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A Minimum Viable Computer, or Linux for $15
151–160 of 408 posts
Re: A Minimum Viable Computer, or Linux for $15
#152Earlier quoted context omitted.
Surely an ESP32 should be able to run Linux. Then you would get Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. After all Linux used to run on 486, BSD ran on 386.
ESP32 is a microcontroller with tiny amounts of RAM and flash storage (smaller than any 386 machine). It's not going to run anything close to a "real" OS. You'd want to do the opposite: use a machine like OP's for near bare-metal programming, where the only things it's running are a minimal kernel and a custom init binary with your actual, single-purpose app. That way you make the best use of a limited amount of RAM.
You can get similar type of modular RISC-V + Linux systems on AliExpress if you want to do something closer to what OP is doing. Lichee is one of them who seem to have a crazy number of modules (I've not tested any of them - they could well be total junk), including also ARM boards and FPGA boards.
Re: A Minimum Viable Computer, or Linux for $15
#153Re: A Minimum Viable Computer, or Linux for $15
#154Would be nice to see an equivalent “minimum viable trustable computer” that used only parts from “trusted” supply chains (pick your own definition of “trusted”, but it might for example exclude generic parts marketplaces).
https://betrusted.io/ is pretty much that. Initial HW platform is there, not sure how much of the SW is ready
Re: A Minimum Viable Computer, or Linux for $15
#155This is nice. This is a simple, straightforward design, and a reasonably convenient form factor. Two biggest limitations are RAM and wireless interfaces, or rather lack thereof. This thing has less RAM than my router (admittedly a $70 box), and has neither WiFi nor BT. It does not seem to have many GPIO pins, too. With the amount of RAM installed, it's mostly a handheld terminal, and maybe a handheld console with emu…
> neither WiFi nor BT I understand having WiFi, it'd be great for a small device like this. But why would we need Bluetooth? It only has 32MB of RAM so I doubt you could get any music running on it.
Bluetooth:
- Direct file transfer between devices, with simplicity not comparable to wifi.
- Easy connection to the internet using a mobile phone (likely even the cheapest feature phone).
- Connecting a mouse (and maybe an external keyboard).
- Connecting a 2FA security token (may be important in the SSH terminal capacity).
Re: A Minimum Viable Computer, or Linux for $15
#156Earlier quoted context omitted.
Some people really hate Hacker News for no intelligent reasons that I can tell.
They usually hate it because of the people who post here
I wouldn't say that I hate the site but when I am unhappy with it it's not because of what gets posted but what gets upvoted.
Re: A Minimum Viable Computer, or Linux for $15
#157Earlier quoted context omitted.
Which devices? Unlike an RPi, this thing has a screen, a keyboard, a sleek case, a battery compartment. What are other devices that have these all, and cost, say, under $40?
Something like this one https://m.aliexpress.ru/item/1005003667540327.html?spm=a2g2w... I guess.
Looks terrific for the price. Lacks an integrated keyboard though!
Re: A Minimum Viable Computer, or Linux for $15
#158Where do you find F1C100s for $.75 @1ku? How much more would it cost to upgrade the SoC to something bit more modern, like V3S/R11 (or others from that family)?
https://www.cnx-software.com/2018/03/30/allwinner-s3-camera-...
> I’ve been told V3, V3S, S3, S3L, R11 are all the same chip, but with packaging variations.
Re: A Minimum Viable Computer, or Linux for $15
#159Earlier quoted context omitted.
There are some real gems & genuine insight to be found. But the comments still follow a Pareto distribution and there's a lot that is worth disdain[1], IMO. Besides, I found it's better when I don't take HN too seriously; I now often enjoy HN the way I "enjoy" Curb Your Enthusiasm 1. Often as a top comment too! A lot of inaccurate, stripped-of-nuance or outright ignorant hot takes get voted up if they confirm the bia…
Whatever you feelings may be, HN brings a breath of fresh air. Compared to other social media, its quite rare for commentary to devolve into nonsense.
Another possibility, you are bad at detecting nonsense
Re: A Minimum Viable Computer, or Linux for $15
#160This is nice. This is a simple, straightforward design, and a reasonably convenient form factor. Two biggest limitations are RAM and wireless interfaces, or rather lack thereof. This thing has less RAM than my router (admittedly a $70 box), and has neither WiFi nor BT. It does not seem to have many GPIO pins, too. With the amount of RAM installed, it's mostly a handheld terminal, and maybe a handheld console with emu…
> neither WiFi nor BT I understand having WiFi, it'd be great for a small device like this. But why would we need Bluetooth? It only has 32MB of RAM so I doubt you could get any music running on it.
I played MP3 files in realtime on my old Pentium 75 with 16MB of RAM with plenty of CPU and memory to spare. This thing is way more powerful than you need for simple music playback. Getting audio out however may be a challenge, maybe USB speakers?