Command Line Linux Based Laptop for Engineers? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Boscoe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2019, 10:17:24 pm
content: Hi all,Once upon a time I really didn't like writing code, however, having learnt a lot in the past couple of years I have fallen in love with Unix operating systems and their command line interfaces. I'd describe myself as a simple man and do not like the faff that comes along with Windows despite it being very good. The other half of the motivation for this project comes from the type of work I'm doing. I work on IoT networks, designing everything from the sensor to the LoRa protocol to the embedded Linux machine that sends it to a server. I use a lot of low level interfaces like UART, RS232, RS485 etc. I'd love to have these built straight into my laptop however I can't imagine Apple doing that any time soon! So, perhaps I could make a tool to help with my development? Instead of having my expensive laptop sitting in a workshop logging some data and sending to my server why not have a low power Linux machine that I can write the code on too?I want something with lows of full sized ports!Features:- Ethernet (maybe two)- RS485- UART- I2C- GPIO- USB- Screen- Trackpad- Keyboard- Perhaps an FPGA on board that can be programmed and interfaced by the processor, PCIe?- Ultra long battery life, perhaps a week?- Completely open source.- Solid milled aluminium chassis. Idea for it to be kicked around a workshop and be fine.- As upgrade able as possible.- ARM based.- Built in ADC? Could be used as a multimeter?Personally I'd only be interested in the CLI however it would be silly to limit the scope of it. I hear you ask 'Why not just use a RPI?", well I want something portable and complete. I don't to carry a screen cables etc.I'm thinking of using a module like thishttps://www.solid-run.com/product/SRMX6QDWT1D02GE008V15C0/.I would like to make this a collaborative project. Would anyone like to get involved?

author: tsman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2019, 10:49:44 pm
content: TheNovena"heirloom" laptop would have covered most of your requirements but it isn't available any more. They still sell the main boards but you'll need to make your own battery power board though as the laptop bundle is no longer sold.

author: jmelson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2019, 10:51:11 pm
content: Beagle Bone Black! Slightly bigger than a credit card, enough memory to run a FULL Linux OS, uses a micro-SD card for a "disk". You can connect a USB keyboard and mouse and an LCD monitor, if you want. Or, log in via a USB serial network connection or Ethernet. It only has one ethernet port, but you could always add another when needed via a USB dongle. No FPGA built in, but with the huge amount of GPIO available, there are FPGA "capes" that plug onto the board. It does have an ADC built in. It is open source. Battery life of a WEEK??? A full Linux system with Ethernet and a screen? Umm, only if your battery is a trolling motor battery, then maybe!If you want a case, you'd need to make or buy one, there are people selling all sorts of accessories for them. I don't run them off batteries, and use them in a "headless" mode, where a desktop or laptop logs in remotely.Jon

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2019, 11:09:00 pm
content: Quote from: Boscoe on March 07, 2019, 10:17:24 pmPick a laptop, almost any laptop and install Linux. At the moment I prefer the Mint distribution but I suspect Ubuntu is more common. Mint is an offshoot of Ubuntu with a better GUI about which you don't care.QuoteAnd then you want to add EVERYTHING? Keyboard, track pad, display, power supply etc? Why not just buy a decent laptop and call it good?Quote

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2019, 11:17:35 pm
content: You could certainly do off-system FPGA work. Many of the popular development boards use USB for programming and communications. Xilinx Vivado will run on Linux (so I have been told) so that leaves open all of the more modern Xilinx and Digilent boards.The Beagle Bone Black may provide a lot of IO but a laptop won't. One thing that Vivado does need is horsepower. Lots and lots of horsepower. I have never tried to run it on a Pi. I think it would be truly grim.I'm pretty sure Vivado will use 8 threads if given the chance so a quad core CPU would be a minimum. Something like an I7-7700K at 4.2 GHz with 32 MB RAM and SSD isalmosttolerable. It was all I could afford...

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2019, 11:28:58 pm
content: As a side issue, I am not aware of any Open Source FPGA development software that is tightly coupled to a chip. There are some open source synthesizers and simulators but if you want to program a real chip with any credibility, you will use factory software.I am not aware of any factory FPGA development software that runs on ARM.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2019, 12:46:37 am
content: QuoteThere are open source graphics drivers for all three GPU brands used in modern PCs, although AMD is the best bet for those hard set on open source drivers. Open source firmware is harder, but possible with projects like Coreboot.Quote from: rstofer on March 07, 2019, 11:28:58 pmSome Lattice FPGAs have a fully open toolchain.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2019, 01:23:46 am
content: pitop ?https://www.adafruit.com/product/3762?gclid=Cj0KCQiAn4PkBRCDARIsAGHmH3f-kYYZKJ8ApxLgGlBZdenCefE5KYPQia-AAKWNhu01Hb6njLYGE4IaAiBAEALw_wcB