| Linux -- Live in your living room |
Jun. 15, 2000
John G. Spooner, of ZDNet News, reports that Intel is releasing an open source development kit for Universal Plug and Play support for Linux. This effort by Intel is part of it's Connected.Home initiative (info). Spooner writes . . .
On Thursday, Intel said it will release as open source a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) development kit for the Linux operating system. UPnP, originally developed by Microsoft Corp., is a technology that allows a number of different kinds of devices to communicate via a network using standard protocols, such as TCP/IP.
UPnP is similar in concept to Microsoft's existing Plug and Play protocol: Plug in a device, and it automatically is recognized by the operating system. At least in theory, it just works. The new Intel UpnP development kit will allow Linux device makers to develop a control interface for UPnP. Using the interface, a device would be able to locate, recognize and interact with other UPnP-enabled devices. For example, an Internet appliance using Linux would be able to access a UPnP-enabled printer.
UPnP allows (devices) to participate in the same economy ... with the end user not having to understand how to set up an IP address," said David Nash, director of marketing for Intel's Intel Architecture Labs Connected Home project.
Intel: Linux support a no-brainer
Microsoft is building UPnP into its future Windows releases, starting with its Windows Millennium Edition. But, not surprisingly, Microsoft has no plans to offer support for Linux with UPnP.
For Intel, on the other hand, Linux support is a no-brainer. "We didn't pick Linux out of our hat," Nash said. "We recognize that Linux, because of its merits, has (secured) a tremendous amount of design wins."
Intel has made numerous Linux announcements and investments in the past year. Just this week, it rolled out a Linux IA-64 developer's kit, in conjunction with Hewlett-Packard Co.
Linux already has a foothold in Internet access devices; residential gateways, which are used to connect a number of devices on a home network to the Internet; and home network products themselves, according to Intel. Intel is expecting Linux developers to begin announcing UPnP-enabled devices in the fourth quarter of this year, with volume shipment of such devices by the first half of next year.
The development kit, including source code and documentation, will be made freely available this summer, in July or August, Nash said. Intel also will offer a hardware reference implementation to go with its UPnP kit.
More Linux backing on tap?
Intel officials said they expect that major Linux distributors will incorporate the technology in future revisions of their Linux distributions. So far, none of the big four distributors -- Red Hat, Caldera Systems, TurboLinux or SuSE -- has made an announcement to that effect.
Intel made the announcement at a UPnP summit at Microsoft in Redmond, Wash. The UPnP Forum, the industry group working to develop UPnP, currently has about 140 members. The forum can be reached at www.UPnP.org.
Note from editor: Intel has created a webpage for the "Intel UPnP Software Developer Kit V1.0 for Linux", from which the new SDK will be made available. It's located here. However, the link for SDK download does not appear to be functioning at this time. Consider it a "watch this space" link.
(Click here for further information)
|
|
|
FUEL Database on MontaVista Linux
Whether building a mobile handset, a car navigation system, a package tracking device, or a home entertainment console, developers need capable software systems, including an operating system, development tools, and supporting libraries, to gain maximum benefit from their hardware platform and to meet aggressive time-to-market goals.
Breaking New Ground: The Evolution of Linux Clustering
With a platform comprising a complete Linux distribution, enhanced for clustering, and tailored for HPC, Penguin Computing¿s Scyld Software provides the building blocks for organizations from enterprises to workgroups to deploy, manage, and maintain Linux clusters, regardless of their size.
Data Monitoring with NightStar LX
Unlike ordinary debuggers, NightStar LX doesn¿t leave you stranded in the dark. It¿s more than just a debugger, it¿s a whole suite of integrated diagnostic tools designed for time-critical Linux applications to reduce test time, increase productivity and lower costs. You can debug, monitor, analyze and tune with minimal intrusion, so you see real execution behavior. And that¿s positively illuminating.
Virtualizing Service Provider Networks with Vyatta
This paper highlights Vyatta's unique ability to virtualize networking functions using Vyatta's secure routing software in service provider environments.
High Availability Messaging Solution Using AXIGEN, Heartbeat and DRBD
This white paper discusses a high-availability messaging solution relying on the AXIGEN Mail Server, Heartbeat and DRBD. Solution architecture and implementation, as well as benefits of using AXIGEN for this setup are all presented in detail.
Understanding the Financial Benefits of Open Source
Will open source pay off? Open source is becoming standard within enterprises, often because of cost savings. Find out how much of a financial impact it can have on your organization. Get this methodology and calculator now, compliments of JBoss.
Embedded Hardware and OS Technology Empower PC-Based Platforms
The modern embedded computer is the jack of all trades appearing in many forms.
Data Management for Real-Time Distributed Systems
This paper provides an overview of the network-centric computing model, data distribution services, and distributed data management. It then describes how the SkyBoard integration and synchronization service, coupled with an implementation of the OMG¿s Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard, can be used to create an efficient data distribution, storage, and retrieval system.
7 Advantages of D2D Backup
For decades, tape has been the backup medium of choice. But, now, disk-to-disk (D2D) backup is gaining in favor. Learn why you should make the move in this whitepaper.
|
|
|
|
|
news feed