Debian Linux on Via Epia

Well, it’s working for some time now. It has been adopted as my home server, including:

• internet gateway (IPFilter, DHCP, Bind)
• web serwer (Lighttpd)
• file server (vsftpd)

and sometimes

• desktop (Gnome)

Everyting is OK with default installation. Now is the time to get some of the build in hardware features working.

I’ve done some reading and it seems that most of CPU features are available in newest kernel. So I downloaded archives and started playing. I found that there is support for C3 processor based encryption. So I’m going to build own kernel with the support of http://kernelnewbies.org/ website. Wish me luck :-).

Mini PC parts

I’m building own mini PC variant. The main idea behind this project is to build completly silent and fail safe computer. So the less moving parts the better. And of course it has to be small. It will be home router, web server, etc, and in future home media center. I have to buy slim, slotted DVD drive and set up operating system first. I think it will be Solaris (media center? lol). I chose Via Epia mainboard, model EN15000G. If I had more money I’d buy nano-ITX mainboar (12×12) so I could build PC even smaller than Mac Mini for about 4cm! Well… power supply is PicoPSU, very cool, completly silent and very efficient. It’s the smalles power supply I have seen. The AC adapter is 12V 5A from my Iiyama LCD panel, I replaced it with LG’s 12V 3,5A which is enough. Memory will be: 60GB, 2,5″ and 7200RPM hard disk from Hitachi/IBM plus 512MB of RAM (PC3200/400MHz Hynix/IBM). That’s it!

I already tested this hardware configuration, and it’s working great! Windows with all Via’s drivers and software is booting up from power to clean desktop in 42 seconds. Now i’m preparing to build computer case. First I have to buy some materials and tools. I have so many ideas for this case. I don’t know where to start. Probably there where the costs are smallest.

Below some photos of my new hardware.