skylarmt
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Debian Linux x86 PC in a water-resistant box with a full-size wireless keyboard and touchpad, 1080p HDMI display with speakers, GPS for location and clock sync, integrated reading/work lamp, OpenWRT LTE/WiFi router and Ethernet switch, active cooling, and more.
Bootup sequence, with gratuitous floppy disks
Under the keyboard. It's a bit messy, but clockwise from top left: Noctua ventilation fan, PC power button, power switches and USB 3 port, exhaust vent, SDR antenna, 12V 7Ah LiFePO4 battery, RTL-SDR mounted with VHB tape on a Lenovo Thinkcentre Tiny desktop PC, Ethernet switch, GL.iNet LTE router.
WiFi and LTE Antennas for the router are mounted behind the display in the top half. Some of the antennas are over a foot long and have to be mounted diagonally to fit!
Ethernet port to connect external devices to the box's network, plus two Anderson PowerPole connectors for charging (they're connected together to allow daisy-chaining power)
External waterproof USB port!
And the whole thing is ridiculously portable, considering the contents.
It has a full mirror of the amd64 Debian package archives, so i can install any software any time without Internet (and so can any Debian PC on the same network)
Offline Wikipedia, Project Gutenberg ebooks, iFixit repair guides, and more, running with Kiwix-serve
OpenStreetMap server, providing offline maps of the entire planet
SDR at work, receiving radio signals and playing them via the speakers in the screen.
Raw GPS data from the receiver above the screen (I took this picture in my basement, so no location fix)
Oh, and it's running a FreePBX phone server in a virtual machine, so phone calls can be made to and from anyone connected to the local network, even if there's no cell service. If the box has Internet, calls can be made to the outside world too, relayed via a VPN to a SIP trunk connected to the public telephone network.
FlintNorth44
If everything goes dark...not having internet is the least of your worries.
Sylventhe
Under NO circumstances should you label this "DATA CORE". I mean, have you seen ANY post-apocalyptic movies? Some guy sees this label, and suddenly the game of telephone begins, and the next thing you know you've got two hobbits thinking this is the cause of everything and trying to hurl it into a volcano. I would label it "Archive 07 of 13", just to mess with your enemies.
Juvis
Can it run Doom though?
htapoicoS
What's the difference to my normal desktop computer when the internet goes dark?
Medallish
This is awesome, very similar to what I'm trying to achieve with mine, I've gotten so far as I've managed to get the GPS and SDR to work, although I used foxtrot, I also run DHCP and hotspot on mine so it acts as it's own network spot, are you also doing that? If so I wanted to ask how you set yours up, and if you're using any kind of captive portal, which I've tried but not had so much luck with.
AstronglywordedEmail
Did you 3D print the save button?
Bojovnik84
"When the internet goes dark". Yeah, you can spend all the money you want, but if the internet goes dark, you're not connecting to shit.
skylarmt
That's why it has a programmable radio receiver and a network router. Sure there won't be internet but that doesn't mean there isn't communication! This thing can receive walkie-talkie signals, emergency broadcasts, ham radio, etc. Just type in a frequency and hit play.
WickedSludge
I'm sure you're also aware of existing protocols in place for data communication over HAM frequencies. It'd be easy enough to connect networks that are miles apart.
dbbbbs
Does it protect from EMP? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse
neithermenoryou
I'm curious, what kind of disaster are you planning for with this that it would be useful for? Most other things, like WiFi network, GPS, radio, and making calls are no brainers, those are basically always useful. Ifixit guides are a great idea, Wikipedia similarly might help with some stuff as complement, but Linux distros and install packages? That would imply people still have (amd) computers, a way to power them, and an actual reason to use them beyond organizing help?
Thorsheadache
Now knowing the kind of prepper he is (take a look at his post history), probably a nuclear EMP. That's the common disaster scenario these types think will occur and will allow them to show off their skills.
skylarmt
North Korea and Iran don't have the balls to do it, and Russia's nukes are probably all broken down. However, weather events keep getting worse and we're overdue for a solar CME.
JustAnotherRandomCommenter
oh wow. i kinda wish i hadn't read his post history. anti-abortion anti-gay religious apocalypse prepper. great. managed to be anti-gay enough that a *catholic college* threw him out for it. looks like he was arrested over the summer for assaulting a cop (unless his names are a lot more common in that area than i'd've expected), but i'm guessing he'll get away with it.
LarvaLamp
Either he deleted everything, or you're reading a different post history than the one I found under his profile.
JustAnotherRandomCommenter
he has deleted (or hidden) everything.
LarvaLamp
This is why I don't want to survive an apocalypse - I'll be stuck with guys like this.
Thorsheadache
Yeah, I thought he'd do that. /a/XEPa9nH
LarvaLamp
Yikes.
qwasson
Excellent work. I have that exact keyboard for when I'm spelunking in the racks, but I'd hate to have to ride out the apocalypse with it
Hendlton
It's my couch keyboard and it's... Functional. But what can you expect for like $20?
qwasson
The quality is fine, tbh, but it's main advantage is also its downfall. It is just too compact to use in anything other than a pinch
nefroye
OK well I'm just wondering - why the work to connect to and through the internet, if the internet won't be there?
dank69
I assume when the internet is available you use it to update the offline files.
skylarmt
Correct! It's also possible there's a cell signal but other infrastructure is down. It can connect to both Verizon and T-Mobile networks, and T-Mobile roams onto AT&T, so it can get a signal from any of the big three carriers.
Snarkywisecrack
I kind of like it when the power goes out and my stepdaughter comes out of her room and says the Wi-Fi is down. Can you start the generator? To which I reply, no read a book.
tinyCabbage
Why? Just put a laptop in a ziplock bag if you want it water proof. Put it in 2 if you really want it water proof
laserfrog
But why a wireless keyboard?
qwasson
Cables get damaged. I could see me leaving the keyboard outside the case when I close it in a hurry and suddenly having 2 cables
BishlamekGurpgork
Honestly I'd probably mount it to the inside of the case.
skylarmt
I considered that with the keyboard but decided it would be nice to have the option of typing without my wrists resting on the hard front edge of the box.
BishlamekGurpgork
You could also have a wireless in addition. But a wired component I can't drop in the soup and won't fail if I can't use wireless (bad chip, scrambled signal, busy local environment, whatever) seems like a good basic foundation.
Though I might also build in a wrist rest.
skylarmt
Not many wired keyboards are the right size and have a mouse built in! It uses standard AAA batteries.
Hendlton
Doesn't it use AA or am I misremembering? I have that exact keyboard, but I can't be bothered to check right now.
skylarmt
Pretty sure it's AAA but it's not really relevant since the only difference is one is slightly bigger and lasts slightly longer.
TheDrunkenWrench
That Logitech keyboard is the people's champ. I have one for my garage computer and one for my media center. Most dyno shops use em too. Cheap and effective!
manulofdoom
Why not take it apart and hook it right up to the laptop itself? Having a keyboard with a separate power supply and a wireless connection seems kinda at odds with the rest, IMO
Wubbalubbadubdubb101
Repetitive stress malfunction? Easier to switch out is my theory.
DeserTimmy
Not to blow smoke in your ass or anything but you seem like the type of person who could figure out how make that keyboard run on solar if you had a spare small panel, resistors, and a soldering iron- which I bet you do.
I don’t think it would be exceptionally complicated but I’d give myself like a 50% chance of ruining the keyboard. My soldering skills are meh and I need pretty rudimentary directions to make anything on a breadboard.
skylarmt
I could 3D print a tube the same size as the batteries, put metal contacts on the ends, a voltage regulator inside, and a power cord coming out.
skylarmt
...or just use rechargable batteries, they make ones with a charge controller and USB-C port inside so you can recharge them with just a phone charger. I use those in my desktop's mouse, just gotta plug them in for a couple hours every few months.
DeserTimmy
Yeah I thought about that but most rechargeable batteries (at least the inexpensive ones I’ve bought) only last a year or two with regular use before they won’t really hold a charge. I guess I was envisioning the 5+ year suitability of this setup without a reliable power grid- not that I’m judging, the majority of my emergency prep is some shelf stable food, firewood, a generator and enough gas for maybe a week or two if ration carefully, basically were ready for a really bad snowstorm.
Hammerwell
Eneloop claims they hold 70% after 10 years.
skylarmt
Keyboards and mice use very little power though, so a single charge cycle can last several months if not a year or more
elishawill11531415
Shut up and take my money!
skylarmt
All components are available from eBay, Aliexpress, Harbor Freight, and Ace Hardware, you can build your own :)
sixtimesseven
Got a parts list and a distro?
skylarmt
Not really, but everything except the antennas are visible in the photos or described in the captions, and the antennas are just the biggest ones I could find that would still fit.
The PC is running Debian 12 and gets power via a 65 watt Lenovo car charger (the Lenovo Tiny series desktops use a laptop power brick).
CheeseborgarSoop
Ah, fellow man of Culture. I also have preparedness with a NAS that has over 40 TB of media storage and games.
detectivepopcornmmmmm
What are your thoughts on a faraday cage?
neffstradamus
I work in one 😀
gablestout
SCIF?
neffstradamus
MRI
detectivepopcornmmmmm
I've spent some time in a SCIF myself.
skylarmt
Not very necessary for small devices that aren't plugged into the grid.
lurkertron5000
Cool build first of all. As for Faraday cages, people don't usually mean for them to protect against power spikes on the grid. Protecting your device from surrounding EM won't do much if you're injecting the amps directly to the brain. Also, small devices should absorb less EM, but some may be particularly sensitive, so it's arguably a wash
eiger3970
Exept for a nemp https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_electromagnetic_pulse
TorrentialUpPour
Why worry about a NEMP when we're already decades overdue for a massive solar flair based EMP?
Harbltron
If we get smacked by a big enough CME at this point in history we're going to go back to the dark ages. I'm not sure if people appreciate how apocalyptic that scenario is, and it IS eventually going to happen, it's just a matter of when and how bad it is.
Hammerwell
Hm, maybe to the 1800s. But with that many people and not the fitting infrastructure, you might be right that it will start out as "bad".
htapoicoS
Oh no, what about the economy?
billstranger
You seem like a lad or lass who might enjoy the "Daybreak" series of books by John Barnes, starting with "Directive 51."
perji
the type of person that WOULD put a pipe gun in a safe
kurvarVillain
It is a beautiful rig!
Now wrap it al in tinfoil because the most likely reason for internet to go dark is EMP or solar flare....
which makes it harder to update.
dashers
The offline datasets are neat. Is that something you're curating yourself, or is there a shared repository for this sort of data? My network can go into island mode along with my household power, but I haven't bothered apocalypse planning for no Internet at all, might be a fun thing to do.
DeepSpaceNetwork
IMO the most important dataset is maps; there are several navigation apps for phones/tablets that can work with offline maps. Some, but not all, can also do offline route planning based on this data. So you don't even need a full computer, just a phone.
PathologicalLier
I mean... I dont understand... Does it really matter to consider no-internet? You'll still have your home network... Maybe a nas with a bunch of tv-shows or books and music and well... With long enough cables (and a switch or multiple) you could make your own neighbourhood "internet"
Wubbalubbadubdubb101
Oh like a LAN?
PathologicalLier
Yeah or more wide reachin a WAN
dashers
I do that already, I yes, I could branch out and make a mesh with neighbours easily enough. It's the content that appeals to my inner nerd, having repair manuals, wikipedia, maps all offline etc. Not something I'm likely to do, or ever use, but gotta get your geek on every now and then.
MisterLemons
"Prepping" is just a hobby for people that want to be more independent.
I had a great amount of fun wiring my shed and powering it with two deep cycle batteries, a 2000w inverter, solar charge controller, and two panels. The day before the hurricane hit I charged the system up, disconnected all the loads, and went to bed knowing I could run the fridge and freezer if we lost power.
MisterLemons
The project was actually so much entertainment and so successful that I built a smaller, portable, waterproof system complete with short range radio to haul camping every year.
JimFromMarketing
I think a lot about, if the internet goes down, just how much KNOWLEDGE would we miss. There's so much I don't know how to do. In a survival situation, an offline Wikipedia would make you a God
zooshooter
Start with the Ashley Book of Knots. You can find free PDFs online instead of buying a physical copy. 638 pages of info just on knots....
skylarmt
A great place to start is Kiwix: https://kiwix.org/en/ They have a bunch of software that can read the special compressed data archives they invented. They have archives available for many popular and free data sources, such as Wikipedia, StackOverflow, Project Gutenberg, and TED talks.
sixtimesseven
@op I use these waterproof SAE connectors. Toss a diode on the incoming so they don't hook DC or the solar controller backwards.
https://optimate1.com/product/cbleo-40/
skylarmt
I've had the exposed side of SAE connectors snap off before. It's also not gendered clearly and has exposed contacts, which can get messy. PowerPoles are better IMO because they're genderless, color-coded, and high-amperage (45 amps max on the ones used here). They're also a de-facto standard for emergency ham radio operations all over the place, so my tech will be compatible with other people's power, and vice versa. I waterproofed the ones here by injecting caulk after inserting the wires.
Ruppelstein
thecowkingdom
Here's me with just my 13 year old thinkpad and 2 spare batteries.
Bloody love my thinkpad, got mint on it and it's still nippy and a great machine.
GnomeDeGuerre
How much storage does the bugger have?
wolfenstien98
As kool as plasma is, would switching to XCFE make more sense for improved battery life? I get about 2..5% more screen time running XCFE in my experience
Orella
Doomsdayers always assume they'll have working GPS. It's cute.
sadurdaynight
There's different scenarios to prep for, usually based on scale of destruction. This thing would be useful if your country goes to shit while rest of the world is ok.
skylarmt
Yup, and I'm in the United States, so the chances of that happening keep going higher (and are at 100% for a good chunk of the southeast right now)
skylarmt
There are GNSS satellite networks run by the United States, China, Russia, and Europe. The only way there won't be usable GNSS is if there's a massive world-ending catastrophe, and if that happens, most people are gonna be dead. The vast majority of potential disasters are not planet-scale. Besides, the maps on the system don't require GPS, they're just maps. You can manually find your location on them no problem.
PandaStonetree
Even planet scale, someone would have to intentionally target 31 satellites in space. Satellites are quite self sufficient and will continue to function for quite some time, but they can still break down over time. GPS only needs signal from 3 to be accurate.
Hendlton
And others always assume that literally everything is going to go up in flames. If it's a localized disaster, this is perfect.
KilljoyNE
Considering the context of this post and OP's comments. I don't think it's intended for localized disasters.
skylarmt
It's intended for regional disasters, where it could be some time before civilization recovers. Hurricane Helene comes to mind.
ArcaneConjecture
Doesn't GPS come from satellites?
SadsPikkelson
Yes, but the satellites have to be managed. There's a whole branch of the DoD that keeps them operating, communicating, and calibrated. If there is no DoD, even if the satellites are still there, they will degrade and GPS will quickly become inaccurate and eventually disappear.
PandaStonetree
They are actually quite self sufficient, but they can still malfunction or break down over time.
skylarmt
Good thing there are other GNSS constellations managed by Europe, Russia, and China! It's also possible to use ground transmitters to enhance location accuracy and signal quality.
SadsPikkelson
I mean, if the DoD is gone I doubt China or Europe are operating. And ground transmitters only improve accuracy if the satellites are working. And that equipment usually requires power, so hopefully you have an electrical grid or access to gas and a generator. Point being that in a Mad Max-style apocalypse GPS is not going to be up.
apneax3n0n
i mean if the whoe gps system is gone we have much bigger problem
lurkertron5000
First the GPS System...next the ATM Machines!
jherazob
Like an apocalypse?
Neurisko
Could be as simple as a big solar flare that takes out a bunch of electronic infrastructure.
skylarmt
Satellites are hardened against a lot of that, and you only need three surviving satellites overhead to get an accurate fix. Normally there are something like a dozen overhead at any given time.
lurkertron5000
Those satellites very quickly become useless without their dedicated ground stations
skylarmt
If you want to see how I power this thing, here's the giant battery bank I made: /gallery/really-big-diy-battery-bank-over-160-000mah-VvbIp4a
Dimestream
What was the total cost to make this Apocalaptop?
skylarmt
Somewhere in the ballpark of $300-500.
Dimestream
Sounds like you could easily sell these as a "Desolation Workstation" for $1,000 or so and turn a profit - and help prevent total knowledge loss in case of Armageddon! Heck I'd buy one and I'm not even a doomsday prepper!
alienwax
SO sick! By any chance, is it housed in a Faraday cage to protect the circuitry from an EMP produced by a nuclear bomb/ mass coronal ejection?
docLaughable
Neat! How do you cool this while out and about?
skylarmt
The battery box doesn't really need cooling. The wires are all thicker than needed so they don't get very warm, and the battery itself is rated for 50 amps of continuous power draw. The charger is encased in a metal heatsink and limits itself to 10 amps of output so it gets warm but not hot. If the box did get too warm (like it was in a hot car or something), I could just open the lid for passive air cooling.
skylarmt
If you're talking about the PC box, the computer has an internal CPU fan and the rest of the box has air moved through it via two vents on opposite sides and a tiny and quiet but powerful fan.
ArcaneConjecture
@OP should manufacture these and sell them to Trumpsters on Truth Social for $20K each. He wouldn't even have to scam, just say exactly what it is, what it does, and have an advertisement with lots of flags and eagles and AR-15s.
lArePositivityMagnet
Yes... + perhaps the Imgur series at $1.2K ea? 😆 I'd want Faraday upgrade for mine
Side question: have you considered sussing out which components will degrade first (due to humidity/temp/cycles) and babied them or planned drop-in replacements every x years? Shelf life is a fun little puzzle; vibration and cables and connectors and dendrite growth 😁. Aiming for high-reliability or semi-disposable both work [gold plating, vibration dampeners, heatsinks everywhere vs plan to replace cables]
Thorsheadache
Seems like he'd be selling to like-minded company, too, based on past project posts. Fuck OP.
NebulousToucan
Which? I only glanced at others and missed it
Thorsheadache
Go check the ones with a pride flag crossed out. Or the big white paper which is the discipline report throwing him out of a catholic college for being homophobic.
JustAnotherRandomCommenter
He's deleted or hidden them unfortunately
NebulousToucan
Ah that's why I didn't see em
Thorsheadache
Yeah, I thought he'd do that. /a/XEPa9nH
marccchavez1
truly wonderful sense of Apocalyptic paranoia in every image. thank you. now I have to dig a bomb shelter
DaveSamsonite
Whatever simultaneous global EMP event takes out “the whole internet” is unlikely to leave any reason to use a computer or even want to go online. Self contained power generation to run water pumps and gas pumps and start internal combustion engines will probably by more valuable.
ChewyTheWookie
except paranoia is an IRrational fear...
Lampmonster
Bomb shelters are meh. What you want is a fallout shelter. You need to be self sufficient for a decade or more.
MusicPenguin
Bomb shelters have a few problems of their own. But this is interesting.
skylarmt
The employees at Harbor Freight all know me now because I keep going there to buy more waterproof boxes to build stuff like this in them
PlanckEraWasMyBestEra
Do you sell them? My sense of apocalyptic paranoia would like something like this but I do not have the skills, knowledge, or patience to make it myself.
YetiFurDrapesInc
You should read his other comments/posts before offering to buy anything. Just a friendly suggestion.
PlanckEraWasMyBestEra
Uh oh. Now I'm afraid to look because I don't want to be sad
Thorsheadache
So homophobic he got thrown out of a catholic college.
NowhereMan313
Generally a good suggestion, but were you calling out anything in particular?
50m31AW
I can't find anything. There's comments on this post, and then two from years ago. Got a cat pic, a similar build like this, DIY server rack and not much else
YetiFurDrapesInc
He appears to have deleted his previous hateful comments. But I did take this before he did. The time was from 7:56am CT for the record.
hadtochangemyusernamecauseIgotdivorced
Man those boxes are great and they usually have some great sales on them. I'm really liking their version of the packout system. Work let me get a bunch, and it's been super convenient bringing everything onto a site. And the boxes are a fraction of the cost of the Milwaukee version. Sure not as "high quality" but I don't care.
skylarmt
Yeah, I'm not sure how Pelican can get away with charging like $150 for these boxes when they're like $20 at Harbor Freight.
hadtochangemyusernamecauseIgotdivorced
Cause it's a brand thing. Same reason warn can charge a ton for their winches when badlands at harbor freight has been proven to be better at half the cost.
Wolfshead009
You just have to know the product. Sometimes they are as good, sometimes not. I would never trust a Hazard Fraught jackstand.
Iainhead
But does it play Doom?
skylarmt
Yes, it's a full desktop PC. I don't think it'll run the new DooM very well because it doesn't have a GPU but it'll definitely run the original :)
friendsofsandwiches
Okay, but is the case shielded against EMP? Also wouldn't zip disks work better for larger file size holding?
skylarmt
It has a large internal SSD, the floppies are clickbait because they were on my workbench.
EMPs are unlikely to do damage to smaller devices like this that aren't connected to the power grid, cable internet, or phone lines. Your cell phone will be okay but the towers will all be cooked. That said, the actual computer has a metal casing and everything in here is grounded together, which should help, especially if the box's negative power plug is connected to earth when things go sideways.
WickedSludge
Aren't antennas tuned in the GHz band particularly vulnerable to EMP damage?
skylarmt
EMPs are basically every frequency at once. The real concern with them is power surges, because the EMP hits entire long power lines at once, adding up to a massive wave of power cascading down the lines.
brcpo9
So, can you make a dirtbox that works as a replacement cellphone tower for you and your friends?
skylarmt
Why do that when WiFi equipment is so cheap, available, and legal and can do all the same things?
brcpo9
Might not be as available. If dirtbox, turn it on and pretend to be everyone's provider and every cellphone is now operable.
skylarmt
Or I just turn off the WiFi password and people connect to the only signal they can find. Many phones pop up a notification when an open network is detected.
brcpo9
Except when they've already disabled that annoyance, and have forgotten how/that they did it. Cellphones don't come with manuals that aren't written by AI. My most recent manual doesn't know if the battery is removable or not on the specific model it was 'written' for.
TwoNineSix
Me when it's the apocalypse and I already turned off open network notifications on my phone long ago: "Damn, I don't remember off the top of my head how to turn this back on. Guess I'm boned, there's no way I, an adult of reasonable intelligence who's used smartphones for years, could just go through the settings and figure out how to re-enable this feature."