Linux on a FlashCard: home project

Juggle writes about "a handy build it yourself interface for using Compact Flash cards. The website even includes instructions on booting Linux off a Compact Flash card! This might be useful for car computers", or webpad-like consumer devices.

Comments

Speaking of Compact Flash...

[ptomblin]

The IBM microdisk thing got me wondering. They say it's a "CF-II", but I can't find any information about CF-II on the Compact Flash web site. Does anybody know if I can put one of these things in my camera, which takes regular CF?

A Unix in my car?

[Fastolfe]

Why does everyone assume that by putting OS X in object Y that OS X automatically control's Y's vital functions?

When the time comes to computerize the interface with an object's critical operations, a suitable OS/application suite will be developed that will be ideal for the situation.

Hrm, an ls-120 seems like a better option

[synaptic]

I've been checking out the Linux Router Project and my cheesy 1.44MB floppy lets me boot and do some simple stuff but not much else. The ls-120 superdisk from Imation and Maxell seem to be the best storage solution if you consider the price.

It would probably cost over $200 to do something similar with these flash cards. Thanks, but no thanks. Does anyone have a compelling reason to consider these flash cards over normal ls-120s disks?

Only the board is new

[Fringe]

Those of us with IBM PC110s have been doing this for years!

A Unix in my car?

[yogiBear]

How many people would die if our cars were Unix
based? I believe we would be reading titles like
this:


A pile up on 101 north due to a glitch in
in Linux/Dodge with CDE. Screen froze due
to a color handling bug in dtwm, which in
turn has rendered /dev/steeringwheel unusable.
15 have died in the accident. Relatives are
collecting money to put a contract on RedHat CEO's head.
The accident could have been avoided if the
driver managed to type in "init 6" on time.
Ford is pointing out that their car are
much safer because Solaris/Ford is more
mature and in case of a trouble, it's enough
to press Stop-A on the car console and it will
reboot itself on the fly.

I think I'll buy a horse if that ever happens.

Linux on a flashcard.

[generic]

They should work on compact 640x480 LCD displays and portable PC power supplies. People could start building Handheld/wearable PC's at home. We have the matchbox sized motherboards... Just need to shrink other components.

A Unix in my car?

[X-Type]

However, you could do the same while "fiddling with" a
CD player. Think before you post. This is a car stereo
controlled my Linux. Not a car controlled by Linux. I do
not see the "danger".
Maybe someone could point it out for me.

other ideas in the same vein

[atobe]

Lots of embedded 'biscuit tin' boards now have a net boot option that you can blow into the main flash bios, e.g. http://www.aaeon.com/html/pcm5890.htm also http://www.advantech-usa.com /epc/products/pcm5862E.htm

There is a problem that these images are usually OS and chipset specific, but the netboot (http://www.han.de/~gero/netboot/) package by Gero Kuhlmann may provide a route forward if a way can be found to blow a netboot image into the flash.

The advantage would be 'cloned' hardware with no extra parts at all. You could have a rack full of these things booting from a central bootserver.

Interestingly the netboot package contains instructions for building a FlashCard that could be used in any PC.

A Unix in my car? Done deal, dude.

[vosque]

I've had a linux box in my car and I've yet to crash. It all comes down to how you design the thing, methinks.

I hate dragging easily-scratched CDs around. Easy to brake, and hard to switch while the car is in motion. So I built a Linux box using older, and somewhat more sturdy hardware to play MP3s. As far as software goes, I just hacked something to gether that *said what I wanted to know* using a text-to-speech program. With one button functions on an old milspec laptop I could keep in my car without worrying about it freezing over, it's somewhat easier to use than my CD player, or frankly, my car radio.

DiskOnChip

[gr0k]

Does anyone know if there's such a board for the DiskOnChip flash memory? Isn't the DiskOnChip cheaper than the Sandisk-style flash cards? It would be nice to have a board like this to hook up to the ide cable since my motherboard doesn't have a socket for the DiskOnChip chip.

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gr0k - he got juju eyeballs - http://www.juju.org