Re: build a hack box of choice?

Scott writes:
> My question is...  what needs to be in a box to not just
make it
> hackable, but be made to hack and put Linux on it?  Also, is there
> current hardware (WRT54?) that may have an OEM much like all the vendors
> that used the WL11000 based boards?

There are many such boards... more like the problem is to narrow
down what your requirements are for a given project. I really like
the Intrinsyc Cerfboard but it's a bit more than I like to pay.

It would be nice to have a memory manager onboard and (cheap) JTAG or BDM
for debugging and a working tool chain that runs on a Linux host.
For our purposes here I suppose 1 or 2 ethernet ports are good and a slot
for a Wifi card. I don't really care what processor (ARM or Geode or PPC)
is in there as long as I can have a fork() call.

There is probably room in the world for someone to provide a kit
with all the pieces in one box, the board, the tool chain, the
JTAG, and a BOOK telling how to use it. The Intrinsyc board I
had came pretty close but no JTAG. I want to be able to recover
from mistakes in the bootloader or whatever.

You can get all the pieces and put it all together but
it requires much time. I know I'd like
one... I am poor so I'd have to offer to write to the book.

Brian