[Arm-netbook] Looking for an ARM Netbook !

[Gordan Bobic]

On 07/04/2012 10:21 AM, lkcl luke wrote:
> On Wed, Jul 4, 2012 at 7:04 AM, Gordan Bobic<gordan at bobich.net>  wrote:
>>   On Tue, 3 Jul 2012 21:32:57 +0300, Alexey Eromenko<al4321 at gmail.com>
>>   wrote:
>>> Hi All !
>>>
>>> Just as the list name implies, ARM-netbook, is what I'm looking for.
>>>
>>> I plan to install Linux+KDE into it, and remove Android, or
>>> dual-boot.
>>>
>>> Required parameters:
>>> 1 GB RAM (KDE will not run on 512 MB RAM... will swap like crazy)
>>
>>   Depends on what you intend to run. I am typing this on a Toshiba AC100
>>   (512MB of RAM, 510MB after you allow 2MB of RAM for the 1280x720 frame
>>   buffer) running KDE and Firefox, and I have 250MB free RAM with no swap
>>   used. It would start swapping in linking stages of big compile jobs, but
>>   with a SuperTalent RC8 USB SSD fitted internally (
>>   http://www.altechnative.net/2012/02/07/morebetter-internal-storage-on-the-toshiba-ac100-part-2/
>>   ) swapping isn't particularly painful (2000 4KB IOPS on both random
>>   reads and random writes, Sandforce flash controller, see:
>>   http://www.altechnative.net/2012/01/25/flash-module-benchmark-collection-sd-cards-cf-cards-usb-sticks/
>>   ).
>>
>>   The only decent option you really have is the Asus Transformer, but
>>   unlike an AC100 that you can get for ~ £170 new, the Transformer will
>>   set you back more than double that with a keyboard.
>
>   gordan: we've since been made aware that they're under some rather
> extreme and very real hacking attack conditions which require them to
> be able to audit and verify every single piece of source code.

Sorry, context missing - who/what is under hacking attack?

> the
> asus transformer, having the tegra 3 and thus having a locked-down
> boot BIOS, cannot be trusted because it cannot be verified.

I really don't care. If it works well enough to boot a kernel I've built 
myself regardless of bodgedness of the likes of aboot, I'm cool with that.

>   the reason why they're interested in the A10 is because it does not
> have ARM "Trustzone" and it can be forcibly made to boot from SD/MMC
> at the hardware level.

Who?

>   there's only a couple of other SoC families i know of like that - i'd
> have to check, they have e-fuses you can blow to disable any on-board
> "secure" boot NAND capability: one's the OMAP series and i think the
> other's the samsung S5Pxxxx series.
>
>   but, yeah, anyway: tom says he's got a suitable A10-based laptop that
> meets the requirements, removable WIFI module.

Link?

Gordan