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Home > Archive > Cheap Linux Hardware > July 2007 > small form computer for linux
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small form computer for linux
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| krousson 2007-07-19, 1:17 am |
| hello,
i am new to the small form factor and i am trying to figure out the
different products and "standards". i've looked at http://www.linuxdevices.com/
but i'm having a hard time finding a solution.
i tried this a few days ago on the "embedded linux" group but got no
answer...
what i am looking for is :
fundamental:
- boots off SD or CF (no HD)
- mono 16bits/44.1khz sound in / out (mic / line, headphones)
- 802.11b
- somewhat thin (no vertical slots or daughtercards)
- std linux distribution / toolchain
- FPU
- no casing
approx:
- 500mhz intel or AMD, 256MB RAM (includes ramdisk)
- 8" x 8" or less
and:
- no fancy video
- not specifically low-power
- can have external PSU (laptop style)
- somewhat "ecomomic"
looking for a linux-friendly vendor that will sell a small number
(<10) of such boards.
if you can only point me to a company that has a readable product
list
and simple purchase system it would be greatly appreciated.
tia,
k.
| |
| Tim Southerwood 2007-07-19, 7:16 am |
| krousson coughed up some electrons that declared:
> hello,
>
> i am new to the small form factor and i am trying to figure out the
> different products and "standards". i've looked at
> http://www.linuxdevices.com/ but i'm having a hard time finding a
> solution.
>
> i tried this a few days ago on the "embedded linux" group but got no
> answer...
>
> what i am looking for is :
>
> fundamental:
>
> - boots off SD or CF (no HD)
> - mono 16bits/44.1khz sound in / out (mic / line, headphones)
> - 802.11b
> - somewhat thin (no vertical slots or daughtercards)
> - std linux distribution / toolchain
> - FPU
> - no casing
>
> approx:
>
> - 500mhz intel or AMD, 256MB RAM (includes ramdisk)
> - 8" x 8" or less
>
> and:
>
> - no fancy video
> - not specifically low-power
> - can have external PSU (laptop style)
> - somewhat "ecomomic"
>
> looking for a linux-friendly vendor that will sell a small number
> (<10) of such boards.
>
> if you can only point me to a company that has a readable product
> list
> and simple purchase system it would be greatly appreciated.
>
> tia,
> k.
A Soekris (sp?) unit turned up under my eyeballs the other day. Mobo is
about 6" x 6", came in a network-switch kinda case about 1.5" thick, 7"
deep and maybe 14" wide (from memory). Had 4 gig network ports, mini PCI
slot (for your WIFI), CF card slot (on IDE so booting is easy) and could
take one PCI card side on, ie flat and in the plane of the mobo.
CPU was a 500MHz AMD Geode IIRC.
Sorry I don't have a link but I'll have another look if you can't find it on
google. You could fit a soundcard in the PCI slot and I think that would
*almost* cover your spec. No VGA though - you'd have to run the console
over serial. I believe the Geode had an FPU.
No fans and totally silent. PSU was a wall-wart. Case is optional - ie you
can probably buy the board alone.
Any good?
Tim
| |
| Tim Southerwood 2007-07-19, 7:16 am |
| Tim Southerwood wrote:
> A Soekris (sp?) unit turned up under my eyeballs the other day. Mobo is
> about 6" x 6", came in a network-switch kinda case about 1.5" thick, 7"
> deep and maybe 14" wide (from memory). Had 4 gig network ports, mini PCI
> slot (for your WIFI), CF card slot (on IDE so booting is easy) and could
> take one PCI card side on, ie flat and in the plane of the mobo.
>
> CPU was a 500MHz AMD Geode IIRC.
>
> Sorry I don't have a link but I'll have another look if you can't find it
> on google. You could fit a soundcard in the PCI slot and I think that
> would *almost* cover your spec. No VGA though - you'd have to run the
> console over serial. I believe the Geode had an FPU.
>
> No fans and totally silent. PSU was a wall-wart. Case is optional - ie you
> can probably buy the board alone.
>
> Any good?
>
> Tim
I think it was this one: http://www.soekris.com/net5501.htm
It's marked as "prototype" on the web pages, so it's possible that what I
saw was an engineering sample.
Cheers
Tim
| |
| Jack Snodgrass 2007-07-19, 7:16 am |
| On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 21:55:25 -0700, krousson wrote:
> - boots off SD or CF (no HD)
.... you know you can get an IDE<->CF adapter for around
$20 that lets you treat an CF card as an IDE drive....
--
D.A.M. - Mothers Against Dyslexia
see http://www.jacksnodgrass.com for my contact info.
jack - Grapevine/Richardson
| |
| David Goodenough 2007-07-19, 7:16 am |
| krousson wrote:
> hello,
>
> i am new to the small form factor and i am trying to figure out the
> different products and "standards". i've looked at
> http://www.linuxdevices.com/ but i'm having a hard time finding a
> solution.
>
> i tried this a few days ago on the "embedded linux" group but got no
> answer...
>
> what i am looking for is :
>
> fundamental:
>
> - boots off SD or CF (no HD)
> - mono 16bits/44.1khz sound in / out (mic / line, headphones)
> - 802.11b
> - somewhat thin (no vertical slots or daughtercards)
> - std linux distribution / toolchain
> - FPU
> - no casing
>
> approx:
>
> - 500mhz intel or AMD, 256MB RAM (includes ramdisk)
> - 8" x 8" or less
>
> and:
>
> - no fancy video
> - not specifically low-power
> - can have external PSU (laptop style)
> - somewhat "ecomomic"
>
> looking for a linux-friendly vendor that will sell a small number
> (<10) of such boards.
>
> if you can only point me to a company that has a readable product
> list
> and simple purchase system it would be greatly appreciated.
>
> tia,
> k.
You could try the PC Engines ALIX board (http://pcengines.ch)
David
| |
| Tim Southerwood 2007-07-19, 7:16 am |
| Jack Snodgrass wrote:
> On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 21:55:25 -0700, krousson wrote:
>
> ... you know you can get an IDE<->CF adapter for around
> $20 that lets you treat an CF card as an IDE drive....
>
ditto SATA-CF
| |
| Roberto Waltman 2007-07-19, 1:16 pm |
| krousson wrote:
>i am new to the small form factor and i am trying to figure out the
>different products and "standards". i've looked at http://www.linuxdevices.com/
>but i'm having a hard time finding a solution.
>
>i tried this a few days ago on the "embedded linux" group but got no
>answer...
>
>what i am looking for is :
>
>fundamental:
>
> - boots off SD or CF (no HD)
>.....
Many MINI-ITX boards would fit your needs. All can boot from flash,
(even if they have only an IDE interface,) using a CF-IDE adapter.
Roberto Waltman
[ Please reply to the group,
return address is invalid ]
| |
|
| On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 21:55:25 -0700, krousson wrote:
> hello,
>
> i am new to the small form factor and i am trying to figure out the
> different products and "standards". i've looked at http://www.linuxdevices.com/
> but i'm having a hard time finding a solution.
>
> i tried this a few days ago on the "embedded linux" group but got no
> answer...
>
> what i am looking for is :
>
> fundamental:
>
> - boots off SD or CF (no HD)
> - mono 16bits/44.1khz sound in / out (mic / line, headphones)
> - 802.11b
> - somewhat thin (no vertical slots or daughtercards)
> - std linux distribution / toolchain
> - FPU
> - no casing
>
> approx:
>
> - 500mhz intel or AMD, 256MB RAM (includes ramdisk)
> - 8" x 8" or less
>
> and:
>
> - no fancy video
> - not specifically low-power
> - can have external PSU (laptop style)
> - somewhat "ecomomic"
>
> looking for a linux-friendly vendor that will sell a small number
> (<10) of such boards.
>
> if you can only point me to a company that has a readable product
> list
> and simple purchase system it would be greatly appreciated.
>
> tia,
> k.
mini-itx; micro-itx; pico-itx VIA C3 or C7 processors.
www.mini-itx.com
| |
|
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| Oldtech 2007-07-21, 1:14 pm |
| krousson wrote:
> hello,
>
> i am new to the small form factor and i am trying to figure out the
> different products and "standards". i've looked at http://www.linuxdevices.com/
> but i'm having a hard time finding a solution.
>
> i tried this a few days ago on the "embedded linux" group but got no
> answer...
>
> what i am looking for is :
>
> fundamental:
>
> - boots off SD or CF (no HD)
> - mono 16bits/44.1khz sound in / out (mic / line, headphones)
> - 802.11b
> - somewhat thin (no vertical slots or daughtercards)
> - std linux distribution / toolchain
> - FPU
> - no casing
>
> approx:
>
> - 500mhz intel or AMD, 256MB RAM (includes ramdisk)
> - 8" x 8" or less
>
> and:
>
> - no fancy video
> - not specifically low-power
> - can have external PSU (laptop style)
> - somewhat "ecomomic"
>
> looking for a linux-friendly vendor that will sell a small number
> (<10) of such boards.
>
> if you can only point me to a company that has a readable product
> list
> and simple purchase system it would be greatly appreciated.
>
> tia,
My choice for small form computer with GNU/Linux
http://www.gumstix.com/products.html
| |
| polemon 2007-07-22, 7:15 am |
| On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 21:55:25 -0700, krousson <artificiel@imap.cc> wrote:
> what i am looking for is :
>
> fundamental:
>
> - boots off SD or CF (no HD)
> - mono 16bits/44.1khz sound in / out (mic / line, headphones)
> - 802.11b
> - somewhat thin (no vertical slots or daughtercards)
> - std linux distribution / toolchain
> - FPU
> - no casing
>
> approx:
>
> - 500mhz intel or AMD, 256MB RAM (includes ramdisk)
> - 8" x 8" or less
>
> and:
>
> - no fancy video
> - not specifically low-power
> - can have external PSU (laptop style)
> - somewhat "ecomomic"
Well, I'm not sure if all your demands are met with this interesting and rather inexpensive device:
http://www.genesippc.com/
Costs less than 100 Euro
The specs:
* Freescale MPC5200B PowerPC SoC up to 400MHz
* 118mm x 153mm x 38mm
* 128MB 266MHz DDR RAM
* 44-pin IDE connector
* 10/100Mbit/s Ethernet
* 2x USB ports
* 1x RS232 Serial port
* Stereo Audio out, Microphone and Line-input
* 33/66MHz PCI with optional 90° AGP riser slot
* RoHS Compliant
AFAIK, you can boot it with a Pendrive.
As you can see, this is a POWER-Computer, don't know if that'll suit you.
Another suggestion:
http://www.lartmaker.nl/
Their tiny computer eats um about 1W, you'd have to find a manufacturer for it though, the CAD files are available for free.
Specs:
* 220 MHz Digital SA-1100 StrongARM CPU
* 32 Mbyte EDO RAM
* 4 MB Intel Fast boot block Flash memory
* Power usage < 1 W
* Performance > 200 MIPS
An added Kitchen Sink Board, expands its features:
* a 10Mbit Ethernet interface
* a 44-pin 2mm IDE/ATA interface
* a connector for our single or quad Ethernet board
* two PS/2 connectors (keyboard and mouse)
* mono audio I/O from an UCB1200
* connectors for POTS, IrDA, USB client, video and touchscreen
The board is 10cm x 7cm and about 21mm high, with attached KSB.
regards,
--polemon
--
-EOF-
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