Turning the corner

Thus it was, that my “quest for a daytime Linux system” became my principal hobby — one which I pursued relentlessly during evenings and weekends (just ask my wife!). And for the better part of a year, that was my status quo: “Windows guy” by day; “Linux guy” by night. (more…)

Look ma: no Windows!

So here I am with my fully functional Linux system — capable of serving my work-day needs — and with a big smile on my face! (more…)

The light at the end of the tunnel

With the announcement of a new version of XFree86 that incorporated a font-server that supported scalable fonts, I felt a surge of hope that my Netscape-ugliness problem might soon be a distant memory. So I downloaded and installed the latest XFree86 — but for some reason, it didn't seem to help Netscape. (more…)

Is Linux ready for the desktop? Early in 2000, LinuxDevices.com founder Rick Lehrbaum vowed to leave Windows behind — not just in the embedded market, but with respect to his own desktop computer. But he didn't quite realize what he was getting himself into. In this essay, we join Lehrbaum on his quest to configure a Linux-based system for use during working hours that would perform all his required… (more…)

New England startup Memora Corp. is attempting to create a new product category — the “personal server” — and hopes to thereby grab the leadership position in that niche. A name reminiscent of “personal computer,” the term “personal server” is meant to convey the idea of an appliance-like device that performs a range of useful services and can be easily installed and operated by nontechnical end users… (more…)

In this essay, Bruce Perens, senior advisor for Hewlett-Packard and the primary author of the Open Source Definition, offers a perspective on software patents, the fundamental problems with them, and the hazard that they present to Free Software development. Also included, is a discussion on the upcoming summit meeting Perens has called on Free Software and The Law. (more…)

Feature

• An Intelligent Multiport Serial Controller for the Semiconductor Industry, by Paul Robertson, Bob Bourne — Robertson and Bourne describe a low budget, long-life… (more…)

Need to add video capture to your PC/104 system? Use an ISA board and save a bundle. (more…)

Porting programs like xfreecell from X to Nano-X.

Nowadays, it seems that when I've got an idea for a new program I want to write for Linux, if I search the Net, someone's already published an open-source version of it. Such was the case recently when I thought it'd really be fun to have a graphical solitaire game for Microwindows. (more…)

Robertson and Bourne describe a low budget, long-life embedded communications interface. (more…)

Moving halfway between applications programming and real time, this series talks about using Linux systems for automation and control in the physical world. (more…)

Version 1.1 Operating Environment and Development Toolkit, SBC-MediaGX Development Kit, Graphics Master. (more…)

Open source causes tactic changes in Redmond.

On March 5, 2001 CNET ran an “other hand” story about embedded Linux. The headline says “Maxtor picks Windows, dumps open source”. The subhead explains, “Maxtor has switched from the open-source FreeBSD version of UNIX to a special-purpose version of Windows 2000 for a new storage system it's introducing… (more…)

Qt/Embedded extends the ease and speed of Qt to embedded application development. (more…)

To keep up with increasing demands for wireless phone coverage, Transcept, Inc. created a system on Linux that also helps keep the cost of coverage down. (more…)