Suggestion - MAME Linux

This sounds like an interesting project and a neat idea for non-server appliance. The more information you can provide (I.e., on the forums or the mailing list) the better!

FYI, we started out with server-side appliances because they tend to be smaller, easier to develop and a better fit for the whole software appliances concept but behind the scenes we have been dabbling with various ideas for client-side appliances as well (e.g., kiosk/media center type stuff).

Yes, I am referring to the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator. It would be installed on an older PC to turn it into an arcade emulator.

I'm currently researching MAME usage. I recently acquired an old arcade cabinet and plan on installing a minimal instance of Linux with MAME on an old PII or PIII PC. Then, placing the PC and a monitor in the cabinet. The PC would not be used for any other function.

So, this would be a desktop appliance, since it would not make sense to run it on a virtual machine (i.e. Slicehost). It would be installed on a local machine. However, I don't think it would require a windowed interface environment.

Presumably this would an appliance that you install on an old PC to turn in into a universal arcade emulator, or something to that effect. In effect, this would be a client side/desktop appliance, right? We'd like to start doing those sometime soon and we have a ton of ideas.

Unfortunately, we don't really have much experience with MAME or the emulation scene. Could you give us more details on the design of such an appliance? How would you go about doing this? Off the top of my head it seems we're talking about a desktop usage scenario, so you have X + minimal window management (e.g., fvwm / fluxbox), MAME, and maybe a browser?

If the community steps in and helps it will happen much sooner. Take a look at our community development page.