Welcome to LinuxDevices.com's Embedded Linux Newsletter July 1, 2004 by Rick Lehrbaum Editor-in-chief

Consumer Linux confab turns one, releases spec -- The Consumer Electronics Linux Forum (CELF) celebrated its one-year anniversary this week by releasing its first Specification and Reference Implementation. The Specification is a 67-page document aimed at guiding system developers interested in creating or extending individual technologies in Linux for use in consumer electronic (CE) devices. The Reference Implementation is a fully patched source tree supporting nine target boards. CELF is an industry consortium chartered with steering the development of a version of Linux for use in embedded CE products.

Device Profile: Moxa UC-74xx series Serial-to-Ethernet bridges -- The Moxa Technologies UC-7400 and UC-7420 "Universal Communicators" are serial-to-Ethernet adapters enabling remote serial devices in factory and building automation systems to be securely monitored and managed over computer networks. They come pre-installed with Linux, and can be customized with off-the-shelf free software or specially developed applications.

EU-funded real-time Linux project jumps on experimental new technology -- The HYADES project to bring real-time capabilities to user-space Linux programs will embrace an experimental technology released just days ago. HYADES is funded through an organization promoting European Union (EU) computer technology advancement, and will begin porting RTAI/fusion to its target ia64/Linux 2.6 platform.

Embedded Linux app development using an Eclipse-based IDE -- This whitepaper from esteemed Linux author and TimeSys Product Manager William von Hagen discusses embedded Linux application development using Eclipse-based IDEs (integrated development environments). It uses TimeSys's Eclipse-based TimeStorm tools by way of example, but the material presented is largely vendor-neutral.

Free software tool automates embedded Linux implementations -- Nexedi.org has published an article introducing "umibuilder," an interesting free software tool that "allows rapid creation of [shrink] wrapped GNU/Linux solutions which can then be distributed on flash memory or on live CD." The tool is perhaps most useful for automating security updates of embedded systems incorporating Mandrake Linux.

Free Java IDE digests huge Sun code donation -- At the JavaOne tradeshow in San Francisco this week, Sun Microsystems announced contributions to a new release of the free, open source NetBeans IDE that is expected to begin beta testing in July. The NetBeans 4.0 release will include full J2EE support, a performance profiler, refactoring capabilities, and expanded J2ME support.

OSDL takes Linux back to school -- The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) is courting institutions of higher learning through a new program aimed at attracting affiliates interested in Linux research and deployment. Several colleges and universities have already joined the program, which could increase Linux participation in a quarter already vital to Linux's success.

Browsers gang up against plugin hell -- A group of web browser and plugin vendors released an improved browser plugin API this week, aimed at enabling web developers to make multimedia Web content more interactive. The new cross-browser API extends the Netscape Plugin API (NPAPI), and will appear in Linux, Windows, and MacOS browsers this fall.

Microsoft eases "shared source" restrictions -- Microsoft will make its "Shared Source" embedded OS license much less restrictive, starting with the July release of Windows CE 5.0, according to an article at WindowsForDevices.com. The new license will likely increase Microsoft's share of the roughly $1B embedded OS market, the article says.

New VIA mini-ITX board targets vertically challenged apps -- VIA is shipping an ultra-low profile mini-ITX mainboard suitable for Linux-based flat TVs, LCD-panel computers, and other vertically challenged devices. The Epia MS uses a minimalistic I/O backplate and SODIMM memory for a slimmer form-factor, and is VIA's first mini-ITX board available with a fanless 1GHz Eden embedded processor.

OTHER NEWSWORTHY ITEMS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE PAST WEEK . . .

• Ref design for network devices includes hardware, uClinux
  
• Rugged PPC modules gain Linux, dev tools support
  
• Sun revs wireless Java development tools with beta release
  
• Tiny SBC aims to free Linux device designers from core chores
  
• ARM1136 core pulses to fiber channel beat
  
• Intel rounds out Pentium M "Dothan" family
  
• SH RISC/DSP SoC does VoIP
  
• RTEMS dev kits offered for tiny SBCs
  
• Digital Home Network Alliance releases guidelines, changes name
  
• Low volume devices gain embedded Flash player
  
• Nine from IBM -- remote compiling, config files, games, Python, Java, grids . . .
  

. . . and that's not all. Click here for the latest breaking news.

• Article talkbacks
  
• Linux on PDAs
  
• Embedded Linux Q&A
  
• Real-time Linux
  
• GPL issues & discussion
  
• Embedded Java+Linux
  
• Little Linux systems
  
• General discussion
  

• Introduction & Overview ("start here")
  
• Embedded Linux Distributions
  
• Real-time Linux
  
• GUI/Windowing Software
  
• Java on Embedded Linux
  
• System-on-Chip Processors
  
• Single Board Computers
  
• Little Linux Systems
  
• Linux-Based "Cool Devices"
  
• Linux-PDAs and PDA-Linux
  
• Embedded Linux Market
  

You can access this year's previous newsletters here:   Jun. 24,   Jun. 17,   Jun. 10,   Jun. 3,   May 27,   May 20,   May 13,   May 6,   Apr. 29,   Apr. 22,   Apr. 15,   Apr. 8,   Apr. 1,   Mar. 25,   Mar. 18,   Mar. 11,   Mar. 4,   Feb. 26,   Feb. 19,   Feb. 12,   Feb. 5,   Jan. 29,   Jan. 22,   Jan. 15,   Jan. 8

Be sure to stop by LinuxDevices.com -- "the Embedded Linux Portal" -- for the latest news, articles, links, forums, products, companies, jobs, and buzz in the fast-moving "post-PC" world of Linux-based intelligent devices, Internet appliances, and embedded systems. You can contact us here.

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