Embedded hardare

Update: These devices are becoming known as Net Tops. The Atom based generation should fix some of the speed Cons listed below…

Most of todays embedded boards are based on AMD Geode LX platform. Some of the mini PCs are:

Pros

Silent
Small physical footprint
Robust
Low energy consumption

Cons

Long order times
acpi=off to boot successfully
Needs some patches with the video drivers
You need to arrange the monitor, keyboard and mouse for the device
Sluggish CPU
Very slow uncompressing LHCHROOTFILESYSTEM=”squashfs”
Sometimes issues with large external monitors

Koolu

CPU

    processor       : 0
    vendor_id       : Geode by NSC
    cpu family      : 5
    model           : 5
    model name      : Geode(TM) Integrated Processor by National Semi
    stepping        : 2
    cpu MHz         : 398.474
    cache size      : 32 KB
    fdiv_bug        : no
    hlt_bug         : no
    f00f_bug        : no
    coma_bug        : no
    fpu             : yes
    fpu_exception   : yes
    cpuid level     : 1
    wp              : yes
    flags           : fpu de pse tsc msr cx8 pge cmov mmx mmxext 3dnowext 3dnow
    bogomips        : 798.25

Cost

You don’t need a hard drive for current versions of Webconverger. Future versions of Webconverger will hopefully utilise the hard drive, however best save money and don’t buy an internal hard drive MPC for now.

Koolu thin client: 179EUR (+30EUR shipping) from info AT koolu.nl including vat compared to the Linutop’s 280EUR

Hands on

Phil Hands and Luke Leighton have done some Koolu optimised packages.

Hard drive installation

If you want to give is a try, boot any standard Debian Etch install media, and at the boot prompt, type:

auto url=hands.com classes=koolu acpi=off

It’s not Webconverger, though it’s quite close! From here you should add the Webconverger /etc/apt/sources.list line:

deb http://debian.webconverger.com/lenny/

And be able to install extensions like iceweasel-webconverger. Good luck.