26 Nov
2003
26 Nov
'03
4:33 p.m.
Depending on what you're doing, you can do a lot better. I have a embedded
product that uses a 386EX/25 with 8MB of memory, 2MB of FLASH (boot ROM), and
a 32MB CF card. 7MB of the CF card is used for the system, the remaining
space it for data logging.
And 7MB is *huge*. Linking against uClibc and switching to busybox, I can
get it down to around 3MB.
The application uses a GPS, cellphone, OBD-II interface, and uses PPP +
TCP/IP to talk to a host for data transfer. I *might* be able to do
development on the target platform, but I've never bothered to try. Why
compile 10K lines of code on a 25 Mhz 386 when you've got a 2.4Ghz Athlon
sitting next to it?
But it's usable for some tasks. I've run a boa as a webserver over a nailed
up PPP link to demonstrate what can be done (not that I consider it
particularly amazing, but these days it's not a real *nix box until it either
handles mail or runs a web server...)
--jc
On Thursday 27 November 2003 01:03 am, Andrew Prince wrote:
On Wed, 2003-11-26 at 17:14, Huw Davies wrote:
Linux systems don't have to be big. I have
two (an iPAQ and mini-itx)
that are fully functional Linux systems running off 32MB (yes M not G)
"disks". The iPAQ runs off the internal memory and the mini-itx
boots off a 126MB USB key which is current partitioned down to 32MB.
To make a very nice file server, just add some hard drive for the
data....
Take a look at www.handhelds.org for more in the iPAQ and
http://www.8ung.at/spblinux/ for how to get Linux on a USB key.
Not to mention Tom's Root Boot diskette... http://www.toms.net/rb/ The
most Linux on a floppy...
Or Damn Small Linux... http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/ 50 Meg ISO with a
GUI, web browser, ftp client, mp3 player, spreadsheet, email client,
word processor, file mamnger, yadda yadda yadda...
Or Linux-BBC... (Bootable Business Card CD sized)
http://www.lnx-bbc.org/
Etc...