Topic: Embedded SME Server

[garywowen]

Hi, I've searched the forum but surprisingly have not found this question been asked before - is there a way to embed SME Server onto a chip rather than run from disk? I've installed dozens of self built appliances but always installed the OS onto the system drive. Ideally I'd like to go the way I have seen custom Linux server appliance sellers and embed the OS but none of them have released the source code or an ISO of the Linux OS which they use.

So questions are - is there a way to do this with SME? If not can anyone point me in the direction of a GPL'd embedded OS of similar capability?

Many thanks

Gary

[tropicalview]

Hi garywowen,

i think this is not possible with SME server and if it's possible it will not give you the specs from the current SME server.

This because SME server gives you the possibility to store files (smb).
Most embed systems do only store database entries that are limited in size.

Perhaps you can take a look to instructions given by "Trixbox"

Trixbox is a IPPBX server running from cd or installed on a hard drive.
But this also gives you the posibility to install it on a memory stick.
take a look at this: (http://cgi.ebay.com/Digital-SD-CF-Flash-Memory-to-IDE-HD-Converter-Adapter_W0QQitemZ160267461796QQihZ006QQcategoryZ41994QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
or this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/IDE-ATA-to-CF-Compact-Flash-Internal-Memory-Card-Reader_W0QQitemZ150279101416QQihZ005QQcategoryZ51082QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

This should also be possible with SME now the memory sticks are getting bigger.
In that case you can have a diskfree system with only mainboad.

as last a question, if you think to install a system embed, you should also indicate on what hardware you want to install.
DO you have a configuration in mind??

And perhaps you can search for the linksys embed systems for access points. those are also opensource if i'm not mistaken.

[arne]

I have done a number of test doing such installations. The SME server was the only installation I could never get running from a USB memory stick. (Centos worked.) I have never heard about anyone who have got SME server to run from a USB stick. (???!!)

A compact flash memory is something else, because it has much of the same carecterestics as a harddisk. With a IDE/Compact flash adapter it is just to install, and normally it will work. I even tested it on a HP thin client. But the Capmpact Flash memory has that caracterestic that it will "die" after a certain number of read/write cycles.

It is generally rather easy to make a Compact Flash installation usin a IDE/compact flash adaper on any "old" PC, but it will not be a good server and it might not live forever.

Slax and Astlinux is two Linux distros that is buildt for running an embeded life. These works very well for such purpose. I have had a embeded Astlinux running on a HP thin client for a year now, ans I use Slax as "spare operating system" for my laptop. (Via a 4 Gb USB stick.) (and everything works including wireless and iptelephony.)

Higly recomended distros for embeded environment: http://www.slax.org http://www.astlinux.org

En embeded SME server is at the present a bad idea. It is not buildt for such a use. The two other are.

[byte]

Moving this topic to the SME 7.x contribs forum, it is more appropriate there. Thanks!

[jester]

It has been done before: http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=35222.0

[arne]

Yes, I think the selintra installation is a Compact Flash installtion (Using a ide/compact flash adapter.)

Such an installation can be done stright forward like installing on a harddisk. There is actually no practical difference.

I think I remember that when I asked a question, on this forum, how long time the Compact Flash were expected to live before it dies, it was said that the seleintra embedded installation had got a disabled swapping function.

(And also I have read the the new Acer One with electronic memory has got disabled the swapping of Windows, so it performs slightly poorer than expected.)

Question 1: How to disable the swapping function one the sme server ?
Question 2: If there is enough ram, will there really be much swapping ? (So that it might not be neccessary to disable it ..)

Installation og a SME server on a Compact Flash memory using a ide/Compact Flash adapter is only just stright forward and witouth a problem, (exept for the wear and tear of the memory over time) the equipment is rather cheap, so it is just to go ahead and do it. (But a harddisk installation will perform bether and last longer.)

I think a 2.5 inch notbook HD might also be an alternative if one like to have a compact and silent server.

[arne]

Hmm .. after checking a little bit I have fount that there is actually a swapon and a swapoff function/command on SME server/Centos. There is also a man swapon and a man swapoff.

http://www.linuxcommand.org/man_pages/swapoff8.html

I have no ideas if turning off the swap can make problems, but for an embeded test project this should be quite ok to test out.

If anyone does, please leave a message.

(I beleive also to use parts of the ram as swap area is an option, but I don't know how, just now.)

And if one should like to give Windows a test on the Compact Flash as well:
http://www.msfn.org/board/Disable-Swap-File-t86798.html

One (big) difference between distros buildt for running in embeded environment like Slax or Astlinux contra a distro that is buildt for a hd installation:

For Astlinux you can just turn it off with the power switch, like a light bulb. Then you can switch it on again, it will boot and there will be no filsystem that has any damage. (Because it normally wil run without mounting of physical drives.) Partly this is true for Slax also.

For SME linux on Compact Flash this will work different. If power is lost, you might damage your monted file system, like for the harddisk installation.