[Freedombox-discuss] DreamPlugs arrived this week, work fine. Network experiment?
Hi,
Maybe one way to start working on the freedombox with this plug you
received might be to install debian on it, with encrypted rootfs, and then
install a bunch of the software/services listed on the wiki, with minimal
configuration and try to benchmark it to see how it behaves.
That would help to have an idea if this kind of hardware is able to handle
the load and then define the hardware requirement a bit better.
bert.
On Wed, Apr 13, 2011 at 03:26:50AM -0700, John Gilmore wrote:
> I had ordered a couple of DreamPlugs from
>
> https://globalscaletechnologies.com/c-5-dreamplugs.aspx
> https://dreamplug.googlecode.com/files/DreamPlug%20User%20Guide_US_v1.1.pdf
>
> and then complained to the list about slow delivery. Well, the boxes
> arrived and I tried one tonight. You plug it into the wall and it
> boots up what looks like a very stock Ubuntu 9.04 for ARM and enables
> the WiFi as an access point. You can then connect to SSID
> DreamPlug-xxxxxxx from a laptop, and ssh root at 192.168.1.1 with
> password "nosoup4u". (Then change it!) The basic machine comes with
> df showing about 1GB of spare flash space, which you'll start filling
> with apt-get; it's a very stripped down distro. I added strace,
> powertop, mtr, and binutils right off the bat as I poked around. It
> comes running a web server, you can just edit the page in /var/www.
> When I plugged in an Ethernet cord, it got itself an IP address. If
> you could figure out which address it got, you could ssh into it, or
> browse its web page, over your home Ethernet. But it doesn't
> seem to be gatewaying or natting the access point to the Internet by
> default -- so those on the access point can't see the Internet, even
> though the DreamPlug itself can.
>
> I haven't compiled "hello.c" on it yet, but I believe it'll self-host
> for software development (after a big apt-get gcc). You can add an
> eSata or USB disk drive to it for some real storage. I also bought a
> JTAG/serial adapter that plugs into little jacks on the DreamPlug for
> debugging kernels or init scripts, or for general "console sysadmin"
> when needed. Not everyone would need this, but you'll need to borrow
> or buy one if you manage to reconfigure your system enough that you
> break it in some fundamental way and it won't boot up.
>
> It gets warm but not hot when sitting there doing very little for a day.
>
> Anyway, it looks like an interesting base to start building & trying
> FreedomBox software on.
>
> Anybody want to do some experiments with routing an overlay IPv6
> network via such boxes? I have a theory on how to build an overlay
> network that'll let you reach your neighbors despite an Internet
> shutdown caused by a government, an ISP, or a disaster. It should
> also get all of you on the net, at least in a fashion, if *any* of you
> has a working net connection. If you want to help develop and test
> this idea, you should be running IPv6 on your local Ethernet already.
>
> John
>
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