[Freedombox-discuss] FreedomBox

[Charles N Wyble]

On 04/14/2011 01:27 AM, Samuel Rose wrote:
> I am following the FreedomBox list, This looks great 
> http://wiki.debian.org/FreedomBox/LeavingTheCloud

It's an awesome resource! I found some great stuff there that I didn't 
already know about. Like Yacy for distributed search.

>
> Over the summer, I am pulling together a small grid of 2 or more plug 
> computers that can run these kinds of services (plus possibly other 
> hardware). Perhaps there are already plans in place for how to do this 
> on freedombox, but I am thinking about how to run 2-3 plugs as a 
> cluster of Freedombox servers. I am also going to implement some of 
> what we discuss at 
> http://blog.futureforwardinstitute.com/2011/04/01/a-nextnet-proof-of-concept

Excellent. I'm sure folks here can help you through this process. Very 
good idea to have a cluster. Might I suggest plugging in Atheros chipset 
USB wifi adapters and playing with mesh? I happen to have a three node 
mesh of ubiquity gear running (well it was running, I moved and now am 
putting it back together with new firmware) :) Very soon. More mesh 
testbeds are needed. It's pretty mature technology, and I want folks to 
evangelize that fact so I don't have to keep correcting people when they 
say it's "prototype" :)


>
> I've also done some work to get ubuntu/apache (or nginx) and 
> python/PHP/Ruby talking with Arduino (mostly in service of 
> http://www.appropedia.org/Food_Commons_Rain_Water_Hydroponics I have 
> been working on at appropedia). So, a Freedombox can talk with 
> electronics and sensor networks/actuators in addition to being a 
> personal serving OS (as I've already proven by making this work with 
> Arduino and Ubuntu).


AWESOME!!!

> This is potentially powerful for people engaged in urban and rural 
> hoop house indoor/outdoor/hoop house food production. They will be 
> able to optimize limited space, and existing rainwater resources, 
> based on plant species, and local environmental factors. The 
> application I am creating will allow people to share data gathered 
> from sensors too. Currently storing data in postgresql but may move to 
> couchdb, or eventually some form of distributed iRODS

Sweet! Great practical application of FreedomBox, for folks who aren't 
(currently) getting shot at. It can also have the mesh/security etc all 
built in and ready to go when the time comes. Also think of it as an 
alternative network for when existing wireless/wired local loops collapse.



>
> I can also see some plug computers acting as relays, distributed 
> storage, and more (running Freedombox). I am interested in creating 
> some of these newer services in Erlang.

Ah yes. Erlang is great stuff for distributed, parallel processing.

> Also interested in Freedombox + 
> http://gnuradio.org/redmine/wiki/gnuradio for wide area mesh networking.

Hmmmm. Not sure how that would work. I will need to ponder on it. I 
would recommend looking at 3650mhz (802.11y) and 802.22 and how that can 
be implemented with GNURadio (802.22 in particular, lots of cheap 
3650mhz gear readily available either as a complete radio or a PCI card 
from ubnt.com).


> Would be cool to eventually see GNU Radio packages supported in 
> Freedombox, personally.
>

Yeah that could be useful. Especially for alternate communication 
purposes. I hadn't even thought of using GNURadio for this stuff. It's 
quite low level and seemed oriented heavily towards the USRP or other 
hardware solutions like the one from Microsoft Research ( 
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/sora/ )

Some interesting work going on implementing SDR algos in GPU platforms 
as well.


-- 
Charles N Wyble charles at knownelement.com @charlesnw
http://blog.knownelement.com
Building tomorrows alternate default free zone

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