[geeks] Looking for a simple user-interface device

[Jonathan C. Patschke]

I'm building a few servers (actually, firewalls) that will be installed
in places where they may need powerdowns at short notice, and the onstaff
person may not know the administrator password.

If you've ever used a Cobalt microserver, you know that about the only
good feature of the boxen is the LCD/button interface on the front or rear
of the unit to facilitate impromptu powerdowns and IP address changes.  I
want to duplicate this functionality[1] and mount the result in a drive
bay on the front of the servers in question.

Can anyone recommend a good starting point?  There are plugins for the
BASIC stamp that do serial I/O and LCD interfacing, so that looks like a
good/easy place to start.  I know that at least one microcontroller kit
(whose name I have forgotten) abstracts over USB, so that might be an
option, too, especially in the case that all the serial ports are already
exposed through the ATX port cluster.

Any suggestions?

--Jonathan
[1] Probably key-locked, if feasible, as this is a security device.