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Hardware for OpenWrt

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Re: Hardware for OpenWrt

#51

Post by gcb0 »

justin66 wrote: post #45
bluedino wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

SGI's secret sauce was their 64-bitness and their 3D hardware. Their CPU/networking wasn't really anything special even at the time compared to Sun/DEC.

Not true in my experience. My R4400 and R10000 hardware always ran circles around SPARC workstations of the era and I wasn't a graphics developer.

all the SGIs i got on enterprise/university auctions were used for networking tasks... i did got a couple full color cards and couple 3d cards (indy had 8 bit cards, 24 bit cards, and 8bit Z cards -- which were good for 3d. there was no 24bit 3d)

Re: Hardware for OpenWrt

#52

Post by gcb0 »

slewis wrote: post #36

Check this out too: http://8devices.com/carambola-2 The hardware design isn't open-source, but all the software is, and it's available now for 19euro per module. It's built on Atheros' AR9331 chipset which means you get to use the awesome open-source ath9k driver.

Everytime i see those things, i dream that i will wake up the next day and there will be no signs of ISP or cable companies. let alone telcos. only mesh network and IPv6.

Re: Hardware for OpenWrt

#53

Post by dang »

click170 wrote: post #46

Frankly I'm getting tired of these empty posts. Where is the source? Can we stop posting "news" like this unless it is actually significant, ie contains the thing that they claim is open? Its almost to the point where these posts should be flagged IMO.

I think you have a point. We took "open source" out of the title as misleading, since the project apparently isn't there yet.

Re: Hardware for OpenWrt

#54

Post by cottonseed »

voltagex_ wrote: post #47
cottonseed wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They claim they are going to open source it. This is (disappointingly) common practice among "open source" hardware projects. See, for example, most "open source" kickstarters.

Sometimes it's the chipset vendors holding things up, but I agree - it's getting frustrating. I'm holding out hope for http://www.securifi.com/almondplus

Why would you describe your project as open source if you didn't have the rights to release it as such?

Nothing on that page or their Kickstarter says that Almond+ is meant to be OSH.

Re: Hardware for OpenWrt

#55

Post by cottonseed »

dang wrote: post #53
click170 wrote: post #46

Frankly I'm getting tired of these empty posts. Where is the source? Can we stop posting "news" like this unless it is actually significant, ie contains the thing that they claim is open? Its almost to the point where these posts should be flagged IMO.

I think you have a point. We took "open source" out of the title as misleading, since the project apparently isn't there yet.

Even if they release the original design files, it won't be open source hardware. Requiring binary blobs clearly violates the Necessary Hardware Criterion. See the OSH Definition 1.0:

http://www.oshwa.org/definition/

Re: Hardware for OpenWrt

#56

Post by bluedino »

gcb0 wrote: post #51
justin66 wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not true in my experience. My R4400 and R10000 hardware always ran circles around SPARC workstations of the era and I wasn't a graphics developer.

all the SGIs i got on enterprise/university auctions were used for networking tasks... i did got a couple full color cards and couple 3d cards (indy had 8 bit cards, 24 bit cards, and 8bit Z cards -- which were good for 3d. there was no 24bit 3d)

Didn't they sell a stripped down Indy with no graphics capability under the Webforce line?

Re: Hardware for OpenWrt

#57

Post by eric_bullington »

zokier wrote: post #44
eric_bullington wrote: post #34

This is an interesting project, but it's a shame they're using a Mediatek chipset instead of an Allwinner one. Mediatek is one of the biggest GPL violators out there, while Allwinner chips are among the most open hardware out there (perhaps the most open). See: http://linux-sunxi.org/Main_Page The only non open hardware on Allwinner chips is the ARM-licensed Mali GPU, but it's been reversed engineered to the point of…

Does Allwinner actually manufacture router-oriented chips? Ralink (now owned by MediaTek) has been making networking parts for over 10 years now. > The only non open hardware on Allwinner chips is the ARM-licensed Mali GPU I seriously doubt that any part of Allwinners chips can be classified as open hardware. Just to clarify, this is wikipedias view on what open (source) hardware means: > The term usually means that…

I should have differentiated between "open source hardware" and open hardware. By using the later term, I meant to describe hardware that uses open source software to drive the hardware, and that can be easily modified.

And I screwed up with my description of this project -- you're right that it's a MIPS not ARM core. Sorry about that.

Re: Hardware for OpenWrt

#58

Post by gcb0 »

bluedino wrote: post #56
gcb0 wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

all the SGIs i got on enterprise/university auctions were used for networking tasks... i did got a couple full color cards and couple 3d cards (indy had 8 bit cards, 24 bit cards, and 8bit Z cards -- which were good for 3d. there was no 24bit 3d)

Didn't they sell a stripped down Indy with no graphics capability under the Webforce line?

i think that still had the 8bit card. but i may be wrong. also, i never had U$20k to pay for it when it launched, so i never saw their marketing :)

Re: Hardware for OpenWrt

#59

Post by justin66 »

bluedino wrote: post #56
gcb0 wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

all the SGIs i got on enterprise/university auctions were used for networking tasks... i did got a couple full color cards and couple 3d cards (indy had 8 bit cards, 24 bit cards, and 8bit Z cards -- which were good for 3d. there was no 24bit 3d)

Didn't they sell a stripped down Indy with no graphics capability under the Webforce line?

There was a stripped down, headless, Indigo2-based server. I'm not sure how much you could really strip down an Indy, though. It was already kind of their entry-level thing.

Re: Hardware for OpenWrt

#60

Post by daveloyall »

cottonseed wrote: post #54
voltagex_ wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sometimes it's the chipset vendors holding things up, but I agree - it's getting frustrating. I'm holding out hope for http://www.securifi.com/almondplus

Why would you describe your project as open source if you didn't have the rights to release it as such? Nothing on that page or their Kickstarter says that Almond+ is meant to be OSH.

Idea: OSHW wall of shame. Quick poll: which existing website would be most likely to volunteer to curate such a page?

edit: OSH --> OSHW

edit: probably http://www.oshwa.org (seems to be down right now)

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