I recently blogged about building a 12V DC mini computer that could be used as a lightweight field server, and I finally got around to configuring it to run FrontlineSMS. It also needed a name so we are calling it the MetaMini. Hey, if Apple can put an "i" in front of everything...

First, many thanks to Ken and Alex over at FrontlineSMS for helping me get the latest release running on Fedora 10.

Second, I am shipping this unit off tomorrow morning so it can meet up with the next Nerd Surge, so I did not do any more than basic tests. The machine has been burned in for days, but you never know how everything will work until it's in the field being abused. Once we have some data from the field we'll pass it along with more notes.

For now, here are the steps that got us going:

1) Build MetaMini
2) Get a Falcom Samba 75 OR other compatible phone/modem
3) If you are using the Falcom you will need a GSM sim. We got one from an ATT GoPhone for testing.
4) Get the latest stable release of FrontlineSMS
5) Install per instructions
5a) If you are using a USB modem like the Samba read this to learn how to create a link between the USB and serial ports that FrontlineSMS uses.
5b) Under Fedora I am running everything with sudo to gain admin privileges and avoid some errors. Your setup may differ.

Extra Credit: We wanted to run the MetaMini headless (no monitor, keyboard or mouse) and this Fedora VNC HowTo is a fantastic resource for making that happen. The MetaMini can now run on the network and be controlled via a laptop running about any operating system; all you need is a VNC client.

In the next few weeks we will have more data about how the MetaMini and FrontlineSMS performed in the field, so stay tuned.