Linux in the weirdest places

[KRFinch at dstsystems.com]

Hello all!

Noticed these interesting applications of Linux, and thought I would share:

1) If you buy a new HP Intel server these days, it comes with a pretty nice
package of configuration tools to make the installation as painless as
possible.  I remember the older versions that booted into Win3.11 or
NT3.51, but this latest version boots right off of the CD into x-windows
and takes you through the whole process of autodetecting your hardware and
configuring your RAID arrays.  Once you select a flavor of Windows, it goes
through and automatically copies over all of the driver files you need for
it and starts the install.  It's a pretty slick package.

2) I was around when they powered on the bar-top arcade machine at a place
where I frequently eat lunch.  It's a nice new unit with about 50 games, a
touch screen, decent sound and graphics, and networking built into it so
you can compete against other players.  Once they power it up, it goes
through a pretty standard set of Intel POST and BIOS screens, and then
loads a Linux Kernel.  I didn't catch the distro, but you can see the
various processes load and start up.  I thought it was pretty cool, but
when I pointed it out to the bartender, from the look on her face she must
have thought I was speaking Greek.

Anyone else notice an interesting use for Linux recently?

Thanks!

Kevin Finch
Network Administrator
DST Systems, Inc.
816/435-6039
krfinch at dstsystems.com