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Linux Software Hardware

Pocket Linux Server Showdown 31

Posted by ScuttleMonkey from the does-chewing-gum-lose-its-flavor-on-the-server-rack dept.
phaedo00 writes "Ars Technica has put together a review of two pocket Linux servers (the Gumstix Connex 200 and the Waysmall 200BT). The review covers all aspects, including programming for the devices and their respective communities: "As with any OSS-based project, the community is what makes the Waysmall powerful. It's the community that comes up with novel applications, and develops new uses for the existing hardware. The Waysmall community is coming together as evidenced by several very involved projects and a healthy online presence in the wiki and mailing lists. Additionally, the Gumstix developers seem to be taking active roles in the community, folding community recommendations into their products as well as offering leadership and advice. Somewhat more organized and comprehensive documentation would be welcome, but not if it comes at the expense of accuracy, which the current documentation seems to have in hand.""
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Pocket Linux Server Showdown More

Pocket Linux Server Showdown

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  • Stay tuned! (Score:2, Funny)

    by Klowner ( 145731 )
    Stay tuned for the Pocket Linux Server Meltdown! Coming up next.

    hopefully TFA isn't hosted on one.

  • BlackDog and Waysmall, actually. (Score:4, Informative)

    by robbkidd ( 154298 ) on Wednesday December 07, 2005 @04:45PM (#14204959)
    The review is actually of the Gumstix Waysmall 200BT and the BlackDog Pocket Linux Server. The Gumstix Connex 200 is similar to the Waysmall, but only mentioned as related, not reviewed.
    • I have to admit that, although I have no use for the Connex right now, the ultra geeky coolness of them makes my mouth water.

      The only thing that came to mind about these was what a great distributed cracking tool they would be. I can't recall the first place that I read about the idea (2600? phrack?) of putting a small wall-mount box in a telco closet leaching off the nearest T1. It would be soooo easy. Although I've never done it, I've often planned it out in my head. I worked for a couple companies that h

  • Downloading the Internets (Score:4, Funny)

    by vijaya_chandra ( 618284 ) on Wednesday December 07, 2005 @04:46PM (#14204961)
    Downloading the Internets ( In page 2 of TFA )

    I thought the internet that I downloaded last week was the only one, looks like I'll have to find the other ones too
    • That is one of my favorite Bushisms from the debates. My wife hates it when I use it in public, mostly since nobody remembers it but me and this guy, apparently.

      My other favorite was "mis-underestimate" used in reference to the views of his critics. I used that term correctly in a paper on underestimation of nonconvex functions...

  • why? (Score:1, Troll)

    by marcushnk ( 90744 )
    Can someone tell my why a web server of this size and capability is useful?
    • Cos its the easiest way to provide a multi-display cross platform user interface for a headless unit?

      Sam

  • Blackdog... Whats the point? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by beswicks ( 584636 ) on Wednesday December 07, 2005 @05:30PM (#14205318)
    While the Gumstix offering could be useful for a number of applications, although I would be more inclined to buy the "bits" I needed for a specfic project, the Blackdog looks totally useless.

    From the article it seems that it basically piggybacks onto a desktop computer, and them allows you to connect to it (in the articles case via X11) and run some applications... Given that it needs a much more powerful computer to control it what is the difference between it and a USB memory stick with applications that can run on the host os... The programs may be running on the blackdog instead of the host, but so what.

    Gumstix on the otherhand looks like a nice solution for a robotics project I have starting in January...
    • Not to mention how stupid the Black Dog looks. I'd be embarrassed to use it, let alone be seen with it.
    • Read more ..... *grin*

      All the host computer does is supply hardware. If I ask you where your computer is and you point to the monitor... I'm not goint to be able to explain this.

      The BlackDog doesn't have 1. A video card 2. a nic 3 a keyboard port 4 a mouse port 5 a usb port 6 a firewire port. You desktop on the other hand does. So If I want to check my mail I pop in my BlackDog, "borrow" the 6 items I don't have that I need to use, and exit when finished, leaving nothing behind. I don't need your comput
      • While I get that it is very "cool" to have a PC in your pocket, and "your" apps running on "your" little computer, this thing is only using the host as a link to the network, access to the device is then made using X11 or SSH etc... My poing was that is a really bad idea. You need to install driver (read admin access) software on the host computer in order to use the dam thing, so what advantage does this have over a usb memory stick with some executables on it?

        Just to nit-pick, you are not using the USB or
        • The drivers/devices auto install and auto remove. I don't have to do jack. (on windows Linux includes the drivers already)

          You assumed that the only USB device on the host is the BD. But if the host has others there are ways to use them (like a USB keyboard and Mouse) Firewire access I'm now told is flakey. (don't have a way to test so ... I'll take their word)

          I do understand what it is... I'm using it right now..... doH!

          You don't need admin access on the hosts. It runs at, well, what windows calls user
          • OK... from the article

            "You plug it in and the computer starts churning. Several minutes later Windows asks you if it's okay to install this and that driver. As things are starting to look like they're getting good, the Windows XP SP2 firewall asks to let a half dozen ports open so the BlackDog can contact military spy satellites. Then, you need to reboot. So you reboot. You plug the BlackDog in, the computer churns for a couple minutes, more questions are asked regarding drivers and ports. And you need to r
            • the following is a link to the BlackDog forum in which discussions are made about how many things the BlackDog is being used for after just a couple of months of being in existance. http://dogpound.projectblackdog.com/forum/forum.ph [projectblackdog.com] p?thread_id=14&forum_id=1 Seems to me that someone has BlackDog envy. Just buy one to upgrade that old Gumstix of yours to make feel the real capabilities instead of just being able to be used for robotics.
          • I forgot... also from TFA...

            "You can only install it on machines you have administrator access on."

            So which is it? Is the article wrong? Does it not need any custom drivers? You CANNOT install drivers on a Windows machine unless you have admin access...
            • I have a BlackDog device and particpate in the contest. You most definately don't require adminstrator access. Just because some followers happen to click yes when Windows says to reboot, doesn't mean you need to do anything. I've plugged mine into family machines, work machines and others with no problems at all. I think the best example of how the BlackDog's capabilities are far stronger than just the robotics use of the gumstix product is the following forum link which talks about all the uses some 1
    • If you're only doing to be doing a robotics project and want to be constrained to having to supply strong power that is the size of a brick, then gumstix is great! BlackDog on the other hand is being used for a breadth of things ranging from remote work to audits. Below is a link to their forum on this topic. http://dogpound.projectblackdog.com/forum/forum.ph %5Bprojectblackdog.com%5Dp?thread_id=14&forum_id=1 [projectblackdog.com]
      • Damit... the link doesn't work... I REALLY want to know why ppl would use this over a USB memory stick with some cunningly compiled programs (ie so that they work off the USB stick)...

        So the blackdog can get network access via usb without installing any drivers? Or does it just mount as an external disk/cdrom, in which case its just an expensive USB stick? And do you access it via X11 if you want a GUI? or do they have some "funky" program to get graphical access... If the software is running on the blackdo
  • What I really want to see is a driver for DVI or VGA. And maybe some more RAM. But moore's law means in a few years that extra memory is practically a given. Maybe I should just buy a mac mini instead =/

  • I tried Soekris (Score:3, Interesting)

    by bzipitidoo ( 647217 ) <bzipitidoo@yahoo.com> on Wednesday December 07, 2005 @06:00PM (#14205608) Journal
    I've been looking for small cheap headless computers for a long time, but they are hard to search. Want to use them as servers. Found Soekris [soekris.com], which does the job, but took a while to set up. Had to figure out how to net boot, cross compile, and work around various limitations. Meanwhile, the distro I used (uwoody from ucLibc [uclibc.org]) has vanished, so if I want to update, I'll have to start from scratch. Would prefer something easier to set up, and these don't sound like they are any easier. Still, glad to know about Waysmall and BlackDog. Anyone know of others?
    • Not only will you have to start from scratch, but if what you have is GPL you are no longer allowed to distribute if you don't have the source.

      And now a general message: Children; with the GPL - no source means no freedom to distribute, always get the source at the same time as the binaries and you will never be stuck.

      Sam
    • You could always get a Linksys WRT54G. That thing has more computing power and memory than my 486 DX2/66.
  • .. is is this [gp2x.com] one ...
  • Micro "servers" (god how I hate how the word server is mis-used) seems to be a concept that most I show mine to, or talk to about them, don't understand. So lets get a few things straight.

    1. You aren't going to be able in the immediate future to compress a 8-way opeteron Raid 5 terabyte server into a pocket device.

    2. That 500 dollar video card you just bought won't help you read e-mail faster. (gameing may rock, video editing may be helped but e-mail just won't care)

    3. More Ram just like anything else h

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