Marketplaces and e-waste recycling centers are practically overflowing with the things: ARM-based streaming TV boxes that run some — usually very outdated and compromised — version of Android. While you can use them for their promised streaming purposes, they’re invariably poorly optimized and often lie about their true hardware specifications. Which leaves the most important question: can you install Linux on these SBCs and use them as a poor man’s Raspberry Pi alternative? The answer, according to [Oleksii’s Tech] on YouTube is ‘sorta’.
Tl:;Dr: sort of
The guy mentioned here got really lucky
the android TV had a standartised rockchip SoC which had a port for Debian, and booting externally was really easy
That’s the 1/100 chance. Even when, what are you going to do with 8 gig of rom and 1 gig ram?
Small web hosting, pihole, docker dashboard, Minecraft server for kids, wireguard router for travelling, or just use it with a media center spin/Kodi and turn it back into a media box that doesn’t suck.
Those specs are enough to do a lot of stuff.
But still, all of it implies you can get Linux on that thing in the first place, which is (especially with fake specs) very hard to guess
Sure, if someone puts in the time to sort those, great
But even at 5$ a piece, and if 1/5 work decently with Linux, you are looking at like 45$ / working piece, or even more if someone is refurbing it
For comparison: I can buy a lot of x64 (kinda nice, since arm is not as supported everywhere) thin client with way more ports, changeable memory and everything, for 30$
https://www.ebay.de/itm/306411387131?keyword=fujitsu+thin+client&relatedSearch=true
$25
($5*5)=$25
I’m not awake yet, but one of our maths is off. I’m only 45% sure it’s not mine.