On Fri, Apr 21, 2006 at 12:01:35AM -0500, Mike McCarty wrote: > Neil Cherry wrote: > >Mike McCarty wrote: > > > >>Has anyone considered using a cheap router as a cheap embedded > >>Linux machine? Or are the peripherals present just too skimpy? > > > > > >You mean like a Soerkis box? Or the WRT54G (a MIPS processor, I Soekris. Or wrap from pcengines, if you're in the EU. Or any hardware supported by OpenWRT: http://wiki.openwrt.org/TableOfHardware A Linksys WRT54GS (caveat: the newer versions are crippled) runs very well with White Russian even without external storage. If you go for an Asus WL-500g Deluxe with an USB Flash stick or an external USB hard drive you'd get far more storage space. OpenWRT has a large package depository (both official and unofficial) worth checking out. > >think). I had a working setup on a PC running at 333MHz, no hard > >drive, net booted, 64M RAM (only needed 12M). > > Yes, that's the idea. I was wondering about tinkering around > with a router as an embedded machine. Some years ago, I fiddled > with a couple of machines which were originally modems, with > 8031 processors in them. They made fine little embedded processors. > I used the LED ports (you know, the status LEDs like "high speed", > and "DTR" and "CTS" etc.) for my output bits, and the DIP switch > configuration I took out to a panel for input bits, and of course > it had RS232 built in. > > I just wonder whether a router might not be usable as a cheapo > embedded system running Linux. Do not wonder -- many people are doing just that. The main advantages are: no movable parts, silent, low-power (a running PC will set you back some 1 $ for each W/year, about $250/year for a 250 W machine -- compare that with a 5 W embedded) and it's sufficiently weird to be difficult to compromise by script kiddies (MIPSel shell code? whazzat?). -- Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org";>leitl</a> http://leitl.org ______________________________________________________________ ICBM: 48.07100, 11.36820 http://www.ativel.com 8B29F6BE: 099D 78BA 2FD3 B014 B08A 7779 75B0 2443 8B29 F6BE
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