[gentoo-embedded] Create embedded OS, get paid, help Africa

[gentoo-embedded] Create embedded OS, get paid, help Africa

[Mike McKay]

I have been lurking for a while hoping that I would eventually find some
time to create an embedded Linux, but time seems to have run out, and
now I need help.

I work for Baobab Health Partnership (www.baobabhealth.org) which builds
computer systems for hospitals and HIV clinics in Malawi. Malawi is one
of the poorest countries in the world, has 2 million HIV positive
people, and just 100 doctors in the entire country. Our system uses
touchscreen computers to help clinicians serve more people and make
fewer mistakes.

Our hardware is based on donated iOpener computers
(http://www.ltsp.org/documentation/iopener.php). These are x86 systems
with an integrated LCD screen, 32MB of memory and 16MB of flash disk
space. We add a touchscreen controller and a few other components to
complete our hardware.

At the moment we are adding on a second flash disk and boot into windows
98 to run some VB apps that we have created. This is not the best
solution. :-)

Our goal is to have a customized embedded Linux on the iopener. Besides
the obvious need of supporting the hardware, we also need it to run a
modern (Ajax capable) web browser.

Various people have already managed to get Linux running on the device
(http://m4i.homeip.net/) but nobody has come up with exactly what we
need. I understand the web browser may be difficult, but the good people
at Opera have already expressed an interest in helping us out in case we
need them. 

We have fundraised some money for this project, so we will be able to
pay the implementer. Ideally the person will be near to Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania so that he/she can spend some time with Gerry Douglas our
hardware hacker, but if not we can probably work something out. (Being
near Malawi would be even better but not very likely)

Please get in touch if you are interested.

Cheers,
Mike McKay

PS Here is a video of our current system in action (registering
patients) in case you are interested:
http://www.vdomck.org/~crazy/PatientRegistration.mov


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