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Tech News: ASIC Development For ARM

NTFS-3G Read/Write Driver
Updated: February 21, 2007

The NTFS-3G driver is an open source, freely available NTFS driver for Linux with read and write support. It provides safe and fast handling of the Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000 and Windows Vista file systems. Most POSIX file system operations are supported, with the exception of full file ownership and access right support.
from NTFS-3G/

AirPort Extreme Base StationApple’s new wireless router adopts 802.11n standard

Apple’s new AirPort Extreme Base Station (Best Current Price: $172.08) solves three major wireless networking problems in one blow: speed, range, and configuration. The gateway also makes sharing multiple printers and hard drives across a network as easy as plugging in a cable.

This new wireless router promises roughly five times the throughput and twice the range of the previous model. And because it’s based on a new wireless standard, 802.11n, which incorporates both the older b and g standards, it is backward compatible with Apple’s earlier AirPort (802.11b) and AirPort Extreme (802.11g) adapters. Best results, however, require leaving b and g standards behind.
by Glenn Fleishman.

Kit eases ASIC development for ARM/Linux systems

Faraday Technology Corporation (FTC) is shipping a development platform aimed at simplifying the development of ARM-based structured ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits) for embedded devices. The “FPGACompanion” platform comprises an ARM-based SoC (system-on-chip) and evaluation board, along with a Linux 2.6.14 BSP (board support package) and tools.

Faraday says that while ARM is the most common architecture for ASICs and SoCs, development teams typically perform system-level design verification on x86, PowerPC, or MIPS, because devices are available on these architectures that interface easily with FPGAs. The company hopes its FPGACompanion ensemble will save such teams the effort of porting their software, by providing an ARM-based development platform that, along with custom logic implemented on an FPGA, can provide an initial sampling vehicle.
from LinuxDevices.com.

A mini Mac Solution

Apple promotes Mac OS X Server as its solution for data centers. However, “vanilla” Mac OS X performs quite adequately for small (e.g., SOHO) servers. This article discusses the server transition we made at cfcl.com from a FreeBSD-based PC to an OSX-based Mac mini.
by Rich Morin and Vicki Brown.

Style table borders with CSS

In my previous Web Development column, I examined the many facets of working with HTML tables. While it is no longer vogue to layout a Web page with tables, you may still use tables to display tabular data. There are numerous ways to style and present a table. In this column, I examine using CSS to style the borders of HTML tables.
by Tony Patton.

New OCZ Mouse Features Burst Fire Mode

OCZ has pushed into the PC perpherals market with the planned release of the Equalizer Gaming Mouse, which features a “burst fire mode”.

The company did not disclose a ship date for the mouse, nor pricing. However, OCZ indicated that the mouse may be the first in a complementary line of peripherals. The company is more well known for its high-speed, tuned PC memory modules.

Force10 switches to open source for core switch OS
Ethernet vendor ports its operating system to FreeBSD in an effort to make its switches more stable and flexible

10G Ethernet vendor Force10 Networks is changing the operating system on its data centre switches to FreeBSD, an open source platform, with the aim of improving switch performance for customers.
by Phil Hochmuth.

Keeping a Lid on Linux Logins

To say that you simply shouldn’t give out shells to untrustworthy users may work in a few instances, but sometimes you have to let users in. Take a fairly simple example where remote users at another site need to log in and run the same series of commands every day. Assuming their task can be easily scripted, and if it’s their only purpose on the server, a shell certainly isn’t necessary. OpenSSH allows a set of restrictions to be applied to an SSH key.
by Charlie Schluting.

Revisiting Quad FX and the D-Link DNS-323

ASUS released a final, shipping BIOS that enabled proper support for fan control and AMD’s Cool’n’Quiet. Now, the system noise level has been substantially reduced, and is much more acceptable. AMD also shipped new CPU coolers, which look much like the old CPU coolers but generate less noise. I wouldn’t call the system “quiet”, but it’s certainly bearable. Before, I couldn’t wait to turn the thing off, but that’s no longer the case.

Speaking of “case”, the Thermaltake Armor case AMD uses for the Quad FX evaluation platforms is probably one of the most ungainly, awkward cases I’ve used. Particularly annoying are the two hinged “wings” on the front that seem to serve no useful purpose and constantly get in the way. At some point I’ll probably move the whole affair to Antec’s spiffy new P190. Then maybe we can have a quieter, more civilized Quad FX system.
by Loyd Case.

System Administration Toolkit: Set up remote access in UNIX through OpenSSH

SSH provides for encryption of the entire communication channel, including the login and password credential exchange, and it can be used with public and private keys to provide automatic authentication for logins. You can also use SSH as an underlying transport protocol. Using SSH in this way means that once you have opened a secure connection, the encrypted channel can exchange all types of information, even HTTP and SMTP, using the same, secure communication mechanism.

OpenSSH is a free implementation of the SSH 1 and SSH 2 protocols. It was originally developed as part of the OpenBSD (Berkeley Software Distribution) operating system and is now released as a generic solution for UNIX or Linux® and similar operating systems.
by Martin Brown.

Vista Hands On #4: Clean install with an upgrade key

I’ve been reading the breathless reports from other websites this week about the “Vista upgrade loophole.” Most of it is typical echo-chamber stuff, and most of the reports I’ve read so far have gotten the basic facts wrong. The Setup feature they’re describing isn’t a loophole at all. It’s a perfectly legal workaround for an amazingly stupid technical restriction that Microsoft imposes on upgraders. In this installment of my Vista Hands On series, I provide the background to help you understand exactly what’s going on and how you can legally perform a clean install using an upgrade key.
by Ed Bott.

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