Thoughts: The Sheeva Plug
You may have heard a company called Marvell systems has just released a little piece of computing wonderfulness called the Sheeva Plug which is basicly a 1.2GHz micro server which is small enough to just hang off a power socket.
It positions itself perfectly as the successor to my current home server, Totoro. It also adds potential for some features I have wanted but, because I have to keep Totoro in another room, due to the noise, I haven’t be able to.
A quick overview: 1.2GHz processor, 512MB ram, 512 built in storage, USB port, Gigabit Ethernet port and SDIO interface.
How I would use it:
After plugging it into the power, I’d plug in a USB hub and, to that, my printer (Canon IP4500), a USB soundcard and a 1TB USB HDD. Then, given all my electronics are near the router, plug it into the router (it would be close enough to not need wireless).
I can now do any of the following (Linux permitting):
- Backup my files
- Stream media from the HDD
- Print wirelessly
- Run bittorent overnight
- Wirelessly stream my laptop sound to my speakers
- Use the plug like a jukebox
- Upload files in the background
What needs to be done:
The Linux community (or some enterprising folks) needs to get organized on this one fast in order to head off Windows Home Server when it comes to being used in the home.
First of all, a simple web user-interface is a must. Something like the Tomato router’s interface with a simple plugin interface would work well.
Secondly, integration across platforms and the various brands of Home Plugs. Having a program that sits on your computer with a toolbar and possibly management tools, making the whole experience simple for the end user.
Hmm.. those last two points boil down to taking the features already available and making it easy to use. Something I feel Linux developers often give not enough attention to (Though this seems to be less of a problem with cross platform OSS developers.).
I will probably get one, hopefully the easy to use operating systems should be out in quick order.
Will the the SheevaPlug work with Android? If so what steps are necessary?
Android is focused more around the interface and human interface elements. As the sheevaplug runs Debian already, most of the things you’d want to accomplish are already in place.
Great post! Would any USB printer work with this or could you only use one that Linux drivers for it? Could Windows and Apple computers use the shared printer?