Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Linux on a Used Cash Register: Reloaded

Posted by michael on from the aybabtu dept.

plimsoll writes "Hot on the heels of the original cash register running Linux, dumpster-diver Aaron Benoy has implemented his own GNU/Linux POS project with a twist: Ruins in ASCII, a late IBM 4694 removed from its case and reloaded with Linux to become a self-described 'video sculpture' showcasing 'an infinite loop of 180 distinct 7-second long video clips of various abandoned, ruined or otherwise vacant buildings and infrastructure' on its 9-inch paper white phosphor terminal display. Southern geeks can see it unveiled tonight at the Atlanta Underground Film Festival."

3 of 141 comments (clear)

  1. Interesting Art by techsoldaten · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I know nerds (I use the term with reverence) don't always think that much of art, but something to remember is that our original conception of 'art' was a purely useful thing.

    There was a time Westerners saw art really as a Machia, something you made and / or engaged in. Science and art were really the same endeavor for people like the Greeks. No division in our mental lives.

    For some reason, just the description of this project makes me happy.

    M

  2. Not that cool? by KuNgFo0 · · Score: 5, Interesting
    From the hardware specs:
    Hardware
    CPU Intel Celeron (Covington) 400.912 MHz
    RAM 96MB PC100
    Hard disk Maxtor 6.4GB ATA/66 5400 RPM
    Motherboard Soyo SY-6BE+ ATX
    Display adapter SiS 6326 4MB AGP
    Pole display Emax Universal 104 Parallel DB-25
    Monitor IBM 9" Monochrome 4694 Video Display
    PSU Generic 235W
    Isn't this a pretty typical computer? Actually, probably a faster computer than many of the geeks on slashdot have? It's plenty better than my 486 personal web server.
  3. The sad thing... (slightly OT) by cjsnell · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The sad thing about this article is that we still don't have a decent, non-specific, OSS point-of-sale package for *nix. I've seen cheezy GTK-based "cash register" apps but nothing that can compete (or even compare) to Windows-based products.

    This is unfortunate. My father's company runs FreeBSD and OpenBSD on all of its servers but I still have to support over 35 Windows 2000 desktops here at our stores because there is no *nix alternative. Retail is the perfect place for Linux and the BSDs. Retail people need simple, easy-to-use interfaces and they do not want to deal with the problems associated with administering Microsoft OSes (worms, spyware, etc). I would love nothing more than to replace every single Windows desktop in this company with a X11-capable thin client.

    Thoughts?