[arm-allstar] Something other than PI but still ARM

[Chris Z]

Please!!!
No flames!

With all the discussion about finding RaspberryPIs at even a remotely
reasonable cost I suggest it is time to think about this.
Yes, I know there is a large investment in code for stuff on the GPIO.
Yes I know the X86 horse has been riden to death and then beaten repeatedly.
However isn't it time to at least consider moving away from Raspberian and
to Debian?
There are many ARM based SBC boards that are not Raspberry, have an ARM
processor and most importantly are more available and some priced in a range
more in line with the PI 3B+.

Historians on this list will recall that the first of the Allstar releases
were for the  BeagleBone Black.
I still have my BBB. It's running a talking weather loop from my Davis
weather station talking 24 hours a day ever since the last of the Allstar
code stopped being upgraded.
That's a lot of weather data.

I know this is the ARM list and I'm not pushing for X86 but can't the idea
of moving to an OS that opens up other options be on the table?
It seems that there is no end to the problems of production and shipping of
Raspberry boards.
I want to build more nodes but $200.00 for used or old stock 3B+ doesn't fit
my budget.
The question is just how much coding is needed and along with that how many
depend on that GPIO header?
For that matter there appear to be boards with the header but that just
don't run Raspberian. Afterall Raspberian was specifically customized for
the PI.

My half cents worth.
73