5 ms·

Sort of equivalent to this: https://hackaday.com/2012/03/28/building-the-worst-linux-pc-ever/ https://hackaday.com/2012/03/28/building-the-worst-linux-pc-...

ASalazarMX 5y ago
> it takes two hours to boot up to a bash prompt, and four more to load up Ubuntu and login. If you want a Megahertz rating, good luck; the effective clock speed is about 6.5 kilohertz. While the worst Linux PC ever won’t win any races, its simple construction puts it within the reach of even the klutziest of hardware builders; the entire device is just a microcontroller, RAM, SD card, a few resistors, and some wire. I don't know why, but this little kludge greatly pleases my sense of aesthetics.
- jhgb 5y ago
  Should have run Oberon, though.
- IgorPartola 5y ago
  I remember when I first learned of MySQL’s triggers I immediately thought that it might be fun to use them to implement a microcontroller or even a full computer emulator. A table with registers, a table for RAM, etc. If it was x86 or ARM or some such then I could compile Linux on it and then run MySQL inside of that!
  - krylon 5y ago
    That is an amazing idea. Then run SAP on top of that and turn it into an art installation.
bradleypowers 5y ago
Sort of equivalent to this (installing Linux on a dead badger): http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/articles/installing-linux-on-a-dead-badger-users-notes/ http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/articles/installing-l...
anthk 5y ago
Not even close. 8MB of RAM with a 32bit processor will run Linux perfecly well on minimal builds. A 230MHZ 32bit CPU it's far more powerful than a 8bit processor emulating a 32bit one. You could use cli apps and even X perfecly well with 16MB and 80MHZ in 1996. EDIT: Ok, this is emulating too. Sorry, then.
- danachow 5y ago
  Linux doesn’t target the xtensa nor does it have a proper mmu so this is emulating a risc-v. It is still very much in the novelty “hack” realm.
  - anthk 5y ago
    Ah, then that's different, because I've run Linux under an Armv5 device with 32+16mb of RAM with zram just fine.
  - fulafel 5y ago
    There does seem to be a Xtensa Linux port, but you need a Xtensa chip that has some more features than the ESP32 does. http://wiki.linux-xtensa.org/index.php/Supported_Processors http://wiki.linux-xtensa.org/index.php/Supported_Processors
- faisalhackshah 5y ago
  Similar in the sense that both approaches essentially run Linux in a VM, virtualizing the typical hardware required such as the MMU. In essence, it's the esp32 version isn't much different, just faster as the core is faster. Would be cool to get no-MMU Linux running on it. I've seen that run on STM32F7's natively..

ASalazarMX 5y ago

> it takes two hours to boot up to a bash prompt, and four more to load up Ubuntu and login. If you want a Megahertz rating, good luck; the effective clock speed is about 6.5 kilohertz. While the worst Linux PC ever won’t win any races, its simple construction puts it within the reach of even the klutziest of hardware builders; the entire device is just a microcontroller, RAM, SD card, a few resistors, and some wire. I don't know why, but this little kludge greatly pleases my sense of aesthetics.

jhgb 5y ago
Should have run Oberon, though.
IgorPartola 5y ago
I remember when I first learned of MySQL’s triggers I immediately thought that it might be fun to use them to implement a microcontroller or even a full computer emulator. A table with registers, a table for RAM, etc. If it was x86 or ARM or some such then I could compile Linux on it and then run MySQL inside of that!
- krylon 5y ago
  That is an amazing idea. Then run SAP on top of that and turn it into an art installation.

bradleypowers 5y ago

Sort of equivalent to this (installing Linux on a dead badger): http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/articles/installing-linux-on-a-dead-badger-users-notes/ http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/articles/installing-l...

anthk 5y ago

Not even close. 8MB of RAM with a 32bit processor will run Linux perfecly well on minimal builds. A 230MHZ 32bit CPU it's far more powerful than a 8bit processor emulating a 32bit one. You could use cli apps and even X perfecly well with 16MB and 80MHZ in 1996. EDIT: Ok, this is emulating too. Sorry, then.

danachow 5y ago
Linux doesn’t target the xtensa nor does it have a proper mmu so this is emulating a risc-v. It is still very much in the novelty “hack” realm.
- anthk 5y ago
  Ah, then that's different, because I've run Linux under an Armv5 device with 32+16mb of RAM with zram just fine.
- fulafel 5y ago
  There does seem to be a Xtensa Linux port, but you need a Xtensa chip that has some more features than the ESP32 does. http://wiki.linux-xtensa.org/index.php/Supported_Processors http://wiki.linux-xtensa.org/index.php/Supported_Processors
faisalhackshah 5y ago
Similar in the sense that both approaches essentially run Linux in a VM, virtualizing the typical hardware required such as the MMU. In essence, it's the esp32 version isn't much different, just faster as the core is faster. Would be cool to get no-MMU Linux running on it. I've seen that run on STM32F7's natively..