Quoting Graeme Russ (2012-10-01 19:58:14)
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
Have you checked out the list of platforms on the eLinux wiki?
http://elinux.org/Development_Platforms
In particular I have soft spot for TI's Pandaboard (full disclosure: TI gives me paper money in exchange for C codes): http://omappedia.org/wiki/PandaBoard
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.
Many platforms have some binary blobs which you can download to get video decoders and 3D graphics. The ARM cores are getting so fast today that you can probably decode hi-res videos using FFMPEG...
Anyways you can always find such stuff in the Linaro LEBs or from the board support website. E.g: http://omappedia.org/wiki/PandaBoard_FAQ#What_will_Graphics.2FGFX_support_be...
Am I living a pipe-dream, or does such a device really exist?
I think it exists, but others may disagree. Lots of folks use Pandboards for set-top boxes running XBMC, hooked up to a TV via HDMI.
Happy hacking, Mike
Regards,
Graeme
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