Da FAQ

So, you're confused about the amount of monkeys?

This is still heavily WIP! Please stay tuned for more information, more services and very much prettier look&feel!

Content

What service do you run on this server?

At the moment, it is running the following services:

Service	Description	Domain name
Static HTML/CSS	FAQ (this website)	dafaq.wheremymonkeyis.at
Habari (stable)	Lightweight PHP-based Blog/CMS, running SQLite as DB (PostgreSQL and MySQL are also options, but offer little to no speed-up). Running my personal blog as well as the news for this server.	matija.suklje.name matija.šuklje.name youarealwayswelcome.wheremymonkeyis.at
Seeks	Advanced, 2P2 collaborative search (meta)engine. IMHO the next step in web searching.	doyouknow.wheremymonkeyis.at (planned)
Baïkal	Light-weight CalDAV and CardDAV server, running on PHP and SQLite.	treehouse.wheremymonkeyis.at
ownCloud	File locker for controlled sharing, WebDAV, CalDaV, CardDAV, simple (versioned) backup server and lots more. Based on PHP and I run it on PostgreSQL (SQLite and MySQL are also pa possibility). Great potential! Currently I’m just toying with it to see when will it run decently enough on my ARM box.	thatfunkyplace.wheremymonkeyis.at
ZNC	IRC Bouncer. You need one for serious geeking :)	thereisalwaysaparty.wheremymonkeyis.at
Misc	Testing page for diverse services and new versions — highly unstable and unreliable.	explorethe7seas.wheremymonkeyis.at

And running all that works?

I have to admit, I was a bit surprised at first how well it handles all this.

But later I noticed that if you choose wisely and select services that are not as resource-hungry (ownCloud is an exception here, for now) and by enabling certain features, it is a very powerful box. Remember that in the past we used even less powerful computers for our e-mail and fancy web servers.

Can you elaborate on your choice of DB?

I chose SQLite, because it’s small, fast, contained in a file and easy on resources and powerful (enough). Since it doesn’t need a daemon, it doesn’t need any resources when idle.

I noticed though that for applications that often and in parallel access the DB (e.g. ownCloud) SQLite seems not to be the optimal solution. For those ocassions I run PostgreSQL and am happy to report that it runs just fine on the DreamPlug.

Hardware

What hardware is all this running on?

Surprisingly this whole website plus a lot of other stuff is running on a small ARM device — namely the DreamPlug.

Technical specifications of the DreamPlug
SoC	Kirkwood MV88F6281-A1
CPU	Feroceon 88FR131 rev 1 (v5l) a.k.a. Marvel Sheeva 1.2 GHz (ARMv5TE)
RAM	512 MiB 16bit DDR2-800 MHz
Internal storage	4 GiB on board micro-SD
Internet connectivity	2 x Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000 Mbps WiFi 802.11 b/g Bluetooth BT2.1 + EDR JTAG and UART connections for external module
External storage and connectivity	2 x USB 2.0 ports (Host) 1 x eSATA 2.0 port -3Gbps SATAII 1 x SD socket for user expansion/application
Audio interfaces	Headphone (analogue) out Mic In Fiber Optics (SP/DIF) out
Power suppy	5V3A DC power supply (yes, it consumes <5 W!)
Physical dimensions	120mm (L) x 90mm (W) x 30mm (H)

I want one, where do I get it?

If you are from USA, you can get it directly from GlobalScale.

If you are from EU, as I am, it's easier to buy via NewIT and you even get a slightly longer warranty.

Slightly longer you say? What's wrong?

Well, you have to understand that DreamPlugs (as well as all other Sheeva-, Guru- D2-plugs) are dev kits. Which means you're free to hack away, but therefore the warrantly is very limited. If you buy it directly from GlobalScale, you only get one month of warranty; if you buy it from NewIT, you actually get a whole year.

Oh, OK ...em, are there any other caveats?

I highly recommend buying the optional external JTAG module as well — it's not very expensive and it saved my butt a few times already! It's invaluable to unbrick your device. Don't be discouraged though — bricking a device is pretty common when you're playing with it. It's just that this one offers you an easier method on how to unbrick it. I'm quite happy with it, it's a great device :)

Software

What OS is powering Where My Monkey Is At?

I installed my favourite OS on this little beauty — namely Gentoo GNU/Linux — and I'm quite happy with it. I'm writing a HOWTO on how to install Gentoo on the DreamPlug and I hope to get it done by end of May 2012.

Gentoo? But doesn't compiling everything take forever?

Yes, this means that every package is compiled. But I take this as a positive thing. Using Portage to install/compile everything enables me to make fine adjustments to what I want and more importantly what I don't in a package. So with occasional compile time, you actually gain by having a smaller and better tuned system.

A neat trick to make sure when you're emerging stuff, the system's performance is not hampered too much, is to add PORTAGE_NICENESS="12" and PORTAGE_IONICE_COMMAND="ionice -c 3 -p \${PID}" to your /etc/make.conf.

Which webserver do you use?

As my webserver, I chose Cherokee; the proof, as they say, is in the pudding. The reason for my choice is that it's a very small and nimble webserver, while at the same time being quite powerful and easy to set up. It also has a cute WebGUI :]

Do you plan to use HTML5?

Yes, I plan to use HTML5 and CSS3 and take advantage of as many of their features as possible. In fact, you're free to check the validity of the HTML5 and CSS3 of the website and if you find any issues, please let me know.

Also I'm trying to get from just modern semantics and styling to a more fancy use of HTML5. Or to put it more graphically:

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Varia

Can I follow the state of this server and your progress and experience using this hardware and software?: Sure. You are always welcome where my monkey is at ☺
That’s really nice to hear. Can I get an account then? ;): I am more then happy to create accounts for people I know, so if you’re interested, do drop me a line. But do understand that this is a small, low power, personal server and I am not guarenteeing any uptime, that is maintained more of a hobby then as a serious service. I do try my best though.
Is this FAQ really a set of questions people have asked that often?: Well, to be completely honest, like most FAQs out there, it's a list of questions and answers that people actually asked as well as questions that I anticipated. If you have any questions, please do throw them my way.