Yeah, I like the idea of a bmc but the implementation sort of sucks. What I want: a small soc pony engine that controls the main computer. On this soc I want to install my own os. I like openbsd so that would be my ideal os, but the point is it should be my os not the vendors.
Serial console + reset line control for the win here, if you want easy to diy. I guess there are lots of arm32/arm64 embedded boards that run openbsd you might repurpose and be able to mount inside a machine and which will have near zero power footprint compared to the hardware itself?
I've often wondered about actually replacing the kernel and userspace on the vendor BMCs themselves, to substitute something more competent, but I've not found anyone who's successfully done it.
