Category Archives: Operating Systems

Linux-capable Arduino TRE debuts at Maker Faire Rome

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As Zoe Romano puts it in an Arduino blog post, “the Arduino TRE is two Arduinos in one.” Basically, the new ARM Cortex-A8-based Sitara AM335x’s job is to run Linux applications and manage the SBC’s PC-style interfaces (video, audio, Ethernet, USB, optional WiFi, etc.), while an Atmel ATmega microcontroller takes care of the SBC’s real-world I/O (analog inputs, digital I/O, PWM outputs, etc) and handles the interface to shields (Arduino expansion modules) in a fully AVR-compatible manner. Best of all, Romano points out, the 1GHz TI ARM processor offers up to “100 times more performance” than Arduino’s earlier Leonardo and Uno boards, writes Romano.

via Linux-capable Arduino TRE debuts at Maker Faire Rome ·  LinuxGizmos.com.

What’s unique about the TRE, however, is that its Linux OS runs on an ARM processor that’s truly integrated into the SBC’s basic architecture, as opposed to being a collateral benefit of a WiFi add-on module. As a result, the TRE will support a “full Linux” OS in contrast to the Yun’s Linino OS, a custom version of the lightweight OpenWRT embedded Linux distribution.

OSv, a new open-source operating system for virtual machines

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These days, most applications running on virtual machines in the cloud run on top of Linux. We all love Linux, but as an all-encompassing operating system for everything from phones to supercomputers, Linux was never really designed for virtual machines; It is big and complex, and it offers features (such as multi-user and multi-process) which are  today made redundant by the hypervisor and slow it down. Linux’s APIs are many times set in stone by decades of legacy code.  All these cost in application performance, and make it harder to innovate.

This is why we developed OSv, a new operating system designed to run a single application on a virtual machine. As it runs a single application there is no need for kernel-userspace isolation, reducing context switch costs and unnecessary copying. A design from scratch allowed us to experiment with new ideas like lock-free mutexes (solving the Lock-Holder Preemption problem that plagues operating systems on virtual machines), extremely fast context switches, Van Jacobson’s network channels (see http://www.lemis.com/grog/Documentation/vj/lca06vj.pdf), and more.   Also, OSv is released under the more permissive BSD license (not GPL like Linux), is tiny compared to Linux, and takes less than one second to boot and start the user’s application.

via Announce: OSv, a new open-source operating system for virtual machines.

Presentation slides can be seen here.

The last days of Unix

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Errol Rasit, research director at Gartner, concurs that the primary cause of Unix weakness over the past decade is migration from the RISC platform to x86-processor based alternatives, which can run many Unix workloads, usually at attractive price/performance ratios. Today, x86 technology attracts most new deployments and innovation, such as cloud computing and fabric-based computing, which further validates the technology as a preferred platform.

via The last days of Unix – Network World.

Linux-based autopilots target commercial UAVs

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The computers offer pre-installed flight control and mission software built upon the Linux-based AirwareOS platform. The software is provided under a royalty-free license that enables modification, extension third party software, and inclusion in proprietary products, says the company. The Linux-based software is written in C++, and provides a single hardware-independent Unified Autopilot Interface (UAI) API to the INS/GPS solution, system status, sensor data, actuators, datalink radio, and payloads.

via Linux-based autopilots target commercial UAVs ·  LinuxGizmos.com.

Attacks on Package Managers

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To provide an example of the sorts of attacks an attacker can launch on package managers, this page describes an example attack called a replay attack. Other attacks are described on a separate page.

via Attacks on Package Managers.

Here’s a piece of advice I always adhere to for any kind of upgrade.

Manually update your systems (and local mirror caches). Know when package updates become available and what the versions should be. Manually verify and install the updated packages (or add them to your local mirror cache that your systems update from) rather than relying on automated updates. We have observed mirrors many months out of date for some distributions, so you should check periodically that your mirror is being updated.

Linux Group Tests

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The original objective in starting the compilation was to dispel the FUD that Linux does not have the necessary software to compete with Windows. Over time, the aim of the compilation was to enable Linux users, whatever their level of computing experience, to identify software of all types that is worth exploring. With the huge range of open source software available, there is simply not enough time for users to evaluate every application even within a single category of software.

The compilation is being frequently updated and new articles added on a regular basis.

via Linux Group Tests – Part 1 – Linux Links – The Linux Portal Site.

DRBL – About

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DRBL (Diskless Remote Boot in Linux) is free software, open source solution to managing the deployment of the GNU/Linux operating system across many clients. Imagine the time required to install GNU/Linux on 40, 30, or even 10 client machines individually! DRBL allows for the configuration all of your client computers by installing just one server (remember, not just any virtual private server) machine

via DRBL – About.

DRBL uses PXE/etherboot, NFS, and NIS to provide services to client machines so that it is not necessary to install GNU/Linux on the client hard drives individually. Once the server is ready to be a DRBL server, the client machines can boot via PXE/etherboot (diskless). “DRBL” does NOT touch the client hard drives, therefore, other operating systems (e.g. MS Windows) installed on the client machines will be unaffected. This could be useful in, for example, during a phased deployment of GNU/Linux where users still want to have the option of booting to Windows and running some applications only available on MS windows. DRBL allows great flexibility in the deployment of GNU/Linux.

bcache

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Bcache is a Linux kernel block layer cache. It allows one or more fast disk drives such as flash-based solid state drives (SSDs) to act as a cache for one or more slower hard disk drives.

Hard drives are cheap and big, SSDs are fast but small and expensive. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could transparently get the advantages of both? With Bcache, you can have your cake and eat it too.

via bcache.

Red Hat Announces RDO And OpenStack Partner Program

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Installation is made easy with the Red Hat-developed installation tool, PackStack.

That last bit is interesting. OpenStack is a complex suite of tools, and the installation process is non-trivial. Any work to streamline that will reduce at least one barrier to success.

As for the name, RDO? It stands for “Red Hat Distribution of OpenStack.

via Red Hat Announces RDO And OpenStack Partner Program | TechCrunch.

Hopefully this works with CentOS as well.