Re: [gentoo-embedded] How to start with Gentoo embedded?

[Marcus Priesch]

Hi,

On Mon, 2007-09-24 at 22:01 +0200, Jean-Marc Beaune wrote:
> I meant I'd like to be able to control my heating system via a web
> interface (over the LAN or Internet). But that's only an example.

i have something here using the following HW:

  - extended my "home" server (pvr, mail, web, etc ...) with a few 
    1wire sensors connected to my heating system via usb (see
    www.maxim.com) - they also offer free samples ;)
    if you would like to try this i would also suggest to take a 
    look at the 1wire filesystem (http://owfs.sourceforge.net/)

  - the "GUI" (pygtk) is running on a hp ipaq running familiar linux
    connected via wlan

  - there is also a web gui for controlling the settings, the GUI is 
    also network transparent - so can run anywhere in the world as long 
    as it can reach my "home" server ... e.g. on my laptop (as it's
    python and gtk, it would also run on win32 and ...)

  - as the ipaq also has a serial interface, one could imagine to 
    put the complete heating control from the "home" server onto 
    the ipaq (there is also a 1wire to rs232 interface chip existing) -
    and have a complete heating solution with a nice user interface 
    running on an ipaq ;)

  nb: besides displaying the heating controls the way i like best, 
      it also shows me weather forecast and temp. curves ... ,)

there is lots of linux support ongoing for nice peaces of hardware, with
or without display/input ... however if you need display *and* input i
would suggest to think about some "state-of-the-art" pda running
linux ... "not-so-bleeding-edge" hardware mainly is very well supported
(like my ipaq), it's cheaper than the individual components and you dont
have to fiddle around with hard and software settings ;) - not that i
dont like doing this ;)

for bleeding edge apps, the nokia n800 would come in handy here ;)

> I already built a system to control the heating but it's standalone, I
> miss the "web part", that's why I think embedded linux could do the
> trick, the only problem I see is the hardware. I have a bunch of old
> print server such as Axis or HP JetDirect equiped with Motorola µC,
> but I don't know if it's possible to install Linux on it.

although i have no experience with uClinux, i think you are rather
limited on what applications you can run there - i think you would be
better off investing some more bucks into better hardware to run a
"full" linux on it ... 

cheers,
mexx.




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