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A Linux Server Express for Portable Wi-Fi?

Posted by Cliff on from the powered-by-the-penguin dept.

crome wonders: "The new Apple Airport Express is a little wonder of technology. It packs a wi-fi base station with all the usual capabilities of base stations plus the iTunes over network thing in one little square appliance that plugs directly to the power plug in the wall. I have a few of these and I am quite happy with them. Often however, when I most need a wi-fi base station on the go, I also need a server on the go. For example, in my second home I have an old DSL modem, and I have an Airport Express but I have no way to share the connection over wi-fi because the Airport Express doesn't support PPTP. Having a similarly formatted small Linux server with two ethernet ports, a usable Linux distribution on it with all the tools one needs when traveling, and some disk space to save stuff would be great. Any hints on what components to use or anything that comes close to a Linux Server Express?" "A while ago, Cerfcube (a small start-up) had such small appliances, but they disappeared and the format (a cube) wasn't very practical. Since I don't seem to be able to find such a very small format Linux server, I am just going to build one myself. I plan to build one into an existing power adapter (mimicking the Airport Express) and cram into it a computer-on-a-chip, a small disk, and two ethernet ports."

5 of 37 comments (clear)

  1. Nano-ITX by guard952 · · Score: 2, Informative

    Build a nano-itx pc.

  2. related... by rbochan · · Score: 3, Informative

    not an appliance, but a Live CD: ZoneCD

    --
    ...Rob
    The American Dream isn't an SUV and a house in the suburbs; it's Don't Tread On Me.
  3. Re:Am I missing somthing? by 2nd+Post! · · Score: 3, Informative

    Hmm, maybe the print server and the speaker hookup for the AirTunes feature. Or the 'by design' plug and go feature of the Airport Express.

    --

    GPL Deconstructed
  4. WRT54G by bobthemuse · · Score: 3, Informative

    Why not just use a pair of linksys WRT54G routers using the Sveasoft firmware? At under $60 each, not going to find a reliable solution much cheaper... firmware update allows all sorts of neat features, including VPNs.

    1. Re:WRT54G by Malor · · Score: 1, Informative
      Sveasoft is very, very abusive of the GPL. You might want one of the other firmwares, like OpenWRT.

      Basically, if you exercise your right ot distribute under the GPL, you lose your right to download further beta firmware releases. I figured I could live with this, but it gets worse. A) he doesn't release the source code for quite some time after releasing a given binary, and B) you can't complain about this in any way, shape, or form, or he will terminate your account. I had posted what I thought was a pretty gentle reminder that thousands of people have written millions of lines of code so that he could do his simple (in relation) glue work, and that he should consider GPL redistribution as advertising. I got a short email notice to the effect of 'Copying my software is PIRACY, not advertising!' and a cancellation notice. Note that at NO time did I exercise my GPL right to redistribute. I was terminated simply for having an opinion he didn't like. He did, at least, refund my $20.

      But it gets worse still... it appears he has gone to amazing lengths to get mirrors shut down. He may have finally given up on this, but at least one person here on /. claims that he has made false hacking claims and has issued false DMCA takedown notices. Lots and lots of detail here.

      I strongly suggest that you choose another firmware. If it's not as good as you want it to be, help to make it better, instead of lining the pockets of this guy who hates the GPL, but is more than willing to take advantage of it.