Ok linux fans, my current server is getting a bit long in the tooth and definatly taking up WAY too much power than it should. So in the name of saving the planet im going to upgrade it this will also give me somthing to do on my time off from work. What i want to use is a "guruPlug* "(when it becomes avaliable to buy) however it runs a Maxwell ARM SoC (system on chip). Now i know that i can install Debian on it (my current distro of choice for the server) but im a little stumped about what exactly the ARM flavour of Debian is. Is it, A) a version of linux with a mystical install procedure but once completed exactly the same as regular X86 debian for installing and configuring packages (such as DNSMasq, BIND, IPTables etc.) or B) so blooming complicated im going to need to learn Assembly in order for it to power on. Id really like it to be A) as then ill have a very low powered gateway with an external HDD set installed on it for the media server! Assuming of course i can get the eSATA port multiplyer to work AND the little beast has enough guts to run SAMBA + QoS packet shaping at the same time. * GuruPlug is the next version of SheevaPlug but with 2x Gig Ethernet, USB, eSATA, WiFi, Bluetooth and an SD reader (where id install the OS) and sipping the miniscule power of 5Watts! http://www.newit.co.uk/shop/proddetail.php?prod=GuruPlug-ServerPlus Thats not an advertisement, i just like the idea of it and to give you lot a sence of what the hell im talking about!
ARM is just another architecture like i386 or amd64 (x86_64). The only difference is that all packages need to be compiled with a different CHOST flag, but since there is a ARM Debian release, you probably won't notice the difference (other than the chance that you'll have less packages to choose from).
Thanks for the speedy responce, i suppose i should have realised that an ARM flavour is just like and amd64 flavour as ive played about with that before. Now my plan is coming together (port multi on the eSATA is a go too!) all i need to work out is if the CPU can handle what i want of it and how to install MasterShaper on Lenny. shouldnt be tooooooo hard (famous last words!)
Those plugs look awesome. I've always been tempted by the SlimPC, but those guruplugs are 1/3rd the price.
they are cool arnt they! no screen mind you but then thats where the ethernet and an X server comes in. Personally i wont need it for the GUI, just need it to share bandwidth accordingly and host apache for my usenet downloader (hellanzb). GuruPlug isnt out just yet (or is just avaliable) so ive got to wait a bit longer before i can get it.
