Tag Archives: linux

Linaro: open source software for ARM SoCs

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Linaro is a not-for-profit engineering organization consolidating and optimizing open source Linux software and tools for the ARM architecture. Find out more…

via Linaro: open source software for ARM SoCs.

From:Android is about to get a lot faster thanks to Linaro

The folks behind the Linaro open source software project have put a little time into tweaking Google Android to use the gcc 4.7 toolchain. The result is a version of Android that can perform many tasks between 30 and 100 percent faster than the version of Android Google 4.0 Google currently offers through the AOSP (Android Open Source Project).

Steam for Linux will launch in 2012

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Steam becoming available for Linux is quite significant for the future of gaming on the OS. Steam holds a lot of sway with developers and publishers, and they will be more inclined to support Linux as a platform if they intend to launch a game through Steam. So this is great news for any gamers who don’t run a machine on Windows or Mac.

via Steam for Linux will launch in 2012 – Video Games Reviews, Cheats | Geek.com.

Linux accessibility – what is it and why does it matter

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I stopped using Windows because I could no longer afford to use it. At the time when I completely switched to Linux (approximately June of 2007) the price for a popular screen magnifier was US$600 to US$700, not including the price of upgrades to new versions when they were made available. Even to this day, the price for a standard version of a very popular screen reader among blind users starts at US$895. Oh, the software does its job, but you have to go into debt to use your computer. That’s tough if you are a student or if you need your computer for work related activities. Believe me, I’ve been there.

In 2007 I realized that the Compiz Enhanced Zoom Desktop (or simply Ezoom) plugin did everything I needed a screen magnifier to do – it did it well, and it did it for free! I was sold on Linux from that point on.

via DistroWatch.com: Put the fun back into computing. Use Linux, BSD..

GeeXboX

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GeeXboX is a free and Open Source Media-Center purposed Linux distribution for embedded devices and desktop computers. GeeXboX is not an application, it’s a full-featured OS, that one can boot as a LiveCD, from a USB key, an SD/MMC card or install on its regular HDD. The GeeXboX distribution is lightweight and designed for one single goal: embed all major multimedia applications as to turn your computer into an HTPC. GeeXboX runs on x86, PowerPC and ARM devices.

via GeeXboX.

Skype replaces P2P supernodes with Linux boxes hosted by Microsoft (updated)

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The change, which Immunity Security’s Kostya Kortchinsky said occurred about two months ago, represents a major departure from the design that has powered Skype for the past decade. Since its introduction in 2003, the network has consisted of “supernodes” made up of regular users who had sufficient bandwidth, processing power, and other system requirements to qualify. These supernodes then transferred data with other supernodes in a peer-to-peer fashion. At any given time, there were typically a little more than 48,000 clients that operated this way.

via Skype replaces P2P supernodes with Linux boxes hosted by Microsoft (updated).

What’s more, the boxes are running a version of Linux using grsecurity, a collection of patches and configurations designed to make servers more resistant to attacks. In addition to hardening them to hacks, the Microsoft-hosted boxes are able to accommodate significantly more users.

Microsoft counted as key Linux contributor, for now anyway

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The Linux Foundation’s Linux Development Report, released Tuesday, summarizes who has contributed to the Linux kernel, from versions 2.6.36 to 3.2. The 10 largest contributors listed in the report are familiar names: Red Hat, Intel, Novell, IBM, Texas Instruments, Broadcom, Nokia, Samsung, Oracle and Google. But the appearance of Microsoft is a new one for the list, compiled annually.

Overall, Microsoft contributed 688 changes, or about 1.0 percent of the accepted changes to the kernel, since version 2.6.36. Company engineers also signed off on 2,174 changes, or about 1.1 percent of all the changes in this review period.

via Microsoft counted as key Linux contributor, for now anyway.

Open Invention Network

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Open Invention Network® is refining the intellectual property model so that important patents are openly shared in a collaborative environment. Patents owned by Open Invention Network® are available royalty-free to any company, institution or individual that agrees not to assert its patents against the Linux System. This enables companies to make significant corporate and capital expenditure investments in Linux — helping to fuel economic growth.

via Open Invention Network.

Nvidia Jumps on Board with the Linux Foundation

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Nvidia has long taken a closed approach to Linux drivers for its graphics cards, offering only a proprietary one and declining to participate in the open source Nouveau driver project, which has depended instead on reverse engineering.

Nvidia’s GeForce graphics chips are used in many PCs–often targeting high-end gaming–while its Tegra system-on-a-chip platform is designed for the mobile and embedded market.

via Nvidia Jumps on Board with the Linux Foundation | PCWorld Business Center.