For a while, and I think even still today, the cheapest linux thing you can buy that has USB ports, wifi, and a power adapter are those Rockchip CPU powered Android TV boxes that are super popular from aliexpress and the like. There were people getting pretty mainline Linux distros on them. They have all moved on to be more expensive now (with 8GB RAM and way more cores than needed), but if you look back at ones from a few years ago you can find ones that were 1GB or 2GB of ram with a bit of eMMC storage and a quad core arm CPU roughly equivalent to a Raspberry Pi 3 in performance. Unlike a lot of these linux microcontroller-sized boards, you got barrel jack power in, HDMI video out, wifi, usb ports, an audio out, and a nice case for it. What you lack is exposed GPIO usually. At one point you could find them for around $24. FOr people who don't need the GPIO and instead want to use a keyboard/mouse/monitor with one, I think those are often better options than the SBC market embedded-style dev boards. I think you still can if you look hard enough.

My friend has gotten full Linux on a number of weird RISC-V boards. https://github.com/queenkjuul/milkv-duo-ubuntu

Latest ESP32 S31 can runs MMU Linux amd support an Ethernet port and other wireless systems [1].

The board mentioned in the post is like a barebone mini RPi that cost only USD$20, a fraction of the cost for normal RPi.

A more complete embedded system with the same ESP32 cost a real bargain at USD$80 incorporating sensors, display, etc [2].

[1] The ESP32 S31 Runs Linux:

https://www.i-programmer.info/news/91-hardware/19197-the-esp...

[2] ESP-Mosaico centers dual-core RISC-V ESP32-S31 around a 2.16-inch square AMOLED:

https://linuxgizmos.com/updated-esp-mosaico-centers-dual-cor...

I wonder if AI could port more modern kernel versions/fixes back to old kernels for vintage Android phones. You have wifi + modem, good screens, battery, fast CPUs, the hw package is unbeatable, so it's sad to see all those phones relegated to the dumpster.

Bought some RP2040-zero for less than a dollar last year including shipping. They can run Fuzix.

If you want Linux for very little money, there are still options. There's the MilkV Duo which is probably the cheapest at less than $10. Kind of like the Raspberry Pi Zero, but worse.

Hey, why not check your old conference badges, chances are one of them can run Linux!

When they were that cheap, I would grab my one on every trip to Microcenter, just because I'd probably find a use for it, and if I didn't, I knew someone else would want it. Fun times.

Zero at $5 was never profitable. I think it was reported that they consulted Eric Schmidt and followed his advice to sell the core hardware at loss and recoup from accessories and bundle sales, which didn't suit their business, but did it anyway. This was why it was limited to 1 per customer and also because Pi Zero and Pico models have a more overpriced/appropriately-priced "WH" variants with no purchase limits.

To be fair to them that was over ten years ago, and prices of everything have risen significantly in that time.

Sold out? Or catered towards market demands?

It's taken many years but Sophgo has got a lot of their drivers into the mainline kernel and i do commend them for that.

Like the CYD[1], or do you really mean a credit card in all three dimensions?

1: https://esp32s.com/wiki/cyd-28-esp32/

Not Linux, but you mean something like the KIISU?

https://kiisu.io/

Like a Linux phone?

You can raise the ram limit by disabling the modem as it turns out! It uses the same ram as the rest of the SOC so turning it off gets you that back.

> This is like desktop computers from 30-40 years ago I guess.

30 years ago was 1990; a typical desktop computer of that era would have a single CPU at 20ish MHz, and between 512 kB and 2 MB of RAM. The Ox64 easily outclasses anything that was available at the time.

Linux has historically also done this. Unused RAM is wasted RAM. So in goes the cache.

The C906 core that runs Linux on the BL808 SoC on this device has roughly the same integer performance as a P3 on a per Mhz basis. The C906 is about 2.4 DMIPS / Mhz and the P3 is roughly 2.4 (Katmai core) - 2.8 (Tualatin core) DMPIS / Mhz depending on the version. You are looking at roughly P3 450 integer performance

Its an interesting comparison that Im not sure reflects positively on the RISC-V C906 core when you factor in core area and process nodes and core area, 22nm vs 250nm. Even if we choose the worst case scenario for the P3 cores to compare which would be the Katmai core. We are basically look at ~parity with a 30 year old core design

C906 core only @ 22nm = ~0.6 mm2

C906 core only @ 250nm = ~78 mm2 (geometric transform)

P3 core only @ 22nm = ~0.5 mm2 (geometric transform)

P3 core only @ 250nm = ~76 mm2

Apologies if this is messy and badly formatted. Im currently at a wedding, sat waiting between the ceremony and the after party and Ive quite a few beers. I responded because its something I looked at previously with RISC-V cores and I already had the answers in my head

I'm so sad that one didn't prosper, I still love the deck they sold

I think it might have worked better if they had given it a name.

~$13 adjusted for inflation.

Assuming you're referring to the one released in 2015, with inflation that's nearly 50% more expensive apparently.

You can get amazingly far with an ESP32, RP2350, or other modern microcontrollers if Linux isnt a hard requirement.

Complete starter kit for $90 here

https://www.canakit.com/raspberry-pi-zero-2-w.html?cid=usd&s...

You can pick them up in the Cambridge store, if you're anywhere near it, I bought one last week and they had plenty in stock.

But online it's very hard to find

There seems to be a 3W coming. I guess availability will suck though.

My local Microcenter has 20 in stock but the price has risen to $18