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And before you ask... (Score:5, Funny)
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/ Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these...
Re:And before you ask... (Score:4, Insightful)
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Slashdotted or vaporware?
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Retard - we all know one [marcofolio.net]
One more piece is needed ... (Score:5, Interesting)
I think I speak for all of us when I say.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Use? (Score:3, Insightful)
To me it would be much more logical for a user just to have Linux installed on their hard drive with full functionality. Where's the use in a crippled OS on a motherboard?
Re:Use? (Score:4, Interesting)
even more ideal is instant boot TO linux.
ultimate: being able to mount samba shares and playback HD content (normal
I will look at all solutions that offer a way to avoid a spinning disk drive. for a bedroom or quiet room HTPC, yup, I sure will.
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Re:Use? (Score:5, Informative)
- I googled "diskless htpc". This looks promising [viitalat.net]. It doesn't have details, though.
- Boot from a linux install on a USB thumb drive.
- Boot from a "Persistent Live USB [ubuntu.com]" (or google for things like "casper" and "casper-rw")
- Netboot (PXE boot), and set up an NFS root [tldp.org] or SMB root (not sure if SMB root has been done before)
- Netboot or boot from USB, and run from a ramdrive root. Then even if network goes down, system still has basic functionality (net being down is more of an issue on a home network and an always-on HTPC)
The other issue is the instant-on behavior. I looked at this a while ago when I was installing a uATX motherboard in my car. I'd say the biggest problem is the time it takes for the BIOS to POST. I timed it at 7 sec. Even when I had my kernel booting in 2 sec. and a GUI loaded in 2 sec. (initng, not loading X, small root partition), the BIOS was taking way too long.I'm waiting for better LinuxBIOS and kexec support.
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Re:Use? (Score:5, Interesting)
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Re:Use? (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, that's completely useless.
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You can already do that with a boot CD.... (Score:3, Informative)
The only advantage of having Linux in flash is that it boots in five seconds.
I can't believe that people don't get it (Score:3, Informative)
This is obviously intended to allow you to quickly make a phone call or look something up on the net. It is not supposed to be a replacement for your entire operating system. If you want to save files, watch DVDs or run your business software then boot your hard drive!
I couldn't count how many times I have booted up my computer just to look up a bus timetable, or the TV guide or just check my mail. And how handy would it be to be able to quickly look at the slashdot headlines while your wife goes back to
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This is one of them '38 Mobos. Top-of-the-line. It has all kinds of other fancy bits that can't be used yet either. But think of it:
A $360 motherboard targets two groups: 1. the price-insensitive freaks who think they'll be getting the best of everything if they shell out a ton of cash, and 2. serious overclockers/hardware hackers/tech geeks.
Most people in both groups will find it completely useless, right up there with the fourth SATA channel. But some of group (1) will show it off as part of
Re:Use? (Score:5, Insightful)
Motherboard A: Out-of-the box -> A splash screen and a message saying: "No Boot Device Found"
Motherboard B: Out-of-the box -> Browse the web for SPECS, pin-outs, etc or connect to your IS for support.
Now you get it? It makes more functional. It is not replacing your OS.
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Re:Use? (Score:4, Insightful)
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int 18h (Score:2, Insightful)
Modern hard drives just take a second to read 4GB, a reasonable size for a quckstart Linux partition. And a PC builder can easily include an internal flash drive with hardware write protect
Re:int 18h (Score:5, Insightful)
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Virtual Machine Host? (Score:4, Interesting)
X.
Gotcha (Score:5, Informative)
Updating the system (Score:5, Informative)
I think this is a shame (to put it mildly). Hopefully the specifications for the update process will be published so that a Linux solution can be produced.
Re:Updating the system (Score:4, Funny)
(Hunts around for his Windows "live CD"...)
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Oh the irony (Score:3, Interesting)
Who would want to boot into a crippled Linux where you cannot mount external drives just to browse the internet or make Skype calls?
At least it can be updated, so ASUS might provide more functional versions in the future. However,
from TFA: "To update Express Gate [the embedded linux] though you will need to be running Windows on the hard drive in order to run the ASUS utility."
Now, that's just great...
Re:Oh the irony (Score:5, Informative)
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Well, you're half right.
They need to release any modifications they made to the GPL'd free software, but they most certainly don't have to release an "updater" or anything of the sort. In fact they can easily pull a Tivo and use a signature to prevent you from upgrading the firmware at all.
How much? (Score:4, Insightful)
Because of the price, this mobo will be a total flop. Unless you're an overclocker, most PC builders want a simple board that still provides the latest in North/South bridge technologies. No WiFi, no super mega 7.1 audio, no dual nics, no on-board video. None of that crap matters in our market. If we really wanted all of those features, we would purchase a thin client PC from Dell which includes a nice warranty should any of those on-board features fail.
Re:How much? (Score:5, Insightful)
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These all-in-one boards are for two types of people. The first type are for overclockers that want all those extra tweaking features found only with these type of boards. The second type is for entry-level PC builders. No serious enthusiast will DARE build one with the idea of actually using these
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There! Now you've learned a new idea! Chill the fuck out!!
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As for chilling, I think we could all use a little bit.
two possibilities (Score:5, Interesting)
If it is the latter, and since the system can be updated from a running OS, it should be possible to put your kernel, servers and window manager in the flash and have most of your operating system boot instantly. And I have no doubt that if that is the case, some very clever person who was given one of these will work out how to do just that. Given that this does use a Linux kernel, it shouldn't be too hard to get source for any hardware specific issues you might find in booting from this.
Otherwise, this is pretty boring. There has been software available to, say, play media without booting into your operating system for ages.
LinuxBIOS (Score:5, Interesting)
I'll start:
LinuxBIOS:
- More capabilities, freedom to tinker
- Less expensive hardware
- Usually not supported by vendor, doesn't work with lots of motherboards
Re:interesting (Score:5, Funny)
Those were the days.
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Re:interesting (Score:5, Informative)
Eventually, it's become more and more obvious that there are people whose sole purpose for BEING on Slashdot is to simply bash Linux even though Slashdot is by its very nature a Linux website. Why they find it enjoyable or interesting or even a worthwhile use of their time is beyond me- I simply don't see why anyone who doesn't use Linux would come to Slashdot, load a Linux article, and mindlessly bash Linux. Why not just play some of Windows games that you like so much, you know?
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Re:interesting (Score:5, Insightful)
Judging by the downmods, you are now...
But you're right. Microsoft marketing drones have been gaming tech site comment systems for a while now. Any discussion of Linux, GPL3, ODF or any other topic which threatens their monopoly will be swamped with red herring and troll posts.
It's one of the more disgraceful features of the company. They're willing to undermine anything - ISO standards, US DOJ, open discussion, etc, etc - if there's an advantage to them.
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No doubt you have your Microsoft fanatics perusing topics regarding Linux. But, are you serious about Microsoft employees doing the modding? I find that very hard to believe as it sounds too conspiratorial.
If what you say is true, than there's a solution. Slashdot could block the IP ranges
Re:interesting (Score:5, Interesting)
Yep, it's possible to pick out the talking points that the astro-turfers get handed for a particular topic. A few old chestnuts:
It would be amusing if it weren't such a pain. The worst part, though, is that they used to spend all their time modding their comrades up, but now they've moved on to modding 'inconvenient' posts down.
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Re:interesting (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:interesting (Score:5, Insightful)
Some of us are just bored with this whole Linux fanboy idea that Linux is always the best tool for the job. It isn't. Free/Net/OpenBSD, eCos, OpenSolaris and even OS X are often a much better solution for any given problem. Linux has no grown large enough that there are a lot of people who try to fit it into every possible niche, including those for which it is completely unsuited and shouting down anyone who suggests a better option. We moderated down the MCSEs for this kind of attitude with Windows, and we'll mod down the Linux fanboys when they display it with Linux.
Straying back on topic, this is a pretty neat idea. It's a shame Be Inc didn't last a bit longer, because this is exactly the kind of thing BeIA would have been ideal for. That said, it seems more of a gimmick than something useful. Considering how cheaply you can buy a 1GB CF card and CF to IDE adaptor, you could probably create a system like this yourself more cheaply. It's not like this is aimed at Joe Public, because he doesn't buy motherboards, just finished systems.
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Re:interesting (Score:5, Insightful)
Could it be part of a larger plan? As an old Linux hand, I've noticed the gatekeeping on the Bugzillas for a number of major OS projects has been lately taken over by kids who if they aren't being paid my MS, should be. These punks treat bug reports as if they were attacks on the date-ability of their sisters, marking them "bogus" or otherwise closing them before they've even taken the time to understand what's being reported. Often they're tossing "clever" insults at the reporters at the same time. This is what it now means to be running "peer reviewed" code: you review it, you find real flaws, and some teenager whose worked his way into being a Bugzilla gatekeeper rejects the report because, well, you're not his peer. Obviously.
So how have we ended up with kids whose destiny would have used to be manning the complaint desks at Ma Bell in key positions to cripple the quality of OS projects - often projects which directly compete with MS products? </snark>
My real point: MS doesn't have to hire shills. We're doing it to ourselves. Somehow the values that were so pervasive in OS even a few years ago haven't been passed on to the latest wave of newcomers. That's not just showing up on
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Logical fallacies and other such non-arguments contain no insight by their very nature.
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To be honest I am not interested in the software, the question is whether the Motherboard can be reflashed with my own choice of mini-distro.
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