Thread: Corsa C Van + Atom + Gentoo Linux + 9" Capacitive touchscreen

Tip of the day

If you are using wireless usb keyboard, and it stops working after you boot from
the linux liveCD / install disk, try a quick plugout-plugin, it will solve the problem.

Today's Special

Kernel

So, I made a basic kernel < 2MB:
-using embedded options, removed printk, core dumps, debug info, legacy stuff
-no serial port, no cdrom, no firewire (I don't need them)
-no kernel modules
-very basic networking (I only need net for emerge fetch)
-removed all security-related thingies, no need of them (no internet connection)
-added touchscreen and audio support

Result: some kernel panic first (and second)
After that, lightning-speed startup.

Plans to compile with ICC

USE flags

Well, the "minimal" USE flag is a crap. Vim is useless with it. xorg-server too.
I will only use it case of emergency (bloatware). Using a small amount of global
USE flags, the most of the are package-specific, in /etc/portage/package.use,
to keep the install small.

Problems

Baked touchscreen controller accidentally :S
Does anyone have one? (3M EXII-7010UC USB)

Problems with the wireless usb stick, no WPA. Not a big problem (only need for fetching).

Not very happy with the Intel mainboard, maybe I will go with Gigabyte GA-GC330UD,
or an other Atom330 alternative, any advice would be appreciated.
(no zotac ion, power hungry and expensive)

The main problem with the Intel board is cooling. Gigabyte has 3 heatsinks (NB, SB, CPU),
and you can easily swap them with a bigger aftermarket one. Almost the same price as intel.
Also, more durable (better capatitors, MOSFET, heatsink)

Audio

Still thinking about the sound card, now I'm using the integrated Intel HD,
but thinking about a more audiophile solution (Hippohifi Bloat DAC with RCAfor example).

Originally Posted by simplex

. . . Not very happy with the Intel mainboard . . . The main problem with the Intel board is cooling. Gigabyte has 3 heatsinks (NB, SB, CPU),
and you can easily swap them with a bigger aftermarket one. Almost the same price as intel.
Also, more durable (better capatitors, MOSFET, heatsink)

I have the D945GCLF2 board, and I wanted more cooling, too. I upgraded the fan and heatsink on the GPU, and moved the GPU fan and heatsink over to the CPU, which previously had only a heatsink. Here's the link to the post where I wrote about it.

And here's a link to a subsequent post with a closer view.

Finally, here's a link to the post where I flipped the new fan over (because I had it blowing down when I first installed it -- oops).

The fan and heatsink I used are similar to the smaller fan/heatsink systems used on processors back in the days of sub-1GB systems. There should be a lot of them around at pretty attractive prices -- or you could pull one from a scrapped machine.

Thanks. I'm planning a full-passive system, but the clips that fix the heatsink are useless,
so it's hard to put a factory replacement copper piece on the board. Also, Southbridge
could use some cooling too. Maybe I will put a custom-made heatsink on the board.

Originally Posted by simplex

Thanks. I'm planning a full-passive system, but the clips that fix the heatsink are useless, so it's hard to put a factory replacement copper piece on the board. Also, Southbridge could use some cooling too. Maybe I will put a custom-made heatsink on the board.

I see -- you're headed in the opposite direction: no fans, instead of more fans.

I agree that the clip mechanisms that hold the heatsinks are minimalist. I really had to do some tricks to bend up the wire to hold the new heatsink on, but I got it done. I didn't even try to add a Southbridge cooler, expecting that the airflow generated by the two fans should keep that cool. Passive cooling presents a whole different set of problems.

My Intel is working well as a carPC. I suspect that, if you decide to go to the Gigabyte unit, you'll find a ready market for your Intel board.

a couple questions: what kind of boot time do you expect to achieve with your custom kernel? What kernel version? What audio software? Why not nGhost? Why not LinuxICE?

-Cheers

Originally Posted by simplex

Thanks. I'm planning a full-passive system, but the clips that fix the heatsink are useless,
so it's hard to put a factory replacement copper piece on the board. Also, Southbridge
could use some cooling too. Maybe I will put a custom-made heatsink on the board.

Do you expect your system temps to be high?

Originally Posted by kev000

a couple questions: what kind of boot time do you expect to achieve with your custom kernel? What kernel version? What audio software? Why not nGhost? Why not LinuxICE?

-Cheers

Curious, is nGhost in Portage or has it been built and tested from source on Gentoo?

Originally Posted by hexxamillion

Curious, is nGhost in Portage or has it been built and tested from source on Gentoo?

nGhost is not in portage afaik. There is an ebuild file in svn though.