Hello,
Firstly, sorry if this is the wrong forum - please feel free to re-direct me to a more appropriate place.
I've been searching around for the 'net for a while but really have not come across a conclusive answer to just how well the free software community is supported by ARM vendors. Now I know that is a rather vague statement, so I will elaborate by framing it is a personal desire...
What I would like is a 'device' which I can hack on (and contribute to the community) with the following features: - Ethernet (at least 100Mb/s, but 1Gb/s and/or WiFi would be a bonus) - USB 2.0 (3.0 would be a bonus) - HDMI (dual monitor support would be a big bonus) - 1080p video output - Hi-definition video codec - SATA - MMC/SD - 3D graphics not a big desire, but would be a bonus
Essentially, I'm after a device I can use as a media box / thin-client X-term / hacker platform where every single byte of code that runs on the device is free software. This includes: - Boot loader (including SDRAM init) - Operating system (GNU / Linux would be my personal choice) - All drivers (no binary blobs, no 'firmware' blobs) - All application software
I have yet to see such a platform. A lot come close, but it seems to me that most fall short when it comes to drivers for the video codecs.
Am I living a pipe-dream, or does such a device really exist?
Regards,
Graeme