[Voyage-linux] A Cheaper Motherboard

[Kim-man 'Punky' TSE]

Hi Matt,

Yes, I have the same thought.  Over the weekend, I have tried out OE and 
here is my initial findings:

- Multi-arch build is easy, as it builds from scratch, even the 
cross-compile toolchain.
- It has to build *everything* and requires a lot of CPU and diskspace 
in my build machine (remember I used uml for all voyage development?).  
I am now thinking of buying a new build machine - may be a older version 
Mac Mini.
- The wireless part (hostapd, madwifi-modules) seems to be un-maintained 
- needs few more hacks to get it build as there are inter-dependency at 
build time (same problem in debian as well, but someone had solved it).
- customized kernel-build needs more investigation - seems not straight 
forward.

My investigation does not necessary mean Voyage will switch to OE 
platform.  It will only be a new thing.  Voyage will still be offered as 
free software as it is today and ties to Debian.  It is not going to change.

Regards,
Punky

Matthias Lemke wrote:
> then should "open embedded" be the first choice...
>
> regards
>
>
> Kim-man 'Punky' TSE schrieb:
>   
>> Hi Solomon,
>>
>> I seems impossible to get a lower price x86-based embedded board.
>> Other non-x86 embedded boards in MIP, ARM or XScale architecture does
>> not have enough flash size for storing the disk-space hungry Debian. 
>> With squashfs+unionfs we've seen in Live CD, we can't have a distro
>> lower than ~30MB.  Even with squashfs with lzma support, it also can't
>> lower than 25MB.
>>
>> If Voyage is going to support non-x86 borads, it will not be Debian
>> anymore, and it can't be called Voyage either, as Voyage Linux implies
>> Debian-based distro.
>> Regards,
>> Punky
>>
>>
>>
>> Solomon Asare wrote:
>>     
>>> Hi,
>>> I use lots of mikrotik products myself and they are
>>> excellent if all you need is a wireless/router without
>>> any special/unique customisation that you may want to
>>> roll out yourself. And the 112 is competitively
>>> priced.
>>>
>>> A licence upgrade, if required, after expiration of
>>> the one your 112 board came with, will set you back by
>>> about $40 at a latter date.
>>>
>>> Moreover, my competitors are also using Mikrotik or
>>> cheaper alternatives and I was wondering if, with a
>>> cheaper mboard + flash + memory and voyage, I can put
>>> together a radio more competitively. I am almost at
>>> the point where I may have to give the radio out and
>>> make money on monthly bandwidth charges which are not
>>> much.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> solomon.
>>>
>>>
>>> --- Andrew Niemantsverdriet <andrew at pure-wireless.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>  
>>>       
>>>> Check out the routerboard 112. It has board memory
>>>> and flash for $99. My
>>>> research and development budget ran out for this
>>>> quater otherwise I would
>>>> get one and see what can be done with it. Anyway
>>>> here is a link:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.routerboard.com/prices.html
>>>>
>>>> Has anybody used these? Do they work? The cheapest I
>>>> can build a wrap is
>>>> $127 not including a radio or enclosure. And that is
>>>> in quantiy 10.
>>>>
>>>> I will be interested to hear of others if there are
>>>> any.
>>>>
>>>>    
>>>>         
>>>>> Hi All,
>>>>> to make voyage more attractive as a
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>> Wireless/Router OS
>>>>    
>>>>         
>>>>> I guess we need a cheaper embedded motherboard.
>>>>>
>>>>> Please, does anyone have any suggestions apart
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>> from
>>>>    
>>>>         
>>>>> WRAP?
>>>>>
>>>>> Is it possible to get say a ($60 - $80) board +
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>> memory
>>>>    
>>>>         
>>>>> + flash that can support a client? Pentium 200
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>> should
>>>>    
>>>>         
>>>>> be more than adequate. Any links?
>>>>>
>>>>> Best Regards,
>>>>> solomon.
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Voyage-linux mailing list
>>> Voyage-linux at list.voyage.hk
>>> http://list.voyage.hk/mailman/listinfo/voyage-linux
>>>   
>>>       
>>     


-- 
Regards,
Punky

P U N K N ! X  . c o m
Technology + Lifestyle
(http://www.punknix.com)

V O Y A G E . H K - http://www.voyage.hk
Linux - voyage-0.2 is released!
Store - New Senao NMP-8601 and NMP-8602 (100mW) in stock!
      - New low price for Senao NMP-8602 Plus (400mW)!