Pen-Yuan Hsing wrote:
On the hardware side, I am looking at the VIA ARTiGO A1100
(http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/embedded/artigo/a1100/index.jsp),
with the following specifications:
Mainboard: EPIA-P820
Processor: 1.2 GHz VIA Nano (64-bit)
Memory: 2 GB 200-pin DDR2 800 mHz
Graphics: VIA Chrome9 3D/2D AGP Integrated Graphics
LAN: VIA VT6122 10/100/1000
Audio: VIA VT1708S 8 channel HD audio
Wireless: VIA 802.11 b/g (not sure what model number)
HDD: Transcend 32GB SSD or OWC Mercury 40GB Extreme Pro SSD
Here's what I am wondering:
Are the software and hardware solutions I stated above Free (as in
Freedom)? I know gNewSense is, but what about hardware support for the
A1100?
I assume that by "Free hardware solution" you mean for the hardware to
be supported by Free drivers/firmware (as opposed to hardware with
freely available schematics, e.g. Qi hardware [1]).
Via's drivers for the graphics are non-free, but gNewSense 2.x has the
openChrome driver. I don't know what features it provides, but whatever
it provides should be fully functional (we don't seem to rip anything
Via-related from Linux).
I don't know about the other hardware components, but I'm not very
hopeful about free software support.
IF the hardware is not fully free, is there a viable alternative of a
similar, tiny form factor? Perhaps something similar to the Lemote
Yeeloong but not a netbook? If the Yeeloong is the only way to go,
please let me know how I should set it up.
Please let me know either way, and if there is an alternative please
show me where to find it?
There's the Lemote Fuloong, but it needs a non-free blob in the firmware
for VGA. As you're going to use it as a server you probably don't need
video output, so this might be an acceptable solution. You can order it
from Tekmote [2] or directly from Lemote [3].
For an "as free as it gets" computer the Yeeloong is still the only
solution (the Ben Nanonote is not exactly server material).
[1] http://en.qi-hardware.com/wiki/Main_Page
[2] http://tekmote.nl
[3] http://wiki.gnewsense.org/Projects/OrderingDirectFromLemote
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