[nycbug-talk] BSD on the <$100 laptop?

Sun Apr 9 21:06:14 EDT 2006

Sidenote/Update:

Here's the hardware specs, (and a pic of their near-production  
prototype):

http://wiki.laptop.org/wiki/Image:Laptop-crank.jpg

http://wiki.laptop.org/wiki/Hardware_specification
First Generation System

Physical dimensions:

Dimensions: 193mm × 229mm × 64mm (as of 3/27/06—subject to change)
Weight: Less than 1.5 KG (target only—subject to change)
Configuration: Convertible laptop with pivoting, reversible display;  
dirt- and moisture-resistant system enclosure
Core electronics:

CPU: AMD Geode GX2-533 at 1.1W
CPU clock speed: 400 Mhz
Compatibility: X86/X87-compatible
Chipset: AMD CS5536 South Bridge
Graphics controller: Integrated with Geode CPU; unified memory  
architecture
Embedded controller: Based on ENE 3920
DRAM memory: 128MB dynamic RAM
Data rate: Dual – DDR266 – 133 Mhz
BIOS: 512KB SPI-interface flash ROM; LinuxBIOS open-source BIOS
Mass storage: 512MB IDE-interfaced SLC NAND flash
Drives: No rotating media
Display:

Liquid-crystal display: 7” Dual-mode TFT display
Viewing area: 141.5 mm × 105.8 mm
Resolution: 1110 (H) × 830 (V) resolution (200 dpi)
Mono display: High-resolution, reflective monochrome mode
Color display: Standard-resolution, quincunx-sampled, transmissive  
color mode
Integrated peripherals:

Keyboard: 80 keys, 1.2mm stroke; sealed rubber-membrane key-switch  
assembly
Cursor-control keys: Dual five-key cursor-control pads; four  
directional keys plus Enter
Touchpad: Capacitance-sensing touchpad; supports written-input mode
Audio: Analog Devices AD1888, AC97-compatible audio codec; stereo,  
with dual internal speakers; monophonic, with internal microphone
Wireless: Marvell 83W8388, 802.11b/g compatible; dual adjustable,  
rotating coaxial antennas; supports diversity reception
Status indicators: Power, battery, WiFi; visible lid open or closed
External connectors:

Power: 2-pin DC-input, 10–25V
Line output: Standard 3.5mm 3-pin switched stereo audio jack
Microphone: Standard 3.5mm 2-pin switched mono microphone jack;  
selectable sensor-input mode
Expansion: 3 Type-A USB-2.0 connectors
Maximum power: 500 mA (total)
Battery:

Pack type: 6 Cells, 7.2V series configuration
Fully-enclosed “hard” case; user removable
Capacity: 22.8 Watt-hours
Cell type: 7/5AF or 18670 NiMH
Pack protection: Integrated pack-type identification
Integrated thermal sensor
Integrated polyfuse current limiter
Cycle life: Minimum 1,000 charge/discharge cycles
BIOS/loader:

LinuxBIOS is our intended BIOS for production units.
Environmental specifications:

Temperature: somewhere in between typical laptop requirements and Mil  
spec; exact values have not been settled
Humidity: Similar attitude to temperature. When closed, the unit  
should seal well enough that children walking to and from school need  
not fear rainstorms or dust.
Maximum altitude: -15m to 3048m (14.7 to 10.1 psia) (operating), -15m  
to 12192m (14.7 to 4.4 psia) (non-operating
Shock 125g, 2ms, half-sine (operating) 200g, 2ms, half-sine (non- 
operating)
Random vibration: 0.75g zero-to-peak, 10Hz to 500Hz, 0.25 oct/min  
sweep rate (operating); 1.5g zero-to-peak, 10Hz to 500Hz, 0.5 oct/min  
sweep rate (nonoperating)
Regulatory requirements:

The usual US and EU EMI/EMC requirements will be met.
The laptop and all OLPC-supplied accessories will be fully UL and  
RoHS compliant.

Rocket,
.ike

On Apr 9, 2006, at 7:37 PM, Isaac Levy wrote:

> Hi All,
>
>  From Slashdot, then Cnet there was this post about Linux being unfit
> for the'Laptop Per Child' project:
> Negroponte: Slimmer Linux needed for $100 laptop
>
> http://news.com.com/Negroponte+Slimmer+Linux+needed+for+100+laptop/
> 2100-7346_3-6057456.html?tag=nefd.lede
> -or-
> http://tinyurl.com/ns3rr
>
> "People aren't thinking about small, fast, thin systems," said
> Nicholas Negroponte, chairman of the One Laptop Per Child nonprofit
> association, in a speech at the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo here.
> "Suddenly it's like a very fat person (who) uses most of the energy
> to move the fat. And Linux is no exception. Linux has gotten fat,  
> too."
>
> --
> That stated, if anyone is clost to Negroponte or the MIT scene, could
> you email them and point them to us to talk about all the fabulous
> BSD solutions? (mostly the stripped-down *BSD installs running
> embedded hardware etc...)
>
> To name a few,
>
> PicoBSD (FreeBSD base)
> http://people.freebsd.org/~picobsd/picobsd.html
>
> m0n0wall and m0n0bsd, (FreeBSD 4.x based, aimed at Soekris/WRAP
> embedded)
> http://m0n0.ch/
>
> Flashdist (OpenBSD ULTRA-minimal installer)
> http://www.nmedia.net/~chris/soekris/
>
> etc... etc...
>
> I bet many of us on list could get a functional desktop/windowing
> enviornment setup over a weekend of work- using one of the micro
> machines from the MIT project?
>
> :)
>
> --
> More about this project:
>
> http://laptop.media.mit.edu/
>
> http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,69615-0.html?tw=wn_politics_6
>
>
> --
>
> Rocket,
> .ike
>
>
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