Re: [gentoo-amd64] Re: How To Play WMV (thread drift -slaveryware)

[Boyd Stephen Smith Jr.]

On Saturday 30 September 2006 01:55, "Duncan" <1i5t5.duncan@×××.net> wrote 
about '[gentoo-amd64]  Re: How To Play WMV (thread drift -slaveryware)':
> I've been spending some time recently
> researching [routers and mp3 players] both, for my next upgrades.
> My next router will likely be a
> Linksys WRT compatible router

I've had good luck running OpenWRT on the older models (v1.1 and v2).  The 
newer non-L(inux) models [which can have Linux installed on them by the 
user, after killing VxWorks] have fewer resources, so DD-WRT might be more 
appropriate, but I don't have any experience with that.  The newer L(inux) 
models come at a premium and may not be carried everywhere, but OpenWRT is 
a fine choice for them.

If the load on the LAN will be large, be aware that the WRT hw does have 
some issues under heavy load, particularly when the number of TCP 
connections being created is high which happens with some P2P clients.

> (if it's not, it'll be a full computer
> running a conventional x86 or x86_64/amd64 based Linux kernel), bought
> with the intent of upgrading it to one of the several open source
> firmware alternatives available.

If you need GigE speeds for the LAN, be sure to find a main board with good 
buses.  No PC NICs that I know of support HW level routing at any layer, 
so every packet that is routed has to cross your bus twice, once going to 
memory and once going back to that (or another) NIC.  The standard PCI bus 
(not PCI-X or PCI-e) can only support 4 Gbps in the best of conditions, 
which means only about 2 GigE clients.

> Likewise, my next mp3 player, which
> will be my first hard drive based unit, will be purchased with the
> intent of upgrading it to rockbox or a similar alternative, as well as
> upgrading the hard drive to a 120 gig or so model.

While the HD isn't upgradable, the iRiver H10 line will run Rockbox.  IIRC, 
the older H300 models do as well.  I've be very happy with my iFP-799, 
although I do use a hacked firmware, which improves the range of Vorbis 
bitrates the player supports.  (The native vorbis support of the iFP line 
was the main reason I purchased from iRiver.)  IIRC, Rockbox is also being 
ported to the iFP line, but that port is not complete.  Once I feel 
installing RockBox is safe, I'll probably upgrade my iFP to it.

-- 
"If there's one thing we've established over the years,
it's that the vast majority of our users don't have the slightest
clue what's best for them in terms of package stability."
-- Gentoo Developer Ciaran McCreesh