Main Page

• New Plugger How To: This page tells you how to connect to the plug.
• Getting the Plug Computer Running with an Operating System: Will tell you how to boot the plug from the network or install another Linux or BSD distribution on the local solid state storage.
• What happens during a routine boot.
• The GuruPlug is here!

The Plug Computer is the cross between an embedded platform, typically found in smaller devices like mobile phones, and a larger notebook computer. The Plug Computer has solid state storage inside much like Solid State Drives (SSDs) available in some notebook platforms. The "Plug" also has a desktop like processor capability with the Marvell ARM-based Sheeva System-on-Chip (SoC) called Kirkwood 6281. However, the hybrid hardware platform requires some special installation instructions to offer step-by-step configuration details to get your Plug Computer up and running as quickly as possible. After which, you will be able to install new software, features, and network capabilities that typically require a much larger and more expensive platform.

The Marvell site also has PDFs in place when you buy a Sheeva-based Plug Computer development platform. Those are very helpful to understand U-Boot and they offer a Ubuntu JFFS2 file system ready for the Plug Computer.

One can build a custom solution beginning with one of the major Linux kernel operating system distributions (Debian, Fedora, Gentoo, OpenWRT, Slack, and Arch). Or one could choose a custom distribution that has more applications out of the box. There are also non-Linux options available.

• Core Linux distributions:
  • Debian Lenny (old Stable) or Squeeze(Stable)
  • Fedora ARM
  • Gentoo 20090217 Plug Computer Distribution
  • OpenWRT Plug Computer Distribution
  • Slackware ARM
  • Arch Linux ARM (Merged with Plugbox Linux)
• Custom Linux distributions:
  • Ubuntu 9.0.4 Plug Computer Distribution (Debian)
  • FreedomBox (Debian)
  • Amahi Home Server - Plug Edition (Fedora)
  • PlugPBX (Asterisk+FreePBX on Debian)
  • SqueezePlug
  • Tonido Embedded (Ubuntu)
• Non-Linux distributions:
  • FreeBSD 9.x (9-current) Plug Computer Distribution
  • NetBSD 5.99.x (current)
  • Plan 9 from Bell Labs

All of the distributions keep the core of the wonderful kernel and software distributions associated with operating systems. We would like to thanks all the Marvell developers who contributed to the port of their Sheeva ARM SoCs, which is the basis for the distributions listed above. Thank you for contributing to the Open Source Software movement and combining it with your hardware technology.

A number of commercial, off the shelf cloud computers complete with commercial software are available. These devices are a friendly approach for users not wishing to build and install their own software .

• CTERA CloudPlug, a device combining file sharing and NAS with secure online backup.
• CloudEngines PogoPlug, a device that lets users access their files at home over the internet without leaving a PC on.
• CodeLathe TonidoPlug is a tiny home server that allows people to access their applications, files, photos, music, and media from anywhere.
• QuadAxis QuadPlug, a device integrated with BarracudaDrive which focuses on a user's local data (or private cloud) versus traditional, outsourced cloud computing.

Manuals and howtos of applications and accessories that can be used under the Plug Computer.

• Accessories: Webcams, WiFi Dongles, DVB-T, Radio, USB GPIO, Printers, Audio dongles, ZWave and Zigbee etc. IPIO-module[1]
• Applications: Digital media servers, SIP phone router, IPBX[2] , Java apps, .Net apps, Backup server, VPN, CRM and lot more...
• Anonymity network routing: Tor.
• Hardware: Discussion of plug hardware and modifications that can be made to the enclosure, PCBs , power supply and connectors.
• Hardware Compatibility[3]: Information regarding hardware that community members have tested and found to be compatible with the SheevaPlug.
  • Here are the steps to install/run Bugzilla on Sheeva Plug/Fedora-ARM - How to set up Bugzilla on Sheeva Plug/Fedora-ARM
  • Here are the steps to install/run EyeOS on Sheevaplug - Install EyeOS on Sheevaplug

If there are any problems with the Plug Computer and the distributions running on them, the Frequently Asked Questions page is a good place to start for finding solutions or more importantly, not trying something that is an outstanding problem.