Hey guys,

I hope you can help me on this, as it is sort of a strange request. I am taking on a project which I wish to run linux on. haven't decided which distro yet, not important. Anyway... what I need to know is, where can I find the smallest possible motherboard, which I can still use peripherals on? Really all I need is usb, ethernet, and mouse/keyboard, and possibly video (not sure yet how the touchscreen lcd's interface with the computer).

So, yeah- small motherboard (that could fit under the seat of a car), that isn't too expensive.

Thanks
NP C

I don't know what is expensive for you, but here are some small motherboards that might do the trick:

http://mini-itx.com/

Thanks hkb. That's exactly what I had in mind. I knew these boards existed, but couldn't remember for the life of me what they were called. First time Google wasn't able to help me.

An ITX motherboard needs an ATX power supply, so using it in a car will be a little messy (inverter, ATX power supply, power cables running everywhere) and inefficient. Have a look at http://www.littlepc.com/. All they need is a 12 VDC source which any car can provide. There is also
http://www.icpamerica.com
http://www.ibase-i.com.tw
Use google to search for similar sites like the ones above.

I suggest finding motherboards or single computer boards with 12V and 5V connector (AT) for car setups.

At least some EPIA boards can use the 12v vehicle supply. Look for the EPIA TC in

http://www.mini-itx.com/hardware/history/

Hard to keep track of all the different EPIA variants, but outside the US EPIA might still be easier to get & less expensive than some of the more exotic models.

Hi,
I was researching Linux compatibility for the EPIA M 10000 that I'm thinking about getting (as my primary home computer).

The LQ HCL contains no references to EPIA, and from reviews I understand that Linux support for the multimedia components is not so great.

Does anybody here have experience with EPIA and/or mini-itx boards that you would share? I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

FYI:
I ditched Windows about a half-year ago, and I'm not too good at Linux yet - but I do intend to stay with it. My favourite (so far) is Mandrake.

EPIA boards do have some peculiarities, but VIA has recently become quite Linux friendly. You should find that an M10000 works pretty much out of the box, but if you want to take advantage of special hardware features you have to do some patching and tweaking. A good place to start is

http://www.epiawiki.org