Debian GNU/Linux comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY, to the extent
permitted by applicable law.
Last login: Tue Jul 30 16:28:25 2019 from 192.168.8.xxx
# uname -a
Linux p0 4.4.124-oxnas-tld-1 #1 SMP PREEMPT Wed Mar 28 22:46:38 PDT 2018 armv6l GNU/Linux
# free -m
total used free shared buff/cache available
Mem: 119 37 20 0 60 75
Swap: 0 0 0
# w
16:35:41 up 197 days, 2:33, 14 users, load average: 0.46, 0.85, 0.51
USER TTY FROM LOGIN@ IDLE JCPU PCPU WHAT
uptime pts/0 192.168.8.xxx 16:33 4.00s 0.16s 0.05s w
uptime pts/1 tmux(3447).%0 19Jan19 162days 0.93s 3:51 tmux
uptime pts/2 tmux(3447).%1 19Jan19 165days 0.10s 0.10s -bash
uptime pts/3 tmux(3447).%8 19Jan19 191days 0.10s 0.10s -bash
uptime pts/4 tmux(3447).%3 19Jan19 164days 0.29s 0.29s -bash
uptime pts/5 tmux(3447).%4 19Jan19 192days 0.10s 0.10s -bash
uptime pts/7 tmux(3447).%6 19Jan19 192days 0.26s 0.26s -bash
uptime pts/8 tmux(3447).%7 19Jan19 191days 0.10s 0.10s -bash
uptime pts/9 tmux(3447).%9 25Jan19 185days 0.11s 0.11s -bash
uptime pts/10 tmux(3447).%10 25Jan19 84days 0.13s 0.13s -bash
uptime pts/11 tmux(3447).%16 16Feb19 164days 0.09s 0.09s -bash
uptime pts/12 tmux(3447).%17 16Feb19 81days 0.10s 0.10s -bash
uptime pts/13 tmux(3447).%11 14Feb19 165days 0.18s 0.18s -bash
uptime pts/15 tmux(3447).%13 15Feb19 43days 0.66s 3:51 tmux
Soo… it’s like a retarded vt220, then?
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mmm yeah but it’s my retarted vt220, and I love it!
128 MB ram, 2 ARMv6 cores @ 700 MHz, gigabit ethernet, built-in 2.4 GHz wifi, and 4 USB ports
runs Debian (and I think also Arch, quite likely also NetBSD): Linux Device Hacking :: Debian
A couple years ago I picked up half a dozen of them for $60 total - seems like they’re sold out now, but a “newer” model is currently on closeout: https://www.adorama.com/brands/Pogoplug - you can get 100 of them $500, delivered!
I prefer this model though - because it is easier to solder connectors to the serial port pins on the motherboard (note the colored wires coming out of the case) - a necessary step for installing a proper OS and making it otherwise useful … Well - one got hacked into a low-end bench supply built around its internal 12 volt transformer - that’s pretty useful too.
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Reminds me of one of those Dotcom 1.0 boxes that had IDE headers and you could burn a new BIOS onto. Oh, right.
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well, that one’s actually “new” to me … quite an i-Opener really!
forgot to mention the pogoplugs are utterly headless - I did once attempt to finagle video out via a Wavlink USB2-to-VGA adapter (which cost over twice as much as the pogoplug itself) but didn’t get it working before my limited attention span got the better of that ill-advised exercise in “y tho”. I think it might have required giving up some of that precious 128 MB ram for a framebuffer, so … nevermind.
Anyway - now that I have my dedicated always-on desktop Hetzner-link (possibly to a parallel universe) properly labeled as such - I’m going to say this one is finally complete!
It is the ultimate low-end box.
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Does it do anything but act as a headless console?
well … it’s a damn fine headless console, really.
It was originally marketed as a low-end NAS for external USB drives (maybe also SATA via mini pcie on some of them if you really want to get deep into the weeds with it) … and then also as a gateway to some “cloud storage” backup service which eventually shut down.
The one on my desktop is home to a little Fossil source code repo, with its built-in webserver, wiki, and all that. I also put ikiwiki on it, which runs okay except the git backend for that takes a few seconds longer than I like when updating a page, so I found greener pastures for that workload elsewhere.
One of the others is in service in the living room as a gateway to an arduino controlling some blinkenlights - nginx and gunicorn come in handy for a python and websockets interface to some of that.
The serial connector (a necessary hack to flash the device in the first place - unless you want to get in through the JTAG interface) also is useful sometimes as a serial adapter for other microcontrollers - basically it’s a relatively cheap ethernet-to-serial adapter … You know, for those times when you just need to have gigabit ethernet talking to a 115,200 baud serial port talking to a 72 MHz stm32 or whatever.
But mostly the one on my desk has been earning its keep as a low-power always-on jump host for persistent connections. (And it handles IPv6 like a champ, for whatever that’s worth.)
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Who supplies the beer?
I’m usually well stocked 
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I want one now. Dick.
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