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article-tgtimes-most-minimal-gopher-server.md - tgtimes - The Gopher Times |
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git clone git://bitreich.org/tgtimes git://enlrupgkhuxnvlhsf6lc3fziv5h2hhfrinws65d7roiv6bfj7d652fid.onion/tgtimes (git://bitreich.org) |
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README |
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article-tgtimes-most-minimal-gopher-server.md (2372B) |
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1 # Most minimal Gopher server by tgtimes |
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2 |
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3 Gopher is a protocol providing a gateway to a document system, allowing |
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4 to serve an organized hierarchy of files over the network. Dynamically |
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5 generating the content as per user requests is also possible. The client |
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6 side is in charge of rendering the content as it sees fit. |
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7 |
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8 Generating Gopher indexes and transmitting file contents or generated |
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9 contents is low in software compmlexity, and in turn allows less expensive |
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10 hardware to be run than complex web stacks. |
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11 |
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12 Which cost would we end-up for building a minimal piece of hardware able |
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13 to host the Gopher protocol acheiving all of the above? |
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14 The Gopher Times investigates. |
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15 |
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16 ## "Communication" |
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17 While WiFi is inexpensive and fits moving device gracefully, the |
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18 reliability of Ethernet is indicated for a server. Ethernet adds |
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19 1 USD of cost for the transceiver handling the electricial characteristics |
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20 of Ethernet. These typically expose an RGMII interface. |
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21 |
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22 ## "Processing" |
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23 A microcontroller featuring an Ethernet peripheral (with an RGMII |
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24 interface) could be the popular STM32F103, or an alternative |
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25 compatible part. Enough processing power would be present for an |
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26 embedded TCP/IP and a TLS stack. |
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27 |
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28 ## "Automation" |
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29 In addition, most microcontrollers feature a large range of |
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30 built-in peripheral such as timers and communication or analog |
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31 interfaces, enabling automation of devices such as lighting, |
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32 heating, laundry, motors, or an entire car, through external |
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33 modules. This would come for no extra cost. |
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34 |
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35 ## "Storage" |
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36 A slot for a MicroSD card would allow storing and updating |
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37 the static content to serve, and storing network configuration. |
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38 |
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39 ## "Scripting" |
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40 There exist project to fit programming languages onto microcontrollers. |
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41 Separate projects for supporting a subset of each of Python, Ruby, |
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42 Javscript, Go, Rust, Lua, Forth and more. |
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43 |
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44 ## "Power" |
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45 By letting power supply happen through the USB port, a large range |
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46 of power source can be used, such as battery, solar panels, wind |
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47 turbine, hydropower, or power outlet. |
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48 |
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49 The bill of materials for such a design would approximate 5 USD. |
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50 A marketed device with a small margin for the seller could reach |
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51 as low as 10 USD. |
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52 |
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53 Interestingly, such a device would also be able to provide an |
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54 equivalent Web service able to work with all Web client, but |
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55 not running the existing popular Web server software stacks |
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56 known as "Web Frameworks". |
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