On Tue, 2011-10-18 at 11:36 -0700, Carl E. Ma wrote: > I am looking for device support followings: > > 1. ssh server > 2. dns client > 3. login > 4. web server with java support > > The entry level - 4501 might be able to meet above requirement. My question > is the size of storage. Is it possible to install regular OpenBSD or Ubuntu > on it? May I install any size of compatible compact flash? Should I go with > 5501 for bigger storage(USB2.0, ATA interface)?
Howdy, I have run several 4521 soekris boxes until recently. I stopped using them for firewall boxes only because the amount of ram they had was too small for the newer versions of my firewall software. I am trying them out with openwrt and the results look good so far. All the features you ask for, except java, are there. The web browser is only used for configuration at the moment, but I don't see why you could not expand that. Used 4521 boards are available on ebay for $30. If you want to run Ubuntu, think about the version you want to run. Starting with Ubuntu 10.10, Ubuntu requires a CPU with CMOV support. They compile it for the 686 architecture, but the CMOV support is the only thing I have found that is needed that a 486 does not have. The geode on the Soekris 4500 series and 4801 boards is only capable of running an Ubuntu kernel up to version 10.04(supported with security updates for servers until 2015). I don't have any Geode LX boards(which the 5501 uses), so I can't say for sure, but I expect the 5501 would work with newer Ubuntu versions. The 4801 supports a standard laptop IDE drive. Any of these boards that have the 44 pin IDE connector or sata should be great for a Linux or BSD system. If you use Gentoo or one of the build it yourself distros, you can get about anything running. T2 works pretty well, and OpenEmbedded looks good, but I don't have it working yet. Good luck, Ralph _______________________________________________ Soekris-tech mailing list [email protected] http://lists.soekris.com/mailman/listinfo/soekris-tech
