The MSN TV Linux cluster

We've never seen much use for MSN TV (previously known as Web TV), Microsoft's info appliance for TV-based web surfing. But the street finds its own use for things, so we can't say we're too surprised to see that some dude has not only been able to get the box to run Linux, but is actually building a server cluster out of them. The hack does involve some hardware mods, so it's not necessarily something for casual script kiddies to undertake (and it's certainly not something any of MSN TV's target users will ever attempt), but considering you can pick these up on eBay for a song, it could be a pretty cheap way to build your own server farm if you've got the chops to make it work.

[Thanks, Jeff]

[Anonymous @ Feb 12th 2006 5:07PM]

I have to say, people who find it necessary to link to their blog at the end of every comment is very annoying. Stop spamming please! No one wants to read your stupid blog anyways.

[Ptarmigandalf @ Feb 12th 2006 6:01PM]

I've never seen much use for MSN TV either, but at least it gave you a chance to work a William Gibson quote in.

[Travis (stupid blog free) @ Feb 12th 2006 6:59PM]

This is the kind of guy we're gonna need to keep stocked up on funyons after the apocolypse. 'Cuz I'm gonna need my internet.

[quantumania @ Feb 12th 2006 7:52PM]

I personally think this is a brilliant work. I have some experience with linux beowulf cluster for my quantum chemistry research. So I'm wondering what he's gonna do with with this MSNTV cluster. Of course this is not a powerful cluster, but it's cute considering the actually space it uses due to the small form factor of the MSN web TVs.

[Homer J @ Feb 12th 2006 8:08PM]

I bought my 75 yo father webtv when it first came out as his on ramp to the internet. He still uses this today. It was a great bullet proof solution to give someone a device for email and web surfing. Strange it never caught on more, esp for tech unsavvy people.

[Karl Viklund @ Feb 12th 2006 8:55PM]

Ohh, never heard of it. MSN TV? What's that. Those grey things are they some kind of computers? What hardware? Sorry for asking :P

[G-ZUS @ Feb 12th 2006 9:21PM]

What!? There's a use for a Microsoft product?!?!???

http://musobs.blogspot.com/

[Echo_ @ Feb 12th 2006 9:36PM]

g-zus stfu and take your apple fanboyism to go worship "G-ZUS" someplace else

[Disco-Stu @ Feb 12th 2006 9:38PM]

Interesting...could you buy a cheap MSN TV box and use it as a media center to hook up/play media on your LAN? In reading other articles, it sounds like you can; however, do you need to pay for the MSN service in order to have the box initialize and/or function?

[Max Watsdon @ Feb 12th 2006 10:13PM]

Better to buy a cheap xbox, hack it, and install the mature xbmc for the media center option. Not that it wouldn't be an option with the msntv2, but I doubt that it's development is going to go very far.

Further, the engadget article here is incorrect in stating that this hack requires hardware mods, look at this quote from the linked article, "...running without any hardware modifications..." You just need to make a separate adaptor to access the serial port, not mod the box.

[Bamboo @ Feb 12th 2006 10:49PM]

Here is some good info from where it all started.....
(the guy above 1st started thinking about it)
http://www.linux-hacker.net/cgi-bin/UltraBoard/UltraBoard.pl?Action=ShowPost&Board=CIA&Post=39&Idle=0&Sort=0&Order=Descend&Page=0&Session=
http://www.linux-hacker.net/cgi-bin/UltraBoard/UltraBoard.pl?Action=ShowPost&Board=MSNTV2&Post=1&Idle=0&Sort=0&Order=Descend&Page=0&Session=

They go in order, click on the 1st one 1st

[Anonymous @ Feb 13th 2006 12:01AM]

Can someone please ban G-ZUS please! Why is it necessary for him to link to his blog at the end of every comment!?! Stop the spamming! No one wants to read your stupid blog.

[spec @ Feb 13th 2006 12:28AM]

Ha! They *were* $.99. Going price is now between $20-$40 on eBay. Oh well. Looked like a fun project.

[Rik @ Feb 13th 2006 12:32AM]

You are right Anonymous, it is very annoying. Mind you, it isn't quite as annoying as people who complain about things before they have occured, or repeat the same complaint within one thread. Now *that* is annoying!

[Boogieman @ Feb 13th 2006 12:42AM]

These are not "webtv" units as mentioned. While WebTV was purchase by Microsoft a few years ago, the new MSNTV unit is quite a bit better than the old classic boxes. Its faster, has broadband access (thank god) and is completely running on a Windows Backend.

The older WebTV units are slower, use only dialup and are integrated with a mostly Unix backend.

I wouldnt mind having a MSNTV unit near my tv, so I could be totally lazy and surf the web when I needed to.. but thats about it.

They are great for folks as entry devices, or low cost solutions for those folks who cannot afford a full blown computer.

As for getting them for a breeze.. well thats questionable. A lot of the stuff on ebay is the older WebTV stuff.. not the newer box as seen above.

What this guy did was awesome. Good work!

[Eric Pobirs @ Feb 13th 2006 7:16AM]

Using an NTSC screen for a web display was always pretty miserable. Once WebTV users got addicted to using the internet they would see how vastly better a cheap PC's display could be. Even an elderly 15" 800x600 monitor was a night and day difference in usability. For the great majority of users WebTV wasn't a permanent solution. It was just training wheels until they saw they really needed a proper computer.

HDTV changes things. 720p is more than sufficient in resolution with a sharp and steady image. What was a novelty on the Dreamcast could be a very practical feature on the Xbox 360 and PS3.

[Niacin @ Feb 13th 2006 10:33AM]

Thanks for all your comments about my project. Currently i'm not using the msntv's for anything more then distcc. Once i vga working and some other simple problems solved. I think i will setup beowolf and do some benchmarking.

Thanks again for your support

Niacin
Toc2rta

[Jonathan @ Feb 13th 2006 6:56PM]

This is a very cool hack. MSN TV units are cheep... unlike current xBox units.

No one is making you cick on g-zux blog link. If you have a problem with it then block all links.

[max watson @ Feb 14th 2006 3:58AM]

1st generation xbox units ARE cheap, especially when purchsed used. XBMC (XBox Media Center) is free as well. And if you don't agree, perhaps a job is in order.