more of a hardware design question

[screwyluie]

I'm trying to build a small linux based device, essentially a PMP, I have most of my hardware picked out already, but what I need advice on is the main board for the device.

my linux experience is strictly PC based not personal device based so this is new to me. I'm hoping to find someone who can help me design a small main board for my PMP.

I've got the screen, hard drive, processor, audio processor, ram, etc... I'm not sure what else I need, I would assume a bios chip of some sort to run it all... after that I'm lost.

perhaps there's a "kit" of sorts that I can buy and tinker with to help educate me in creating a small personal device like this?

ideally it would run android, but I would like to start with something like ubuntu.

any help is appreciated, thanks.

[out_fisherman]

As a 25+ year hardware person, this sounds like quite an
undertaking. The device you describe is certainly small,
IE NOT able to be "hand assembled", by any means.
If I read this post right, you would need access to a
PCB facility capable of producing a many-layer PCB,
and then using SMT techniques to mount the SMT
devices. But before that, you, or someone you know,
would need to design the multi-level PCB to begin with.
Then there is the issue of matching clock speeds
between components, memory, etc. I apologize if
I have mis-read your intentions......just my $.02

[screwyluie]

you're spot on. it will go through many phases, it will start out much larger, then get smaller as I figure it out better.

what I'm wondering is if you can recommend the things I need to get a basic linux system running, I have everything from a computer standpoint like I said, but I'm unsure about the mainboard and what parts it needs to run linux.

I suppose I could just get a micro atx board or something and start there, but then I'm not learning anything, I want to know what makes it tick and how it all goes together

thanks