A contest to create applications and find bugs in a mobile "Linux desktop server" is underway. Realm Systems will award $75,000 for the best entertainment, security, IT infrastructure, productivity, and "other" applications for its Black Dog Linux device (Debian based), as well as for "most bug reports."
Realm's BlackDog server is essentially an open source, Debian-based version of the company's mobile client technology. The tiny device measures a mere 3.5 x 1.75 x 0.5 inches and weighs 1.6 ounces. It has its own embedded PowerPC processor, 64MB of RAM memory, 256 or 512 MB of Flash storage, and an integrated biometric fingerprint scanner. It also includes an SD/MMC slot for expanding memory or adding SDIO peripheral devices, and provides a USB client port compatible with USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 ports.
The BlackDog is powered completely through the USB port of the host computer. Upon insertion, it uses Windows, Mac, or Linux autorun features to launch a script that commandeers the host PC's keyboard, mouse, and video.
The company hopes its coding contest will help establish an open source developer community behind the technology.
