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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.'"

11 of 45 comments (clear)

  1. 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 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

    3. Re:Kinda useless link. by ModernGeek · · Score: 2

      Rule 57

      --
      Sig: I stole this sig.
  2. 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
  3. 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.

  4. 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
  5. 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/
  6. 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.
  7. 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!
  8. 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.