31–40 of 113 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
(author here) We use the device instead of a Raspberry Pi, not for anything too serious: we attached it to a screen and have a small server running with an API where you can write single pixels into the framebuffer (a bit like /r/place)
Ironically, the Raspberry Pi started as a failed set-top box.
It is impressive that that they were able to run linux without making permanent destructive changes. Had a pogoplug that I was able to repurpose as a linux server for some odd cron jobs and occasional backups. Assuming there are no such constraints to revert, what other general purpose consumer devices are hack friendly and can be turned into low powered linux boxes ?
The main difficultly is usually unlocking the bootloader.
I struggle to think of what purpose a device that wasn’t meant to be a Linux computer would realistically serve beyond nefarious goals.
(author here) We use the device instead of a Raspberry Pi, not for anything too serious: we attached it to a screen and have a small server running with an API where you can write single pixels into the framebuffer (a bit like /r/place)
I struggle to think of what purpose a device that wasn’t meant to be a Linux computer would realistically serve beyond nefarious goals.
Getting a cheap NAS.
I struggle to think of what purpose a device that wasn’t meant to be a Linux computer would realistically serve beyond nefarious goals.
This is an ethically neutral activity. The mere act of transforming a device into such a computer doesn't add or remove any nefarious goals, if you have those goals, you can get another device intended to be a Linux computer and still accomplish them (and it would be much easier). If the transformation is done in contravention of the owner, it's bad, but it sounds like from the article that the ISP has written it off…
It is impressive that that they were able to run linux without making permanent destructive changes. Had a pogoplug that I was able to repurpose as a linux server for some odd cron jobs and occasional backups. Assuming there are no such constraints to revert, what other general purpose consumer devices are hack friendly and can be turned into low powered linux boxes ?
Not exactly a consumer device, but old thin clients are cheap and can be repurposed this way.
Very cool, I wish I could do this sort of thing.
It is impressive that that they were able to run linux without making permanent destructive changes. Had a pogoplug that I was able to repurpose as a linux server for some odd cron jobs and occasional backups. Assuming there are no such constraints to revert, what other general purpose consumer devices are hack friendly and can be turned into low powered linux boxes ?
It's an Android TV box. It was running Linux already. The main difficultly is usually unlocking the bootloader.
It's optimized for mainline Linux and since u-boot supports UEFI booting, you can just throw a downloaded Fedora arm64 image on it and it will boot.