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My business card runs Linux

dmitry.gr

21–30 of 143 posts

Re: My business card runs Linux

#21
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe make it an unshielded USB-A connector and don't implement pins 2 and 3, so there's only the 5v and ground pins.

If you have no way to reach the console, how do you know it's running Linux? Or doing anything at all really? The card has no way to display anything by itself.

Such is the tragedy of USB I suspect: all we need is serial ports, and it's extremely hard to prove that's all we'll be doing.

Re: My business card runs Linux

#23
post #21
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you have no way to reach the console, how do you know it's running Linux? Or doing anything at all really? The card has no way to display anything by itself.

Such is the tragedy of USB I suspect: all we need is serial ports, and it's extremely hard to prove that's all we'll be doing.

One could imagine a more sophisticated USB Condom that has a basic uC to implement (only) USB serial on both sides.

Re: My business card runs Linux

#24
post #22

"My business card emulates a long-obsolete MIPS-based DEC computer, which then runs Linux" is a more accurate, and certainly significantly more impressive, description :)

Just you wait, i am working on booting ULTRIX on it, and then hopefully emulating JAZZ system and booting windows NT (video provided over virtual vnc over virtual ethernet over usb)

Re: My business card runs Linux

#26
post #6

"Hey, stranger! Here's my card. Plug it into your computer's USB slot." Cool project, but as a business card, making someone think they're about to install Stuxnet might not be the best first impression. Heh.

That is why I provide sources. Inspect them and tell me if you find anything scary. At most, maybe i forgot to implement some corner of USB-CDC spec :D

Re: My business card runs Linux

#27
Fun story: since the kernel is kept in a FAT partition that Linux can (and does) mount on /boot, and since gcc works, one of these cards is currently sitting on my desk compiling its own kernel, so that i can then "cp vmlinux /boot; reboot" and have it boot a kernel built on it.

Re: My business card runs Linux

#28
post #6

"Hey, stranger! Here's my card. Plug it into your computer's USB slot." Cool project, but as a business card, making someone think they're about to install Stuxnet might not be the best first impression. Heh.

That is why I provide sources. Inspect them and tell me if you find anything scary. At most, maybe i forgot to implement some corner of USB-CDC spec :D

To be very clear, since someone else got confused: This is awesome, and you should be proud. I'm just probably not plugging it into my work computer. :-p

Re: My business card runs Linux

#29
post #6

"Hey, stranger! Here's my card. Plug it into your computer's USB slot." Cool project, but as a business card, making someone think they're about to install Stuxnet might not be the best first impression. Heh.

That is why I provide sources. Inspect them and tell me if you find anything scary. At most, maybe i forgot to implement some corner of USB-CDC spec :D

But you have no way to prove your business card actually runs the released source. And if users are expected to build from source, the card becomes less meaningful.

Similar to the original comment, I fully agree this is a very cool thing. But a business card, which is by definition given to people that likely neither know or trust you, is probably not a particularly good application for it.

Re: My business card runs Linux

#30
post #22

"My business card emulates a long-obsolete MIPS-based DEC computer, which then runs Linux" is a more accurate, and certainly significantly more impressive, description :)

Just you wait, i am working on booting ULTRIX on it, and then hopefully emulating JAZZ system and booting windows NT (video provided over virtual vnc over virtual ethernet over usb)

It's a pity they never ported VMS to it...
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