LinuxDevices.com Embedded Linux Newsletter -- November 16, 2000


Welcome to the LinuxDevices.com
Embedded Linux Newsletter
November 16, 2000

by Rick Lehrbaum -- Executive Editor
ZDNet's LinuxDevices.com


*** SPECIAL FEATURES ***

Linux sets its sights on the PDA market -- LinuxDevices.com takes a look at recent developments in both PDAs based on Linux, and Linux distro's for PDAs. Suffice it to say, there's quite a lot going on in the Linux/PDA space! story

Guest column: The joys and perils of open-source life -- Karim Yaghmour, maintainer of the open-source Linux Trace Toolkit (LTT) project, offers a perspective on some of his experiences and insights gained over the past two years of managing an important free software project. Yaghmour also reviews the history of the development of the LTT and discusses current status and future plans for the project. story

*** LATEST DEVICE PROFILES ***

Device profile: Gateway Connected Touch Pad -- Gateway has announced a "Connected Touch Pad" device for home users that will be brought to market in partnership with America Online. The device, which has a 10.4" color LCD touch-screen display, is one of the first consumer products to be based on Transmeta's new Crusoe processor and will run the Transmeta port of Linux known as "Mobile Linux." story

Device profile: Sony SNT-V304 Video Network Station -- Sony's new embedded Linux based remote video image acquisition system, which contains an embedded computer based on an Axis ETRAX 100 system-on-chip processor, runs uClinux as its embedded operating system. story

*** OTHER NEWS ***

One-day hands-on Embedded Linux development workshop -- The first Embedded Linux Development Workshop on October 26th was sold out and a great success ... so the RTC Group has set the stage for an encore: Monday, December 4 in Westborough, MA. story

NeoLinux defines, & targets, "Appliance Computing" market -- You might call Neoware a company on a mission. One of many companies struggling to carve out a profitable niche for itself in the market of selling Linux-based products, Neoware has tuned its efforts to what CEO Mike Kantrowitz dubs "Appliance Computing." story

Norwegian firms collaborate on wireless Internet terminal -- Screen Media and Birdstep will cooperate on wireless communication and intelligent home-servers, based on Screen Media's wireless webpad and Birdstep's embedded database engine. story

MaxOS embedded Linux enters beta test phase -- Alta Terra Ventures Corp. (Edmonton, Alberta) announced plans to offer an embedded version of its recently released MaxOS Linux desktop operating system. story

Deja vu? Developers and companies create KDE League -- Developers of the K Desktop Environment have announced formation of the KDE League, a group of industry leaders and KDE developers focused on facilitating the promotion, distribution and development of KDE. story

Hard Hat Linux targets thin client apps -- MontaVista unveiled thin client solutions for web appliances, PDA/PADs, and other consumer and edge applications based on Hard Hat Linux. story

Transmeta shows off a handful of embedded Linux successes -- the employer of Linux-creator Linus Torvalds used the occasion of COMDEX 2000 (Las Vegas, NV) to show off a broad array of new embedded-Linux based devices containing the Transmeta Crusoe processor. story

Real-time monitoring tool for REDICE-Linux -- RED-Probe is a graphical, real-time, monitoring and profiling tool and an integral component of the REDICE-Linux development system. story

Free Embedded Telephony project started -- uCommon is a new project consisting of what will be a series of somewhat related free software packages that are being developed primarily for use as network services for tiny footprint embedded Linux kernel based systems. story

Qt/Embedded and Qt Palmtop Environment available for download -- Trolltech announced release of Qt/Embedded under the GPL license. The company also released the Qt Palmtop Environment, a Personal Information Management (PIM) package for embedded Linux based PDAs (and other handheld devices), under GPL. story

Microwindows creator launches commercially supported iPAQ Linux -- Century Software Embedded Technologies unveiled an enhanced version of it's Microwindows-based applications toolkit and PDA operating environment for the new Compaq iPAQ handheld computer. story

BlueCat Linux gains multimedia functionality -- Metro Link announced support for Metro-Media, Metro Link's X Window System extension, on LynuxWorks' BlueCat Linux. story

Lineo releases upgrades to embedded and HA Linux offerings -- Embedix SDK 1.2 now supports the PowerPC processor family including cross-compilation allowing deployment across various processor families. Additionally, Lineo's hard real-time offerings, derived from the acquisition of Zentropix earlier this year, have now been included within the Embedix SDK. story

Graphics chipmaker announces Linux support -- Silicon Motion Inc. announced that it is fully supporting the newest Linux operating system. The SMI graphics chips are part of Transmeta's Crusoe reference platform. story

Will the real "first PPC LTT" please stand up? -- TimeSys released a statement challenging the accuracy of a recent announcement in which MontaVista claims to have released the "first Linux Trace Toolkit for PowerPC processors." story

Indrema open sourcing console gaming -- ZDNet's Henry Kingman reports on a press conference in which Indrema CEO John Gildred detailed his company's plans to redefine the high-end gaming market through Indrema's upcoming Linux-based set-top gaming system which will be supported by an open source game development model, plus, hopefully, an enthusiastic game development community. story

Pen-sized flash storage module plugs into USB ports -- M-Systems unveiled a new, universal, portable secured data storage device based on flash memory. The DiskOnKey is an ergonomically designed pocketable, pen-sized device. story

*** LINKS OF THE WEEK ***

(Too much news this week! We'll bring you more links next week . . .)

*** FREQUENTLY UPDATED QUICK REFERENCE GUIDES ***

*** DO YOUR CIVIC DUTY -- VOTE! ***

Have you voted yet?   Participate in LinuxDevices.com's ongoing surveys of the Embedded Linux Market . . .

Missed a previous LinuxDevices.com Embedded Linux Weekly Newsletter?   No problem!   Read them here . . .

Nov 9,   Nov 2,   Oct 26,   Oct 19,   Oct 12,   Oct 5,   Sep 28,   Sep 21,   Sep 14,   Sep 7,   Aug 31,   Aug 24,   Aug 17,   Aug 10,   Aug 3,   Jul 27,   Jul 20,   Jul 13,   Jul 6,   Jun 30,   Jun 15,   Jun 1,   May 1,   Apr 1,   Mar 1

Want to subscribe, unsubscribe, change your address . . . ?    use this tool

Be sure stop by www.linuxdevices.com -- "the Embedded Linux Portal" -- for the latest news, articles, 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.