quality of the case and motherboard are very impressive, the cooling solution for such a small system is very clever. In addition, the instructions that came with the system are very clear, with photographs that detail each step of the build.

    I'm dual booting it between XP and Redhat 9, and both are running great on the system.

    -- Bander

    --
    What we need more of is science!
  4. Good article... by jdtanner · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Another good article from these guys.

    My point is, surely your experience of installing an OS is largely dependant on the *extra* hardware that you have e.g. 802.11b card etc

    I think it is great that Linux can get a fairly "standard" PC up and running without too much hastle these days. However, it is the glitches encountered with "non-standard" PCs that mean it isn't quite ready for the end users desktop.

    Just my two pennies worth...

  5. Bring on the heatpipes! by Griffon26 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    How long will it take until they start making these things with heatpipes and large heatsinks and without fans?

    I'd much rather have a passively cooled box with a transmeta crusoe/efficeon or VIA C3 and a PVR350 card, than a box that can do software encoding+decoding and needs lots of fans.

  6. how about PVR? by BlackShirt · · Score: 2, Interesting

    is shuttle suitable? has anyone tried? what about noise?

    1. Re:how about PVR? by BlueLightning · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I'm trying to build one using the Shuttle ST62K, as it has an external fanless PSU and a very quiet internal fan, thus making it almost perfect for a PVR. However the Linux support isn't as great with it as its ATI chipset is very new. I'm currently in the early stages of trying to get it sorted out.

    2. Re:how about PVR? by lordfoul · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I use a Shuttle XPC sk41g with an Amd Athlon 2400+ with Showshifter as the PVR software. It works great and is very Quiet. I can't hear it unless I am within a couple inches of the box. SHuttle uses a very large heat pipe with only one fan (variable speed user set-able).

  7. Looks like... by inode_buddha · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ... this could fill in a bit of market gap left by the Cobalt line, maybe? I know I'm interested in this anyway.

    --
    C|N>K
  8. Reviewer should test Mandrake also previosly... by Pecisk · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ...as RedHat NEVER actually cared about user expierence so much as Mandrake have all the time. Ok, for some time and still Mandrake Linux 9.2 initial release was too buggy, BUT things are improving, if we are talking about user interface side. Configuration tools and update system in Mandrake are clean and very well thought (don't talking about rpm depency here, only graphical interface). All things mentioned by reviewer also have made my life easer (don't looking to that I'm advanced Linux sysadmin). People starts to pick those things what Mandrake have envolved and extended for years. Good for them. As I have left them as my favorite platform - using Debian now - but still, Galaxy as default theme for both KDE and GNOME rocks as their many configuration tools. And it has the best solution in Linux how to mount SMB share in GUI.

    --
    user@ubuntubox:~$ stfu This server is going down for shutdown NOW!
  9. HTPC by DeadBugs · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Shuttles make great Home Theater PC's. I have been using one for several months now. Linux support for this type of hobby is growing as well.

    Using one of these you can build a device for your home theater that will handle MP3's, DVD's, DIVX, Pictures and act like a TIVO.

    Adding Linux to the mix could make pre-configured HTPC boxes as common as DVD players. Maybe even for sale at Walmart.

    --
    http://www.kubuntu.org/
  10. Re:The installation review is really impressive by Dalcius · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Personally, for me, it's control.

    I'm running Gentoo Linux and there is nothing, not a single package, not a single service installed on my system that I didn't instruct my system to install or was required to boot the machine to a stripped command line.

    Each distro is a bit different, but that choice does wonders for the computing experience. For me, my setup fits my computing style like a glove.

    Cheers

    --
    ~Dalcius
    Rome wasn't burnt in a day.
  11. Re:The installation review is really impressive by SoTuA · · Score: 2, Interesting
    When messing around with mandrake, one must be extra-careful. More careful than, say, mucking around with debian. That's because Mandrake holds your hand... so you must disable all the hand-holding stuff before you want to get down n' dirty (linuxconf daemon comes on by default... good luck editing your config files :)

    Once you disable the moron-proofing, you are left with a distro that is as easy to use as you want it to. Great stuff, mandrake.

  12. Re:from the little-black-noisy dept... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I was talking to a friend who works at nvidia and he said that the fans are a little noisy, but they were chosen because they don't fail.

    Just put a quieter fan in there and watch that fan.

  13. Re:The installation review is really impressive by cens0r · · Score: 2, Interesting

    generally it says I must reboot... I say no... install the next driver... say no... install the next piece of software. I've never had a problem.

    --
    Jack Valenti and Orrin Hatch will be first up against the wall when the revolution comes.
  14. Mod parent down, He hasnt used mandrake! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Have you tried Mandrake recently, or are you talking about some crap distro such as Debian.

    Sharing files, just right click and share once you have set it up using Mandrake Control Center.

    Burning a CD, say hello to K3b, the easiest Linux burning software.

    Setting up a firewall is a job for your mouse in Mandrake as well.

    Please stop spreading fud. Mandrake makes things easy, you are now on my foes list.

  15. Surprise: Troll does not read article. by waferhead · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Idiot,

    Mandrake* has had every item the moron mentioned covered to some degree for quite awhile now.

    *as well as every other distro, I use Mandrake myself since ~8.x days, (usually run cooker snapshots now though) Mandrake is usually ahead of SUSE as far as Desktop functionality, but it is a good race.

    I will withold any opinions on Fedora until I see it work right, perhaps they just need time, they seem to be getting there.

  16. Re:The installation review is really impressive by dchamp · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Shenanigans. Linuxconf is not on by default in Mandrake, and thank god it isn't. It isn't even installed by default unless you tell it to.

    As far as "Mandrake is easy to break" goes... I guess if you do some pretty silly stuff while logged in as root, yes, you can break it. It's much easier to break stuff in WinXP Home - because everyone is an Administrator. I didn't need that silly \windows\system32\krnl386.exe file anyway, did I?

    Installing Mandrake is extremely easy, as the author states. There are often some "gotchas", like getting your laptop's screen resolution to run at the native 1920x1200, or having to go download & install the nVidia driver (if you're using the free download version of Mandrake). But the one reboot vs. 9 for XP (my last XP Pro install had 12 reboots, but I think I lost track...) is a real bonus in my opinion.

    "Linuxconf is the evil spawn of satan." - me