Baobab Linux Specifications
August 29th, 2006
baobab linux hardware linux open source software touchscreenBaobab Linux is a Linux distribution targeted specifically for customized iOpener computers. Linux distributions have already been built for the iOpener, but the iOpeners used by Baobab Health Partnership include such hardware customizations as: touchscreen hardware, USB ethernet adaptor, etc. Furthermore, Baobab Linux requires an integrated web browser able to process AJAX requests. Hence, Baobab Linux initially needs to support a specific set of hardware to run a web browser.
Hardware:
- iOpener computer
- x86 processor (266MHz Rise)
- VGA video card - Trident Cyberblade 7
- LCD monitor running at 800×600
- USB Ethernet (Pegasus)
- Touchscreen - Made by 3M. MERL may create alternative version (serial port support most important, USB support is nice to have)
- Sound card (not top priority, dependent on 16 volt power supply)
- 32 MB of RAM
- 16 MB Flash disk
- Keyboard (bar code scanner)
- Printers (label and laser via parallel port)
Software:
- Web browser that is AJAX capable and starts in full screen mode
- Time for initial power on until web browser appears: 10 seconds (this is a rough goal)
- Screen saver capable of displaying blank screen or full screen web page (not critical)
- Printing program (command line) which takes file as argument, and passes file to local printer. Web browser will have a mime-type configured to pass all “application/print” files (or simply .lpr files) to this program.
- Pressing power button should do a quick shutdown (why not just instantly shut off - everything is read only, right?)
- Consider power management features?
- Everything needs to fit on that 16MB flash disk and run in 32MB of RAM
Build system: Need to be able to configure the home page for the web browser. Need documentation for adding drivers/software in the future. Specifications for the type of machine the build system needs to run on (Baobab is moving to standardize on Ubuntu for all developer machines). We would like to be able to run Baobab Linux in vmplayer for testing. We would like to be able to build Baobab Linux for other hardware - (Wyse terminals, regular laptops, etc) - build system should be designed with this in mind.
2 Comments Add your own
1. Chris Blow | May 13th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
It appears that the iopener is no longer available reliably, right? do you have recommendations for those of us attempting to replicate you model without this particular hardware?
2. mike | May 14th, 2007 at 6:10 am
Chris - that is correct. We got lucky and had someone generously donate a large amount of them to Africa.
The alternative hardware questions is one that I have been thinking a lot about lately - in fact I just returned from a conference in Malaysia where among other things I met with a OLPC person, as well as an INK media person (http://www.ink-media.com/).
That said, for the moment, I think the quickest OTS solution is to probably buy an “inveneo computing station” with a touchscreen monitor.
Touchscreen monitor: $360
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824199003
Inveneo small footprint low power computer: ~$300
Please get in touch if you have any better ideas or questions!
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