Anonymous Reader writes, “As Embedded Linux becomes established as a solid alternative to many proprietary OSes and RTOSes, demands on embedded Linux developers and providers are increasing. This detailed technical article by Nicholas McGuire sketches the top requirements for Embedded Linux systems including considerations of user interface, network capabilities, security issues, resource optimization, performance requirements and issues, and compatibility and standards issues.”

Vnunet jumps on the bandwagon with a story that’s been going around for awhile, that Pringles cans can be used to tap into wireless networks. “Wireless hacking and ‘war driving’ has been a focus point in the security community for well over a year now, with innumerable experts warning that a wireless network opens a huge back door into systems … Security firm I-sec recently demonstrated that using an empty Pringles tube as an antenna could boost the hacker’s chance of picking up a wireless signal by as much as 15 per cent.”

Anonymous Reader writes, “Does Conflict Interest You?” on whatisnew.com has an interesting perspective on trends in computer review sites. It starts:

‘Write about conflict and they will come,’ someone said.

The person wasn’t joking. Extreme point of views get attention and on the Internet, they bring readers … We thought people would pay attention for a little while then move on and appreciate the differences. No. The approach has spread. The approach is growing in popularity from hardware sites to Linux sites to popular culture.’ “

David Sugar writes:
Dave Sugar, a GNU package maintainer, announced support for Aculab hardware under GNU Bayonne as part of release 0.7.6 distributed earlier today. Aculab digital span card support will further broaden GNU Bayonne as a platform of choice for delivering high end enterprise and carrier class voice telephony application services using free software platforms such GNU/Linux.

A working implementation of Aculab support was provided primarily by a project contributor, David Kerry. This further demonstrates how Free Software can make rapid advances thru the shared resources of many people working in open collaboration around the world. This demonstrates just one of the ways Free Software licensing can bring both real innovation and multiply the value of existing applications.

In addition to supporting Aculab hardware, a number of important improvements have been made in GNU Bayonne support for Intel/Dialogic digital span cards. Additional enhancements have also been introduced in the GNU Bayonne scripting language to simplify application development. These changes should enable rapid development of new and innovative telephony services under GNU/Linux.

GNU Bayonne also supports analog telephony hardware such as made by companies like Voicetronix, and inexpensive CAPI cards, enabling small office and individual use telephony applications to be created cost effectively.

GNU Bayonne and all related non-hardware specific software needed for building and running it may be found at the GNU ftp site (http://www.gnu.org/gnu). Individual drivers and telephony hardware related libraries are provided directly from the respective vendors. All information about GNU Bayonne may be found at http://www.gnu.org/software/bayonne.

GNU Bayonne is Free Software and a standard package in the GNU project and is also part of the broader GNU and free Telephony effort that is directed under GNUCOMM (http://www.gnu.org/projects/gnucomm). GNU Bayonne is also used as a part of GNU Enterprise (http://www.gnue.org). No so called “Intellectual Property” was destroyed in the creation of GNU Bayonne or this announcement…

About the Free Software Foundation:

The Free Software Foundation, founded in 1985, is dedicated to promoting computer users’ right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs. The FSF promotes the development and use of free (as in freedom) software—particularly the GNU operating system (used widely today in its GNU/Linux variant)— and free documentation. The FSF also helps to spread awareness of the ethical and political issues of freedom in the use of software. Their web site, located at http://www.gnu.org, is an important source of information about GNU/Linux. They are headquartered in Boston, MA, USA

About GNUCOMM, the GNU Telephony Project:

GNUCOMM, a subsystem of GNU, provides free software solutions to common telecommunications problems. GNUCOMM will free users of voicemail, PBX, and call-center applications from reliance on the proprietary software that currently dominates such telephony equipment. The system aims to be scalable and configurable enough to allow end-users to develop their own telecommunications systems with little or no special knowledge of GNUCOMM’s internals. GNUCOMM will support both VoIP and PSTN interfaces, as well as interfaces to existing phone systems. GNUCOMM will scale from individual user installations to carrier-class sites. The website of GNUCOMM is located at http://www.gnu.org/software/gnucomm/gnucomm.html.

About GNU Enterprise:

GNUe aims to provide a suite of tools and applications for solving the specific needs of the enterprise. GNUe will handle the needs of any size business, including applications for human resources, accounting, customer relationship management, project management, supply chain and e-commerce. GNUe is a free software project developed by volunteer software developers worldwide. The website of GNU Enterprise is http://www.gnu.org/projects/gnue/.

LinuxSecurity Contributors writes, “This week, advisories were released for php, cfs, cvs, xsane, openssh, apache, ntop, squid, and
radiud-cistron. The vendors include Conectiva, Debian, EnGarde, FreeBSD, Red Hat, Slackware,
SuSE, and Yellow Dog.
http://www.linuxsecurity.com/articles/forums_artic le-4569.html.”

Cox writes: “Please save any 2.2 updates for 2.2.22pre from now on unless they are
clear bug fixes. I hope to do a 2.2.21rc1 next.”

2.2.21pre4
o Fix FAT breakage in pre3 (Dmitry Levin)
o Add S/390 LCS driver (IBM opensourced it now) (DJ Barrow,
Frank Pavlic)
o Update COPYING file to match FSF update (Dan Quinlann)
| basically swap 19xx example for this century..
o Fix a file name comment (William Stearns)
o Add realtek phy support to 2.2 sis900 driver (Allan Jacobsen)
o Fix MCE address reporting order, fix oops with (Dave Jones)
newer gcc due to bad asm constraints
o Starfire update (Ion Badulescu)
o Always victimise the dcache a little when
short of memory (John Lash, me)

2.2.21pre3
o Fix a case where a non blocking tty write could
get stuck (Peter Benie)
o Fix non blocking midi close on es1370, es1371
sonicvibes right this time (me)
o Fix menu/xconfig warnings (René Scharfe)
o Fix non blocking midi close on cmpci, cs4281,
esssolo, trident. (me)
o Add eepro100VE ident (Hanno Boeck)
o Fix DRM oops case (Herbert Xu)
o Fix an oops causing datagram AF_UNIX race (Paul Menage)
o Support newer geodes using new CPUID properly (Hiroshi Miura)
o Fix up RTC build for non pmac ppc boxes (Tom Rini)
o Fix MCE address reporting (Pete Wyckoff)
o Vibra16 docs update (Neale Banks)
o Eicon include file fix (Herbert Xu)
o ISDN loop and header fixes (Kai Germaschewski)
o Fix eepro100 out of memory during init path (Neale Banks)
o Fix BSD partition table handling breakage (Andries Brouwer)
o Add WD XD signature to xd driver (Paul)
o 3Ware driver update (Adam Radford)
o S/390 debugging updates (Carsten Otte)
o S/390 DASD updates (Carsten Otte)
o S/390 CIO updates (Carsten Otte)
o Update USB serial, belkin, digi_acceleport,
empeg, ftdsio, edgeport, keyspan, mctu232,
omninet, prolific, visor (Greg Kroah-Hartmann)
o Cyberjack USB driver (Matthias Bruestle)
o USB ir dongle driver (Greg Kroah-Hartmann)
o Support very large FAT file systems (Vijay Kumar)
o Backport 2.4 modversions build fix (Mikael Pettersson)
o Backport 2.4 es1371 init for new revs (Julian Anastasov)
o 3c507 driver fixes (Mark Mackenzie)
o ext2 obscure group descriptor corruption fix (Daniel Phillips,
Al Viro)
o Correct a problem where rpciod didnt give up
its current dir

Encouraged by industry testimony in defense
of consumer rights under digital copyright law, the
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) today urged consumers
to support Intel’s stand against overly restrictive digital
rights management legislation.

At hearings called by Senator Fritz Hollings last week,
Intel Executive Vice President Leslie Vadasz expressed
concern over legislative proposals that would give
Hollywood a veto on the design of new technologies in order
to “secure” copyrighted material. Vadasz was the only
technology industry representative to speak up on behalf of
the public interest and consumer and business freedom.

In today’s alert entitled “Oppose SSSCA; Support Intel’s
Bravery,” the EFF urges consumers to let Intel know how
much they appreciate Intel’s stand against abusive
copyright over-protection and in favor of technological
innovation and the fair use of copyrighted materials
traditional under copyright law.

EFF action alert supporting Intel:
http://www.eff.org/IP/SSSCA/20020308_eff_sssca_alert.html

For this release:
http://www.eff.org/IP/SSSCA/20020308_eff_sssca_pr.html

Followup letter from Vadasz:
http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/200202/msg00274.html

EFF notice about Senate hearings on digital controls:
http://www.eff.org/IP/SSSCA/20020227_eff_pr.html

EFF letter to the Senate Commerce Committee on the proposed
SSSCA legislation:
http://www.eff.org/IP/DMCA/20011105_eff_sssca_letter.html

Original EFF alert on proposed SSSCA legislation:
http://www.eff.org/alerts/20010921_eff_sssca_alert.html

EFF “Intellectual Property – Video – HDTV/Digital Cable”
archive:
http://www.eff.org/IP/Video/HDTV/

About EFF:

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is the leading civil
liberties organization working to protect rights in the
digital world. Founded in 1990, EFF actively encourages and
challenges industry and government to support free
statement, privacy, and openness in the information
society. EFF is a member-supported organization and
maintains one of the most-linked-to websites in the world at
http://www.eff.org/

Linux Journal talks about how to tell if you’re a ‘Linux waif.” Some clues… “* Has your dad removed what he calls ‘the unnecessary keys’ from the keyboard?
* Is your monitor bigger than your TV?
* Does your dad’s license plate read ILUVLNX or LNXROX or LNXRULZ, etc.? Does the other car’s plate read IH8MS?
* When a big virus hits everyone’s computer where your dad works, does he come home really happy?”

LinuxJournal.com has a list of questions. Among them: “Has your dad removed what he calls ‘the unnecessary keys’ from the keyboard? Is your monitor bigger than your TV? Does your dad’s license plate read ILUVLNX or LNXROX or LNXRULZ, etc.? Does the other car’s plate read IH8MS?”

“Sun promised aggressive pricing on single- and dual-processor x86 Linux servers at a media event held this past Monday in San Francisco. On pricing, “we will absolutely go toe-to-toe with Dell and with a better product”, said Stephen DeWitt, Vice President and General Manager of Content Delivery and Edge Computing and former CEO of Cobalt. On February 7th, Sun announced a line of general-purpose Linux servers and its own Linux distribution to run on them. Systems are scheduled to be available early in the second half of 2002.” Full story at Linux Journal.