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An Apple TV-Based Webserver

Posted by timothy on from the but-for-how-long dept.

Wyvere writes "The folks over at Mac Mini Vault jailbroke an Apple TV, stuck lighttpd on it, and connected it up to the internet in the name of fun hacking. 'This project was a fun way to see how far we could take the A4 powered Apple TV. The Apple TV is running iOS 4.2.2 (obviously jailbroken) with lighttpd for a web server.'"

45 comments

  1. And then it burst into flames by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Moments after making it to the front page of Slashdot.

    1. Re:And then it burst into flames by dch24 · · Score: 1

      Tracking the damage... it's currently taking from < 1 to > 30 seconds for parts of the page to load.

    2. Re:And then it burst into flames by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Flames? From putting a direct link to a lightweight server on the front page of slashdot? I think this is one of those situations best described by Egon Spengler.

    3. Re:And then it burst into flames by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's a big twinkie..

    4. Re:And then it burst into flames by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Cocksucking 503 AGAIN! Somebody please send in the navy seals to tell these assholes to fix their shit

  2. Kinda useless link. by DWMorse · · Score: 2

    The links are pretty useless, if you're looking for more information. They simply put you on the actual site being hosted on the ATV. While that's interesting, and it'll be great to see if we can Slashdot it, it's not informative, nor does it really discuss the project or talk about a how-to.

    Which is really too bad, surfing around Mac Mini Vault doesn't yield anything about the project, just -that- it exists. Can anyone else find info on the thing?

    --
    There's a spot in User Info for World of Warcraft account names? Really?
    1. Re:Kinda useless link. by muphin · · Score: 3, Funny

      umm, jail break it, install ssh, ssh into the box, install httpd server. done theres your how-to manual.

      --
      It's not a typo if you understood the meaning!
    2. Re:Kinda useless link. by mjwx · · Score: 1, Troll

      The links are pretty useless, if you're looking for more information. They simply put you on the actual site being hosted on the ATV. While that's interesting, and it'll be great to see if we can Slashdot it, it's not informative, nor does it really discuss the project or talk about a how-to.

      Which is really too bad, surfing around Mac Mini Vault doesn't yield anything about the project, just -that- it exists. Can anyone else find info on the thing?

      Besides a DD-WRT based router will do pretty much the same job without having to fight the manufacturer every step of the way.

      Not to mention it's half the cost and there's a long list of supported devices.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    3. Re:Kinda useless link. by sixfive0two · · Score: 2

      Quote from the first link if you didn't RTFA:
      Helpful Hints:
      Check out Seas0npass for an easy way to jailbreak the Apple TV
      - SSH in and change the root password
      - Use apt-cache and apt-get to find and install lighttpd
      - Use SFTP to upload a /etc/lighttpd.conf config file for lighttpd
      - Within /usr/sbin/ run lighttpd-angel -f /etc/lighttpd.conf to start lighttpd
      - Write a plist file in /Library/LaunchDaemons to launch lighttpd on boot

    4. Re:Kinda useless link. by muphin · · Score: 1

      so can a laptop, pc... thats not the point, the point is using an Apple device (locked down by manufacturer) to use it to serve files.
      like using a toaster to fry an egg

      --
      It's not a typo if you understood the meaning!
    5. Re:Kinda useless link. by ModernGeek · · Score: 2

      Rule 57

      --
      Sig: I stole this sig.
    6. Re:Kinda useless link. by grouchomarxist · · Score: 1

      Now, if you could get a web server running on that thing it'd be pretty cool.

    7. Re:Kinda useless link. by agentgonzo · · Score: 1

      so can a laptop, pc... thats not the point, the point is using an Apple device (locked down by manufacturer) to use it to serve files. like using a toaster to fry an egg

      Instructions for using a toaster to cook an egg (ok, I can't figure out how to fry it without ruining the toaster). Place egg balanced over bread slot on toaster. Push lever down without bread in it. Once the 'nothing' pops up, rotate egg 180 and repeat to cook other half of egg. Done.

      But seriously, this got a link on the front page of slashdot because it's apple and no other reason. As mentioned, DD-WRT can do the same and routers are locked down by manufacturers in a similar fashion. It's just because it's apple that people go "Wow!".

      "Man takes photo of something cool" doesn't make a headline on slashdot. "Man takes photo of something cool with iPhone" does.

    8. Re:Kinda useless link. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mini HOWTO:

      ssh your_atv2_ip_address
      sudo apt-get install lighttpd

    9. Re:Kinda useless link. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, not very exciting.. I managed to do all that on the first generation iPhone.. my install could even run PHP and Python scripts...

    10. Re:Kinda useless link. by sootman · · Score: 1

      On the main it says "Read our blog post about how we did it and why" and below that is a big blue button takes you to said blog post. Which, admittedly, is short, but there's not much to say: get an ATV, jailbreak it, put on lighttpd. The only thing that could use expanding is the step "Write a plist file in /Library/LaunchDaemons to launch lighttpd on boot."

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  3. well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ..it was running before it got posted to /.

  4. Well that was fun while it lasted. by mirix · · Score: 2

    Future note: when putting apache on a toaster, don't post a link to it unless you want it to burn the toast.

    --
    Sent from my PDP-11
  5. Go little server, go! by rebelwarlock · · Score: 2

    Poor thing is trying so hard to load. I almost feel bad for hitting refresh so many times. Almost.

  6. Not slashdot certified by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How Many seconds till it died? Apple tv isn't ready for slashdot traffic

  7. What a suprise!!! NOT by BatGnat · · Score: 1

    If a commodore 64 can do it http://www.c64web.com/, i think an apple TV could do it ....

    1. Re:What a suprise!!! NOT by tverbeek · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I did this several years ago with a Mac SE (vintage 1989). 8MHz CPU, 4MB RAM, 40MB HD, no built-in ethernet controller, no TCP/IP stack in the OS... but to be honest, it was no great feat, requiring only the right combination of off-the-shelf hardware and bits of existing gratis and libre software. Compared to the AppleTV, which ships with a an IP-enabled fork of BSD already pre-installed, I think it was a bit more of a challenge.

      Upgrading another Mac SE to run OS X itself was even more of a challenge....

      --
      http://alternatives.rzero.com/
    2. Re:What a suprise!!! NOT by webmistressrachel · · Score: 1

      Just tried it, no reply... seems that a link from a /. article was enough to put this out of action. Shame. Poor little machine.

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    3. Re:What a suprise!!! NOT by Hamsterdan · · Score: 3, Funny

      Great... you just /.'ed a C64...

      --
      I've got better things to do tonight than die.
    4. Re:What a suprise!!! NOT by arkane1234 · · Score: 1

      c64s ran A4 processors with BSD variant code?

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    5. Re:What a suprise!!! NOT by GrahamCox · · Score: 1

      Upgrading another Mac SE to run OS X itself was even more of a challenge....

      What, like this one? Mac SE/X A project I did a few years back now.

    6. Re:What a suprise!!! NOT by tverbeek · · Score: 1

      My Mac SE X is similar, but not quite the same. A G4 Mac Mini was an essential component of the upgrade of course, in order to run both OS X (Tiger) and contemporary apps such as Photoshop 3. But I replaced the original 10" B&W CRT with a 10" monochrome CRT with VGA input (max resolution 800x600), which was a perfect-fit drop-in replacement. And {ahem} I used the case from an actual Mac SE, and an early ADB mouse and keyboard (via a Griffin USB/ADB adapter). :)

      --
      http://alternatives.rzero.com/
  8. IRC? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Possible to make it be an IRC server?

  9. Slashvertisement by Animal+Farm+Pig · · Score: 1

    The page loaded (they probably moved it off the ATV), and it looks like just an advertisement for colo of Mac Minis.

  10. Eulogy by Provocateur · · Score: 1

    The light that burns twice as bright burns for half as long and you have burned so very, very brightly.

    Gentlemen, what we have just witnessed is the power of the /. effect.

    --
    WARNING: Smartphones have side effects--most of them undocumented.
    1. Re:Eulogy by ColdWetDog · · Score: 2

      Gentlemen, what we have just witnessed is the power of the /. effect.

      Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed. The ability to destroy a glorified cell phone is insignificant compared to the power of the Force.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  11. RTFA....or RTFS by Crudely_Indecent · · Score: 1

    Present note: They didn't install Apache.

    --


    "Lame" - Galaxar
    1. Re:RTFA....or RTFS by mirix · · Score: 2

      Nor did they install it on a toaster. That's missing the point, though.

      --
      Sent from my PDP-11
    2. Re:RTFA....or RTFS by Crudely_Indecent · · Score: 1

      Store the hosted files in memory, don't use server side scripted pages, serve tiny files, dump logs to /dev/null.

      No problem.

      --


      "Lame" - Galaxar
    3. Re:RTFA....or RTFS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I guarantee you the files it's serving are all cached in RAM, there is no reason whatsoever to explicitly put them there. I am so sick of people that won't let the OS do it's goddamn job. You're like the guys who use manually-managed arrays and C-strings in C++ because they think it's "faster" (while having done absolutely no profiling) and screw everybody with a buffer overflow.

    4. Re:RTFA....or RTFS by jedidiah · · Score: 2

      It all depends on your site.

      Once upon a time, an AppleTV would have been thought of as very respectable machine to host a web server on.

      --
      A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
  12. Personal dropbox? by __aazsst3756 · · Score: 1

    How hard to use usb port (is it accessible?) or network port to add big hard drive and config for a personal drop box?

    1. Re:Personal dropbox? by arkane1234 · · Score: 1

      I guess you could use a wall-wart, or some other small computer.
      The key is a computer of some form.

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      -- This space for lease, low setup fee, inquire within!
    2. Re:Personal dropbox? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No shit. You could work for the USPTO.

  13. usb sucks for high use HDD IO by Joe+The+Dragon · · Score: 1

    usb sucks for high use HDD IO

  14. Big deal. I installed Linux. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://code.google.com/p/atv-bootloader/

  15. web hosting on apple tvs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Web hosting on Apple TV's isn't all that new.

    http://www.mythic-beasts.com/appletvdedicated.html

  16. Running modified version of Arch on my Apple TV by langelgjm · · Score: 1

    I have an old original version of the Apple TV (came with a stripped down version of Tiger, I believe, rather than iOS). Cracked it open, replaced the hard drive with a larger one, used atv-bootloader to create a bootable USB disk, and installed LinHES (MythTV distro based on Arch). It was a PITA to do, but it's working reasonably well now. Cool little machine - the original had both HDMI and component out, new one is just HDMI, and doesn't have a standard USB port, I think.

    --
    "Anyone who [rips a CD] is probably engaging in copyright infringement." - David O. Carson
  17. Actually, no by damn_registrars · · Score: 1

    It went down before it made the front page - it was incommunicado when it was still a preview story. Hence either it was down before then, or it was taken down by just the traffic from slashdot subscribers who were able to see the link before the story was on the front page.

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