[PLUG] small Linux boxes

Keith Lofstrom keithl at kl-ic.com
Thu Jun 22 20:37:30 UTC 2006


On Thu, Jun 22, 2006 at 03:03:55AM -0700, Josh Orchard wrote:
> Hello all,
> 
> I'm looking to build a linux box that will server one purpose.  It will 
> just encode audio files.  I may encode video too but not right away.  I 
> want this machine to be very small.  Thus a small case.  I'm looking for 
> any pre-built or easy to build small case machines and hopefully local 
> supplier that would be compatible with linux.  If all the features minus 
> the sound and potentially video was built on the mother board that would 
> be fine.  I think I would need just 2 expansion slots to deal with the 
> possible additional cards. 
> 
> I have seen cases with pre-built system before about but not in a 
> while.  really want a small box and was hoping to spend about $300.  I 
> don't need a killer CPU for this or more then 1GB Ram (possible only 
> 512MB) and the HD can be as small as 40GB.  I can buy a full on 
> mid-tower case for this price but want the machine to be small. 
> 
> suggestions?  Anyone buy a pre-built small case system that has worked 
> with Linux - sound/video supported? 

An older used laptop would do a fine job - audio encoding can be done
with quite a modest machine.  Check http://www.linux-laptop.net/ for
info on specific models.

If you must have new, and a desktop-like machine, then there are a
few mini-ITX machines around.  You will end up spending more like
$500, though, when you get done buying all the pieces.  I have one
Shuttle ST62K mini-ITX running Linux, and compared to the average
desktop install, it was a pain in the rear.  A lot of odd built-in
hardware with weird drivers, not the same as a full-sized motherboard. 
There are relatively few people running Linux on mini-ITX, so the
ST62K built-in chipsets doesn't get much attention. 

I chose the ST62K because it has a very quiet cooling system.  That
might be important for a sound recording system.  That said, I don't
even know if the sound input works on it.  Probably.

I put a different video card in it, using up the one and only PCI slot.

Keith

-- 
Keith Lofstrom          keithl at keithl.com         Voice (503)-520-1993
KLIC --- Keith Lofstrom Integrated Circuits --- "Your Ideas in Silicon"
Design Contracting in Bipolar and CMOS - Analog, Digital, and Scan ICs



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