If you are looking for a standalone Linux box just to turn on a lamp I think you are over-thinking things. Check out X10 automation kits: here's one for ~$24.

If you are looking for a standalone Linux box just to turn on a lamp I think you are over-thinking things. Check out X10 automation kits: here's one for ~$24. http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=x10+pc+interface&gs_upl=3248l5744l1l5814l18l6l3l9l9l0l210l1167l0.4.2l13l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1044&bih=784&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=3689478540530663871&sa=X&ei=7RsNT6KbDsTx0gG28tiXBg&ved=0CHkQ8wIwAw http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=x10+pc+in... You should be able to control that with a small script (python, perl, etc. anything that can write to a serial port) that you keep running on any computer in your parents' or your own home. X10's advertising is notoriously lowbrow, but the hardware itself is decent and a little googling will find you a lot of hackers that have done crazy stuff with it.