4-article-tgtimes-most-minimal-gopher-server.md - tgtimes - The Gopher Times
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4-article-tgtimes-most-minimal-gopher-server.md (2360B)
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1 # Most minimal Gopher server by tgtimes
2
3 Gopher is a protocol providing a gateway to a document system, allowing
4 to serve an organized hierarchy of files over the network. Dynamically
5 generating the content as per user requests is also possible. The client
6 side is in charge of rendering the content as it sees fit.
7
8 Generating Gopher indexes and transmitting file contents or generated
9 contents is low in software compmlexity, and in turn allows less expensive
10 hardware to be run than complex web stacks.
11
12 Which cost would we end-up for building a minimal piece of hardware able
13 to host the Gopher protocol acheiving all of the above?
14 The Gopher Times investigates.
15
16 ## Communication
17 While WiFi is inexpensive and fits moving device gracefully, the
18 reliability of Ethernet is indicated for a server. Ethernet adds
19 1 USD of cost for the transceiver handling the electricial characteristics
20 of Ethernet. These typically expose an RGMII interface.
21
22 ## Processing
23 A microcontroller featuring an Ethernet peripheral (with an RGMII
24 interface) could be the popular STM32F103, or an alternative
25 compatible part. Enough processing power would be present for an
26 embedded TCP/IP and a TLS stack.
27
28 ## Automation
29 In addition, most microcontrollers feature a large range of
30 built-in peripheral such as timers and communication or analog
31 interfaces, enabling automation of devices such as lighting,
32 heating, laundry, motors, or an entire car, through external
33 modules. This would come for no extra cost.
34
35 ## Storage
36 A slot for a MicroSD card would allow storing and updating
37 the static content to serve, and storing network configuration.
38
39 ## Scripting
40 There exist project to fit programming languages onto microcontrollers.
41 Separate projects for supporting a subset of each of Python, Ruby,
42 Javscript, Go, Rust, Lua, Forth and more.
43
44 ## Power
45 By letting power supply happen through the USB port, a large range
46 of power source can be used, such as battery, solar panels, wind
47 turbine, hydropower, or power outlet.
48
49 The bill of materials for such a design would approximate 5 USD.
50 A marketed device with a small margin for the seller could reach
51 as low as 10 USD.
52
53 Interestingly, such a device would also be able to provide an
54 equivalent Web service able to work with all Web client, but
55 not running the existing popular Web server software stacks
56 known as "Web Frameworks".