[nzlug] Energy saving Linux

[Daniel Lawson]

Raimund Eimann wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I want to cut my electricity costs and am considering to replace a Compaq 
> ML370 with a less energy hungry piece of equipment. Basically, the ML370 runs 
> LAMP+BiIND9+dhcpd+Squid (+iptables, of course). Are there any routers or WLAN 
> access points around that would be able to run these apps on top of Linux?
>
> I've got a Belkin F5D7230-4 WLAN access point which apparently runs Linux 2.4, 
> but the last thing I've heard is that it's flash memory is too small to do 
> anything reasonable with it...
>   

Basically all router/AP platforms you buy, even if they run linux, will
have only a small amount of flash available. You'll get iptables + dhcpd
+ a nameserver, but you won't have much luck with LAMP or Squid.

You could look at the various embedded platforms such as soekris, WRAP
or eber. Or a Via C3 mini-itx type system. Or even a standard PC with a
celeron or turion processor in it.

The soekris / WRAP / eber systems have varying combinations of CF,
laptop, IDE and SATA connectors, and the other systems have whatever you
spec them with.

Any of the above systems will have a lower power/heat footprint than an
ML370... :)