This detailed 101-page how-to article provides the necessary background and procedures to turn a SEGA Dreamcast gaming console into a Linux-based software router with firewalling and virtual private networking capabilities.
Turning the SEGA Dreamcast into a Linux Firewall/Router
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
Will people not put Linux on anything? I wouldn’t be surprised if someone were to their vibrator run Linux.
Why not? Whatever turns them on… 😉
nice. the dreamcast is a sweet little system.
For the amount of money Christian puts into using a Dreamcast, I could put together an Ultra 1 Creator with Solaris 9, multipathed hme or qfe adapters, and Sun Screen Lite.
If I was going to use a Dreamcast for anything other than a game console I would be looking at this:
http://www.securityfocus.com/news/558
http://www.dcphonehome.com/
The portion of the document on cross-compiling is real nice, that is worth the “price of admission”.
Stay tuned for the article where I run Linux on my “getting to old to be fun” dachshund. Yup, I’m refitting my old hotdog dog with Suse (what else) Linux. Plan to add WiFi to it’s existing Firewall program. Hopefully Linux will be much more stable and prevent the current rash of kernel dumps the OEM OS has (my yard can’t take much more). Should be exciting (at least for me if not for the dog). Woohoo! Linux for Everything!
One nice thing is that no script kiddie will be able to hack this system since it runs on a little known architecture.
And for the less than the price of your ultra1 creator I could throw together an x86 based system that would kick it in continuous circles in every way imaginable
In the time it takes to read that, you could deploy about 20 out-of-the-box firewalls (reasonably secured) from any major distro.
Stop the madness!
Brian,
Some people actually believe in “security through obscurity”, I don’t (the Department of Defense does). Maybe you didn’t read the links, if you use it someone will hack it.
And what difference does it make how fast your box is, does it have hardware based failover for the NIC (IP Network Multipathing), industry strength software RAID (Solaris Volume Manager). I look for stability, not speed.
1) Go to store
2) Buy a Firewall/Router
3) Go home
4) Hook it up
5) Done
That said, as the article mentions up front it isn’t about the firewall, but what you learn along the way and the fun of the hack.
Some of you guysgirls need to relax. At the very least, props should go out to this individual for taking the time and effot to do the instructions, never mind that it is an interesting project. Slamming people for spending their time improving themselves and sharing what they learned is lame. I expect the readers of OSNEWS to be much more mature than that.
I am getting a little turned off by the hostility of some of the other osnews.com readers. What crawled up what hole?
DC is a great system to this day…peace out
So only sugar coated opinions that fawn over the posted topic are now acceptable? How long have you been reading OSNEWS. Debate is a free society’s way of examining all sides of any given topic. No one forces you to agree with all (or even any) of the opinions posted (hostile or otherwise).
Lets not be so thin skinned that we toss out public debate.
Thank you for defining debating for me, I was starting to come apart…LOL. It’s not a matter of being or not being thin skinned bud, it’s a matter of couth. Debate is great, why else would anyone follow a discussion? Sugar coating can go out the door too. It’s the hostility specifically I’m talking about, or maybe it’s just crappy communication skills? I don’t honestly know. Communication seems to come apart as soon as somebody can’t seem to express an idea without spitting and flaming.
A new project comes up and there’s no criticism even worth the effort it prolly took to write it. Just trolling it seems. Geek arrogance seems to be at an all time high across the ‘net, it’s definitely not just an OSNEWS phenomena.
As far as myself? I’m no expert at any of this stuff. Longtime lurker I have been, just recently trying to get a work in edge ways when I feel the need. I love this site.
And your title: “Are we now communist?”
That’s exactly what I am. So much angst in one with such a pleasant name, huh Skippy?
For the record I thought your first comment was hilarious (and besides, I agree) – my earlier post wasn’t intended for you…
I think after a while long time readers of Slashdot or OSNews get tired of reading about how someone was able to install Linux in a toaster. One sometimes has to scratch their head and ask “um, why?” I guess some people don’t subscribe to the idea of the “I do it because I can” mentality.
Personally I think Linux is neat. It’s a neat operating system. But for some sick reason it seems that the diehard hardware hackers/Linux fanatics are out to spread the OS like a virus to anything that has a CPU. Is nothing electronic sacred anymore? Does your electric toothbrush really need to be networked to your stereo so you can hear Ogg music through your teeth? Does your alarm clock really need to be a file server? Do you really want to surf the web on my LinuxAtari 2600? The joke is getting old.
Ok, so a very small group of hobbyists port Linux to run on a DC and an Xbox…..big freaking deal. How does porting Linux to a couple devices that are PC like in the first place translate to toasters, alarm clocks, vibrators, and toothbrushes. OMFG you ppl need to stop being tools and start writing posts actually worth reading.
“But for some sick reason it seems that the diehard hardware hackers/Linux fanatics are out to spread the OS like a virus to anything that has a CPU.”
This is just utter nonsense. Why dont you name somthing other than an xbox or DC that these developers (not fanatics) have ported linux too that doesnt make sense. (like toasters and toothbrushes in your example) In case you forgot, hardware is useless without software. Linux happens to be very capable, versitale, free, and open thus making it the obvious choice for many situations…..like the rocket that was just launched that was controlled by linux. The Sony PS2 is powered by Linux in its natural unhacked state for the same reasons.
😛
While I completely agree with your comment, your last line is incorrect. The PS2 does not run any form of linux in its unhacked state. Sony merely sells a a kit+linux that can be run on the PS2 (And is far more useable/supported than DC linux to boot!).
Nope….the PS2 runs the Linux kernel natively. Its what runs the machine. The kit you speak of is the complete Linux distro with things like xfree, window managers, apps as well as the I/O devices (mouse and keyboard)…..Basically everything you need to make it a PC.
All security is some kind of obscurity. The whole “security through obscurity doesn’t work” idea is the worst kind of cliche. It is something that has been repeated so many times people assume it’s true without giving it any though. If you seriously look at any security system it involves obscuring some form of data, be it through encryption, passwording, or some other method.
There is no such thing as “security through obscurity”. Rather security is obscurity.
the PS2 runs the Linux kernel natively. Its what runs the machine
Have you got any links or proof of this?
I’d like to see that too, the PS2 running the kernel natively…
I’m pretty sure he’s full of BS there. The PS2 you get in a box from the store contains no trace of linux.