laptop weather station serverForum: User Feedback Topic: laptop weather station server started by: rhackenb Posted by rhackenb on Jan. 24 2004,04:25
I recently inherited a Compaq Presario 486 laptop with 24 meg of RAM and a 180 mhz processor. It's battery is shot and under Windows 98 it hangs if I try to descend into a folder. I decided to see if I could use Damn Small Linux on it to replace a desktop RH Linux box to gather weather data from a One-Wire weather station and post the data to my webpage. After doing an HD install, I needed apps that were not available from the DSL package or apps: * gnuplot (I simply copied over the RH gnuplot executable and it worked immediately) * ncftp (I copied all the client executables from www.ncftp.org and they worked out of the box) * lynx (I had to compile lynx on my RH linux box and then copy the executable and lynx.cfg file over...worked as is after I put the cfg file in /usr/local/lib) * sample_devices (a One-Wire weather station piece of code for collecting data from the station...worked as is) * my Perl code for processing data, for building plots and web pages, and for pushing the pages to my external site (the code runs because I am not using any special Perl modules that probably do not exist on the DSL distribution). The only piece that I am currently lacking is MySQL. I will try to port it over but I suspect that it will be a challenge. Has anyone done that yet? I thought I saw that Postgres was available for DSL but I can't find it. I would prefer MySQL. In summary, I am totally blown away with DSL. It installs and works without much effort at all. I am also impressed that various RH Linux apps copy right over and work. I now have a laptop that can run day and night posting web pages without the power consumption of the desktop that I had been using. It's not online yet but will be soon. If I can't get a MySQL running, I can work with text files. What I can't get running is the XServer but I don't really need it because the machine isn't intended for use by a human. Good work, Damn Small Linux crew. -- bob Posted by roberts on Jan. 24 2004,08:39
Bob,Instead of MySQL, you might want to take a look at < sqlite > it is in DSL. Posted by rhackenb on Jan. 25 2004,17:49
Thanks for the suggestion. I pulled down the latest version from the site (2.8.11) and moved it to the laptop. With a slight change in the table creation script, I was able to build the table that I need to record the weather. I was able to load my historical data into the database without a problem.BTW, the distribution that I am using for DSL already contained version 2.4.7. I tried to load the table that I built with 2.8.11 and got an 'unsupported file format' error. Not sure what that is about but I will go with the newer version. sqlite is just what I need. -- bob Posted by libretto on Jan. 29 2004,11:34
Dear rhackenb,Where did you get the 'sample_devices' code? I'm looking to play around with 1-wire devices under linux. Posted by Minigig on Feb. 21 2004,08:38
Sorry I know this is way off topic , but i notice you said you have a 486 180 Mhz , and the fastest 486 (4x86)Cyrix , Amd , or Intel has made was 486 Dx-4 133Mhz (i had overclocked a couple a 486's from 150 to 200(rare),but that was in a desktop)Sorry again(not that big of a deal) , Just Kinda curious about that. Posted by rhackenb on Feb. 21 2004,17:44
Libretto,I got the sample_devices software from one of the one-wire user sites but can't remember where. I'm on travel right now and can't look at my code to see if I had to compile it or if I received it as a binary. Once I am back, I will send something to you. If you don't get it, please remind me. -- bob Posted by rhackenb on Feb. 21 2004,17:51
Minigig,I'm actually confused as to what the machine actually is. I thought it was a 486 but maybe it's a low end pentium. I'm pretty sure that it hasn't been overclocked. It's a Presario 1215 but when I look up the specs on that machine, I see what appears to be a much more modern machine. It had been running Windows 95 when I got it and I upgraded to @indows 98. It has no USB ports or anything like that, just a one serial port. It has been running for weeks without a reboot. This is inspite of plugging and unplugging the network cable and the 1-wire data cable at times. I don't even have to restart the weather or web building applications. If it can't get to the internet because the router has been temporarily disconnected, it fails gracefully and tries the next minute. I wish I could find the original manual for the machine. I would like to turn off the display while it is running. |