What is Open Pandora and what does it have to do with Pandora FMS?
Our world is full of funny stuff. Things like the most common name in the world being Mohammed or that the ancient Romans, when they had to swear they were telling the truth in a trial, instead of doing it on the Bible, they did it by holding their testicles with their right hand (that’s where the word “testify” comes from…). And like that, hundreds of little things. That is why today, in our blog, we wanted to highlight one of them, not because it is the International Day of Technological Funny Things, which I do not know if exists, but because we thought they were funny and as you can see, they have a lot to do with us.
What is Open Pandora?
Now seriously, dear followers of this blog, if I asked you: What is Open Pandora? What would you answer? “I would say that it is your community of users of Pandora FMS OpenSource version”. “No, no, I think it’s a tennis tournament sponsored by your company.” “Or a superliminal order to open mythological boxes.” And friends… you would all be wrong.
Open Pandora is something that, at first, may seem like it has nothing to do with us, but if you dig a little, you will realize that there is something. Open Pandora is a portable video game system that was released in May 2010. It runs on open source software that includes a full GNU/Linux distribution in its firmware and has enough power inside to emulate PS1, 3DO and most older 16-bit and 8-bit devices.
What does it have to do with Pandora FMS?
The name: It seems that we are not the only ones to turn to Greek mythology, nor to the name of the first woman made by Hephaestus who messed it up a bit with I don’t know what box, according to poet Hesiod. In fact, aside from this console, we share name with a Danish jewelry maker and a fictitious moon imagined by freaking James Cameron.
Open Source Software: Both Open Pandora and Pandora FMS have open source software. You know, the open-source model is a decentralized software development model that encourages open collaboration. We both use this type of model and code in response to some limitations of other models that we do not like and that can sometimes make users’ lives hard.
What do we like about our Open Pandora namesake?
Perhaps what we like the most about our homonym is their vocation to promote free and open source software. They, for example, include all kinds of features that no handheld game console has on the market, turning them into a mix between a handheld game console and a subnotebook. Something new and different. Just like us.
Open Pandora was designed based on ideas and suggestions contributed by forum members, with the goal of creating the ultimate open source portable device. That reminds us of the great contributions of our users, which we try to include in each of our monthly releases.
When they announced its creation, they anticipated that the design would be the most powerful that any portable video game console has seen so far. And they worked hard for it. Even in the final finish, that of the case and keyboard, they had one of the most pro guys on the market for hardware stuff, Dave Cancilier, or “DaveC” as he is known in the purist forums in the sector.
If you are wondering how gamers use this console, well, it’s easy, one of the main uses of Open Pandora is for home games and for emulating computer systems and classic video game consoles. Open Pandora developers have already shown top functional emulators for Dreamcast, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, SNES, Atari Jaguar and Sega Mega Drive. In other words, definitely cool.
Like us, Open Pandora is also related to Debian and it has its own Wiki. However, it is supported by its community by keeping track of new software releases.
And those were the things we have in common with our beloved namesake Open Pandora. Now I hope that every time you hear the name Pandora, either in Avatar or in a game of God of War, or as we have seen, in other types of technological devices, from mixers to open software game consoles, you remember us.
Finally, if you are not a regular of this blog, you may not yet know what Pandora FMS is: Pandora FMS is a flexible monitoring system, capable of monitoring devices, infrastructures, applications, services and business processes.
As we said before, Pandora FMS has a lot to do with open source IT. If you want to get to know and download its Community version, you can do so by clicking here.
And finally, remember that if you have to monitor more than 100 devices, you may also enjoy a FREE 30-day Pandora FMS Enterprise TRIAL . Get it here
Dimas P.L., de la lejana y exótica Vega Baja, CasiMurcia, periodista, redactor, taumaturgo del contenido y campeón de espantar palomas en los parques. Actualmente resido en Madrid donde trabajo como paladín de la comunicación en Pandora FMS y periodista freelance cultural en cualquier medio que se ofrezca. También me vuelvo loco escribiendo y recitando por los círculos poéticos más profundos y oscuros de la ciudad.
Dimas P.L., from the distant and exotic Vega Baja, CasiMurcia, journalist, editor, thaumaturgist of content and champion of scaring pigeons in parks. I currently live in Madrid where I work as a communication champion in Pandora FMS and as a freelance cultural journalist in any media offered. I also go crazy writing and reciting in the deepest and darkest poetic circles of the city.
