Linux in a shoebox

**rsingh** · 5 April 2012, 20:05

Raspberry Pi - when its finally available.

**OwlHoot** · 5 April 2012, 20:34

Originally posted by rsingh View Post

Raspberry Pi - when its finally available.

Wow, many thanks for the prompt reply.

I've even found some sites where people are asking about using the Pi as an ansaphone, such as here

**wim121** · 5 April 2012, 20:36

Originally posted by OwlHoot View Post

I'm sure I've asked this before, but can anyone recommend a small book-sized, preferably diskless box suitable for running linux.

It must be large/flexible enough to install a decent modem & sound cards, or have these built in, because the purpose is to write an app to function as a hand-rolled phone answering machine.

Also, any _recent_ references to a linux answering machine project would be very welcome, and +ve rep will be dished out like confetti to anyone who can help

P.S. I guess I'll need a small dinky screen to go with it. But the idea is not to have an energy-hogging noisy monster, just an unobtrusive ansphone.

So really you need to decide on a form factor first. Quite frankly, I dont think pico-itx (10cm x 7.2cm) or nano-itx (12cm x 12cm) boards will do the trick as they offer no expansion possibilities with the exception of memory card slots for CF or SD.

The smallest most sensible option is a mini-itx board (17cm x 17cm). Most come with one or two dimms, have one or two pci slots (for those with one pci slot, a pci riser card is only a couple of quid). For such a project, you dont need a dual core atom board which sell for £30-£100 on ebay. Instead all you need is something like a via board with a 500mhz cpu. I would make sure you go for a fanless board. I get them off ebay auctions all the time for less than £15 per board and they are great for what you want to use them for as well as other uses. The psu will probably be the most expensive part at around £20+ for one with an adaptor included. All in all, once you scavenge parts together, you can build a setup for under £50.

The case is really up to you. I find most off the shelf ones hideous looking and expensive so I make my own. The only ones I do like are the clear acrylic ones but they do cost £20-£30.

Next, you really need to minimise the amount of add in cards. Once everything is working, then you can get on to the fun part of programming it for use as an answering machine. Also consider scalability, because one feature that springs to mind as useful is to have it hooked up to you home network so you could connect securely to the PC from your smart phone/lappy away from home and listen to your messages and perhaps respond to an urgent one.

Originally posted by rsingh View Post

Raspberry Pi - when its finally available.

Well done for not reading a single word the OP typed.

He wants flexibility to use add in cards, something which is a bit trick for the PI ! Also the PI isnt the only pico-itx board out there you know. Via has a board only a little bigger than the PI.

Oh and just to willy wave, guess who got bumped up the list from queuing to order, to payment and awaiting shipment allocation the other day? That's right, sometime this century, I should be getting one to play with.

**vetran** · 5 April 2012, 22:56

how fast do you need?

NSLU
Beagleboard
Apple Tv
Or get a cheap Android tablet / box < £100.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/cideko-andro...-player-587489

They will do video / audio processing and draw a few watts.(as will Pi when it surfaces)

--- Mid range
NAS such as Stora & Synology mid range bottom. (I have apache,rrd,mysql &dokuwiki running on my Stora - see openstora). Plus rsync. Headless / web

Look at Parky towers for re-purposed thin clients. (sort of got VDR running on a debian Neoware ca21).

---- Bottom end - serial terminal
Omnima
Livebox (livebox hah is cool).
ddrwt & openwrt have support for just about any router.

**petergriffin** · 6 April 2012, 09:57

Is the Genesi smarttop too big? It's around 130 Euro.

**OwlHoot** · 6 April 2012, 13:49

Originally posted by petergriffin View Post

Is the Genesi smarttop too big? It's around 130 Euro.

Absolutely! That's just the size I'm looking for. But does it have a modem card and socket, to plug a normal phone jack into, or could one be added?

Trouble is I know next to nothing about the hardware side - You're talking to somone who has bought the wrong kind of broadband router - twice!

**OwlHoot** · 6 April 2012, 14:08

Bingo! Just found this web page, dated today![*]

But that seems to be for a US system. Will it work for BT phones I wonder?

edit:[*] DOH! He just has today's date in the header - The date at the bottom of the page is in 2008 (which isn't too bad I suppose)

**petergriffin** · 6 April 2012, 14:14

If you are probably better off buying a 2nd hand cheap old rubbish laptop, operate it from mains and install a dedicated linux distro. It will work better and it will be cheaper that any of these overpriced small form factor boards.

**vetran** · 6 April 2012, 14:15

Are you are building a home pbx. you want asterisk & voipinfo. Plenty of embedded ones 2 line.

Linux in a shoebox