IBM has published the following new technical articles, tutorials, and downloads on its DeveloperWorks website. They cover a range of interesting (though not necessarily embedded) technical topics, primarily related to Linux and open source system development. Some require free registration. Enjoy . . . !

• SoC Concurrent Development — The old silo method of chip development, with hardware and firmware developers barely interacting with each other, won't cut it in today's fast-moving industry. Learn about the development tools and processes that speed system on a chip design and get all your developers working together effectively.
• Designing Mobile Web Services — From when to choose mobile Web services to the overall design guidelines to the value types to use in mobile Web services, this article addresses many of the design considerations you need to ponder when developing Web services for mobile devices. Learn how to decide when to use Web services, what things to consider when you design Web services, and what to keep in mind when planning mobile Web services.
• 3D Graphics for Java Mobile Devices — The Mobile 3D Graphics API retained mode lets you work with a scene graph representation of your 3D world. This article, the second of a two-part series, describes just that — an easy way to manage your 3D objects. Immediate mode renders 3D objects directly on the screen. Retained mode, on the other hand, lets you build a scene graph that you can manipulate and render at a later time.
• Java Environments for Linux on POWER Architecture — In this article, Linux on POWER refers to the coupling of multiple distributions of the Linux operating system with POWER and PowerPC (abbreviated as PPC) processors, which are IBM's family of general-purpose and embedded processors tied together under the collective term Power Architecture. This article provides a brief overview of the currently available Java Development Kits (JDKs) and Java Runtime Environments (JREs) for Linux on POWER.
• Wireless Robotics: Various Movement Systems — Previous articles have focused on the low-level approach to wireless robotics, and covered some of the hardware and software subsystems that are needed to make wireless mobile robots work. This article takes a step back to focus on the big picture, and talks about some of the macro-level design options for mobile robots. The high-level design you decide to use will have a great impact on the specific hardware and software choices you make in building your robot.
• Image Scaling on the Mac Mini Multimedia Appliance — Lewin Edwards looks at the history and design of X and why it matters for an embedded graphics system and introduces a basic scripting language for controlling a multimedia display device. Fast integer math for scaling images and an innovative use of a popular file format help bring the multimedia machine project together.
• Creating Accessible Applications with Eclipse — From The Rational Edge: This first article in a new series on building accessible applications with Eclipse begins by looking at assistive technologies and disabilities. It then discusses the functions and features that make Eclipse well suited for creating accessible applications on Windows or UNIX.
• Automate Acceptance Tests with Selenium — Acceptance, or functional, testing is designed to put manual tasks through their paces, but testing these tasks by hand can be time consuming and prone to human error. This article shows how to use the Selenium testing tools to automate acceptance tests; automating the tests saves times and helps eliminate tester mistakes. You also are provided with an example of how to apply Selenium in a real-world project using Ruby on Rails and Ajax.
• Everything you ever wanted to know about C Types — The C Type system has been adapted to a great number of architectures. As C was adapted to new systems, decisions had to be made. Should the int type be the same size on every new system, or should it be the most convenient size on every system, even if this meant it wasn't always the same size? “If you learn nothing else from these articles, learn this: On any C language implementation compliant with any C standard ever written, sizeof(char) is exactly one, whether char is eight bits, 16, 60, or 64. If you use the GNU autoconf test for sizeof(char), you might as well tattoo “I don't know what sizeof means” on your forehead.”
• An Unsung Hero: The Hardworking ELF — The Executable and Linking Format is a standard for object modules, libraries, executables, and core files. Many UNIX and UNIX-like systems use ELF, and the ELF standard has contributed substantially to the development of compiler toolchains and debugging tools for a variety of systems. Peter Seebach looks at the history of the ELF specification and why it's been so useful.
• Ajax design patterns for Web services — This article shows you how to implement a Web browser-based SOAP Web services client using Ajax design patterns. In the Part 1 of this series, the author introduced a simple Web browser-based JavaScript library for invoking SOAP Web services using AJAX. In the discussion that follows, the author expands on functions of that JavaScript library by implementing basic support for the Web Services.
• Selenium project using Ruby on Rails and Ajax — Selenium is a useful and important addition to the toolbox of software engineers, designers, and testers. Together with a continuous integration tool, it allows teams to automate acceptance tests and build better software as they find bugs easier, earlier, and more often. This article provides an example of how to apply Selenium in a real-world project using Ruby on Rails and Ajax.
• Ruby off the Rails — Ruby on Rails is just one facet of what makes Ruby great, just like EJB is only part of the Java enterprise platform. Andrew Glover digs beneath the hype for a look at what Java developers can do with Ruby, all by itself. Ruby's syntax is quite different from that of the Java language, but it's amazingly easy to pick up. Moreover, some things are just plain easier to do in Ruby than they are in the Java language.
• Using Python's Input and Output Functionality — In this article, you learn how to work with files. First, we review a simple way to output data in Python, using the print statement, then learn about the file object, which is used by Python programs to read and write data to a file. The different modes with which a file can be opened are demonstrated, and the article concludes by showing how to read and write a binary file.
• Devices, Linux Filesystems, and the Filesystem Hierarchy — In this tutorial (login required) Ian Shields introduces you to Linux devices, filesystems, and the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard. Learn in depth how to: create partitions and filesystems, maintain the integrity of filesystems, mount and unmount filesystems, manage disk quota, use file permissions to control access to files, manage file ownership, create and change hard and symbolic links, find system files and place files in the correct location.
• Linux Screensaver for Windows — Construct and package a Linux LiveCD so that it will install using the standard Microsoft Windows install process and will operate as a standard Windows screensaver. Answering the most common concern about open source software, this article shows that, yes, Linux will run under Windows. From the article, “So why should you read this article?” 1) The perceived difficulty and disruptive effects of installing Linux, 2) The uncertainty of hardware support for Linux.”

 
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