[LinuxBIOS] olpc hardware openness

[Rogelio Serrano]

How open is the olpc hardware?

How easy was it to port linuxbios to it?

[ron minnich]

On 5/12/07, Rogelio Serrano  wrote:
> How open is the olpc hardware?

very, very open with outstanding vendor support.
> How easy was it to port linuxbios to it?

The CPU was one of the hardest ports we've done, but with AMD helping,
we got there. Without AMD, we would have been sunk.

ron

[Rogelio Serrano]

On 5/13/07, ron minnich  wrote:
> On 5/12/07, Rogelio Serrano  wrote:
> > How open is the olpc hardware?
>
> very, very open with outstanding vendor support.
> > How easy was it to port linuxbios to it?
>
> The CPU was one of the hardest ports we've done, but with AMD helping,
> we got there. Without AMD, we would have been sunk.
>
> ron

cool! Now how do we get our hands on one?

Can somebody actually fabricate similar? Just a motherboard with dumb
a video framebuffer.

I have given up on the pc. And i intend to focus all my resources on
an alternative.

[ron minnich]

On 5/12/07, Rogelio Serrano  wrote:
> >
>
> cool! Now how do we get our hands on one?
>
> Can somebody actually fabricate similar? Just a motherboard with dumb
> a video framebuffer.

Well, rather than focus on OLPC, it might make more sense to focus on
low-cost LX platforms. OLPC is designed very specifically for kids,
and I (for one) find the keyboard very hard to use. It's a fantastic
platform, just not for me.

But I agree with your goals here: we need to move away from PC
platforms, if only to escape all the DRM that is being hardwire into
them.

thanks

ron

[Rogelio Serrano]

On 5/13/07, ron minnich  wrote:
> On 5/12/07, Rogelio Serrano  wrote:
> > >
> >
> > cool! Now how do we get our hands on one?
> >
> > Can somebody actually fabricate similar? Just a motherboard with dumb
> > a video framebuffer.
>
> Well, rather than focus on OLPC, it might make more sense to focus on
> low-cost LX platforms. OLPC is designed very specifically for kids,

Where do i get more info on this?
> and I (for one) find the keyboard very hard to use. It's a fantastic
> platform, just not for me.

I want a different keyboard layout myself. I prefer dvorak in a
straight grid with no capslock and extra keys with fixed specific
commands. Maybe i could try this first as an exercise in pcb layout.
> But I agree with your goals here: we need to move away from PC
> platforms, if only to escape all the DRM that is being hardwire into
> them.
>
> thanks
>
> ron

[Rogelio Serrano]

On 5/13/07, Rogelio Serrano  wrote:
> > Well, rather than focus on OLPC, it might make more sense to focus on
> > low-cost LX platforms. OLPC is designed very specifically for kids,
>
> Where do i get more info on this?

[snipped...]
> > But I agree with your goals here: we need to move away from PC
> > platforms, if only to escape all the DRM that is being hardwire into
> > them.

I found the data for the LX platform. Thats exactly how i want my
computer to be. I was designing something similar. although the
processor and 3d engine were VLIW.

switched fabric interconnect with UMA. this is good!

Thanks.