Re: Again: (self)hosted Plan9? Was: [9fans] extending xen to allow

["ron minnich" <rminnich@gmail.com>]

On 12/12/06, Eric Van Hensbergen <ericvh@gmail.com> wrote:

> It'd be sweet to have something I could power off of USB 2.0 or
> battery, with a hard drive and wireless (and maybe a serial port for
> jmk).

yeah, this was one of the ideas that came up before we started on Xen
again, but Aki and Andrey and Lucho beat me up on this idea. It came
down to the EC on one side, and me on the other, and that ended it.

I suggested running linux on a little 1-5W board, and using it to run
the linux apps, using a root mount from Plan 9. So Linux is this dumb
little headless box you only turn on when you want, and otherwise you
tell it to go away by yanking its power cord, verily.

They thought the idea, uh, lacked merit. (I think they said it sucked,
but am not sure).

I think one reason the idea may really suck is that Firefox (the "thin
client") requires a 200 MB footprint, which translates to gobs of
Watts. Figures. Web 2.0!

[[BTW, anybody but me enjoying the idea of taking an opteron out of
socket and replacing with ... an ... XML ... accelerator?]]

But I still like the 'stupid little linux CPU' idea. I want a backpack
full of little computers that spin up on demand. And don't weigh much.
and take no power. And have no moving parts. And generate no heat. And
use a fusion reactor for power. And, to reduce weight, have
antigravity pods. I guess I'll go visit Area 52 this weekend (Area 51
is always behind schedule and over budget).

ron