Welcome to . . .
the LinuxDevices.com Embedded Linux Weekly Newsletter
July 13, 2000
by Rick Lehrbaum -- Executive Editor, ZDNet's LinuxDevices.com
Using M-Systems' DiskOnChip driver without violating GPL -- In this writeup, Stuart Lynne describes a process that has been successfully employed to make use of M-Systems' proprietary driver without violating the terms of the Linux GPL. story
Voice access to the web: the next killer app? -- eWEEK's Anne Chen examines the emerging technologies and trends in this hot new arena, and clarifies the differences between alternatives techniques such as "content scraping" and VoiceXML. story
*** SPECIAL FEATURE ***
Indrema: a Linux based high-end game console -- and more -- This article, by LinuxDevices.com founder Rick Lehrbaum, takes a close look at a new consumer entertainment system that's based on embedded Linux. By taking advantage of open source software and creating an open gaming development community, a startup called Indrema plans to create a revolution in the high-end game console market. story
Glue layers simplify porting graphics apps to Microwindows -- Microwindows Project leader Greg Haerr explains how you can greatly simplify the task of porting a non-Linux graphics application to embedded Linux. The magic lies in taking advantage of "glue layers" that convert between APIs. story
Microwindows adds Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean fonts -- Microwindows v0.88 will provide greatly enhanced support for Far Eastern languages. The new release adds support for Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean fonts, using four different character encoding standards. story
Call for papers: AC Devcon 2000 (Netherlands) -- Active Exhibitions Europe issued a "call for papers" for the Applied Computing Developers' Conference & Expo, being held November 6-11 in the Netherlands. Talks on embedded and real-time Linux are especially desired. story
Red Hat announces high availability clustered server S/W -- Red Hat describes their new High Availability Server 1.0 as "an out-of-the-box clustering solution that features dynamic load balancing, improved fault tolerance, and scalability of TCP/IP based applications." story
Embedded Linux to support Hitachi SuperH -- Lineo and Hitachi have announced plans to port Embedix Linux to the SuperH, to support makers of intelligent mobile devices, Internet appliances, and other embedded systems, including such products as smart phones, e-commerce terminals. story
Group plans to launch Real Time Linux Consortium -- the kickoff meeting will be held at the second Real Time Linux Workshop being held this November in Orlando, Florida. story
SST unveils "industry's first 32-pin ATA Flash chips" -- since the new Flash storage option mimics normal IDE drives, from both a hardware and software perspective, designing embedded Linux systems with it should be simple. story
New embedded Linux resource website BLASTS off -- BLAST Inc. has launched a new website dedicated to the embedded Linux market: www.SiliconPenguin.com. The site is dedicated to gathering and presenting an index of information on embedded Linux. "story
Software simplifies clustered computer management -- Linux NetworX is offering software that allows users to control multi-computer clusters as a single system and provides remote monitoring and management capabilities. story
Lineo announces Geode SOC support -- Lineo and National will co-develop embedded Linux software development kits for National's Geode CPU reference platforms. story
Speech comes to the web -- SpeechWorks International, Inc. (Boston, MA) has announced an initiative called the Open Speech Web, aimed at creating a speech-based implementation of the World Wide Web. story
comp.os.linux.embedded passes 500:8 -- the new Embedded Linux newsgroup's address is currently propagating around the Internet and should be available soon on a news server near you. story
Free simulator enables desktop debug of RTLinux apps -- this new GPL-released real-time OS simulator includes a simulation model that mimics RTLinux. story
Yellow Dog embraces RTLinux -- Terra Soft Solutions and FSMLabs announced that RTLinux for PowerPC will be included in the next release of Terra Soft's Black Lab Linux distribution, and also in future releases of Champion Server. story
Consumer devices plugging into the Internet -- "Soon, we all may be living a life much like George Jetson, who in his cartoon world tell his oven what he wanted to eat and, poof, dinner was served," writes editor Matt Hicks. Hicks takes a look at the coming world of smart gadgets, and ponders the challenges of getting Web content from -- into -- everyday consumer appliances. story
*** SPECIAL FEATURE ***
Report from the first Embedded Linux Expo & Conference -- Rick Lehrbaum reports on the first ELEC conference, held on June 22, 2000 in San Jose, CA. Abstracts of the talks, speaker bio's, and html copies of the talk slides are also included. story
Why we need Debian -- ZDNet's Evan Leibovitch explains why he believes Debian provides an important counterbalance to the growing commercial involvement in open source. story
Lineo releases 1-floppy real-time Linux mini-distro -- Lineo has released AtomicRTAI, a working real-time Linux distribution that fits on a single floppy diskette. story
PenguinRadio receives strong equity signal -- PenguinRadio has received a commitment for a substantial equity investment in connection with a wide-ranging deal to develop next generation Internet audio services and Linux-based Internet appliances. story
Industry's first PMC AGP video module supports Linux -- General Micro Systems says it has developed the industry's first PMC (PCI Mezzanine Card) video graphics card that implements an AGP video bus interface. story
Opening handhelds -- eWEEK's Jason Brooks reports on a handful of efforts to port Linux to handheld devices including PDAs and tablets. Key players in this effort are Compaq, Hitachi, Acer, Samsung, and NEC. These activities are certain to accelerate the use of embedded Linux in an even broader range of embedded applications. story
Second annual Real Time Linux Workshop announced -- The second annual Real Time Linux Workshop will take part as part of the Workshop on Real Time Operating Systems and Applications, November 27-28, 2000 in Orlando, Florida. story
Firm applies Linux to mobile phones -- The Korea Herald reports that PalmPalm Technology is developing embedded Linux software for smart mobile phones. story
Intel ignores Windows with iMac-like Dot.Station -- ZDNet's Brad Gibson reports on the newly announced Intel Dot.Station, which features an iMac-like desktop and uses Red Hat Linux -- rather than Windows -- as its software platform. story
When opposites attract (GNOME and KDE) -- ZDNet's Evan Leibovitch reports on a growing dialog between developers of the two most popular (and competing) Linux GUIs -- GNOME and KDE. story
Transmeta and Linux to run the futurehome -- ZDNet's Will Knight reports on recent comments by Gateway executives, concerning the collaboration between Gateway and AOL to produce a family of Crusoe-based home networked appliances. story
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