Embedded Linux

Lucas Vogel lvogel@exponent.com
Thu, 26 Oct 2000 11:43:20 -0700


You might want to try the Linux-from-scratch HOWTO or something similar if
you're truly adventurous. The best embedded demo I've ever received was the
one from QNX, but I don't believe theirs is Linux(though definitely *nix). 

IMHO a DirectCD implementation is more of a pain than it's worth(see also in
this thread the part where someone discussed how their disk started
skipping/losing data at a certain temperature), especially when hard drives
are cheap. 

Why make things harder than they have to be?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bret Lowry [mailto:warlock@ninjutsu.org]
> Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2000 10:51 AM
> To: plug-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us
> Subject: Re: Embedded Linux
> 
> 
> 
> I'm interested in Embedded Linux also and am looking for more 
> information on
> the subject other than information provided Corporate wierdos 
> trying to market
> it . I'm looking for any kind of HowTos or tutorials on how 
> to get started with
> it  as well as any information as to how to go about making a 
> small "personal
> Distro" but Compressed for smaller storage media.
> Also .....Anybody familiar with Direct CD.........? I think 
> it would be nice to
> have Linux run off CD and at the same time be able to save to 
> the disk Just
> like Direct CD does for Wincrap. But this would actually be 
> running Linux from
> the CD and saving to CD.Anyone feel like starting a 
> revolution! Oh wait
> .......Linux is the revolution!
> warlock@ninjutsu.org
> 
> On Thu, 26 Oct 2000, you wrote:
> > At 09:05 PM 10/25/00 -0700, you wrote:
> > >Darryl Tang wrote:
> > >> 
> > >> Anyone doing anything with Embedded Linux?  Included 
> with the November
> > issue
> > >> of Linux Journal is the first issue of Embedded Linux 
> Journal that talks
> > >> about the explosion of Linux in the embedded devices 
> area.  I want to learn
> > >> more about this and would appreciate hearing from 
> persons in the area who
> > >> have an interest in embedded Linux or are working in it 
> presently.
> > >
> > >It has been my desire for about three years now to have an 
> MP3 player
> > >with several gigs of storage in a car... I had amassed the 
> necessary
> > >hardware to build such a device when I moved to the phoenix area,
> > >here, I feel, magnetic storage may be a bit of a problem 
> when in-trunk
> > >temperatures could easily reach 140F on the hottest days...
> > 
> > I got to looking around recently, after hearing about PC104 
> in articles for
> > a few years I finally looked up just what it is.  And as 
> soon as I started
> > seeing listings of PC104 cards and cases...  
> > 
> > What I'd love to see would be a nice embedded kit, 
> something coming with a
> > small case and basic parts (including either a network 
> card, or networking
> > built in on the main board).  Something where you just add 
> a processor,
> > memory and your choice of storage technology (3.5 or 2.5 
> inch drive & a
> > floppy, solid state disk drive, ROM, whatever) and presto 
> you've got a
> > small low power networkable box.  Something either under 
> $250-300 for the
> > basic parts, or still under $500 if it's including more parts.
> > 
> > >I know for a fact (one I learned "the hard way") that CDR's are no
> > >solution to this problem either... I lost a couple of audio CDRs to
> > >being left in the car .. they would just skip more and 
> more and more
> > >when I left them in the player. Eventually I realized what was
> > >happening, and havent had this problem since I started bringing
> > >everything inside with me. Normal CDs to not appear to erase
> > >themselves in these temperatures (120-140?), or, if they do, I have
> > >not experienced it in the short duration which my normal audio CDs
> > >were exposed to those temperatures. (the problem was 
> DEFINITLY not one
> > >of exposure to sunlight, direct or indirect)
> > 
> > I'd love to build something along the lines of a Sindwinder 
> box, even if
> > it's coming out at twice the size that would still be a lot 
> smaller than
> > even a mini-tower PC.  And if it's low power (I saw on 
> Ampro's web site a
> > small case designed for use as a Point Of Sale terminal, 
> only a 60 watt
> > power supply) you could plug in several without worrying 
> about the outlets
> > taking it.
> > 
> > I just really like the idea though of having a couple of 
> special purpose
> > tiny computers sitting on my desk.  One acting ass a dial-up router,
> > another acting as a local web server (say Apache, Zope, and 
> a couple of
> > scripting languages, and only what's needed to support 
> them), one running
> > MySQL to learn about SQL with..
> > 
> > Heh.
> > 
> > At that rate I just spent several months free cash unless 
> there's some
> > cheaper sources than I've found so far.  Admittedly though 
> I haven't been
> > serious enough about looking to search very hard - mostly 
> it's just been
> > satisfying curiosity about what's out there.
> > 
> > Though the last week or so I've been pondering the idea of 
> building a
> > portable' computer.  Not a laptop, but something reaching 
> back to the style
> > of the early portable PC's.  But a portable MP3 player 
> would be nice too --
> > a suitcase with a couple small speakers, and a computer and 
> say a salvaged
> > laptop LCD monitor for viewing the playlists.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Steven "Oh I just joined that sacred band of ''Those who 
> have bleed for
> > their computers'' this week.  My but a tiny scrape can make 
> a thumb bleed,"
> > Martindale
> > 
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