Ubuntu Linux 8.04 (Hardy Heron) has been ported to the Sharp Zaurus PDA in an open source distribution called "Zubuntu." Developed by hacker Omegamoon, Zubuntu 1.0 uses the LXDE interface, and can now be booted (mostly) from flash memory.

In May, Omegamoon's Zubuntu (Zaurus Ubuntu) project released an Ubuntu Linux 7.04 port to Zaurus, but the current 1.0 release based on Ubuntu 8.04 is said to be far more stable. Omegamoon stated in the release that, "You can consider Zubuntu a proof of concept, although this doesn't mean it's crippled or unusable."

The Zubuntu project was inspired by Nokia's Handheld Mojo project, which is porting Ubuntu to the ARM architecture. In creating his root filesystem for the Sharp Zaurus, Omegamoon drew pre-built binaries from the ARMv5EL (ARM9) branch of Mojo Project's Frisky Firedrake tree. Omegamoon has previously worked on ports of Fedora Linux and Google's Android phone stack to the Zaurus. (Zubuntu, by the way, should not be confused with Xubuntu, an Ubuntu variant that uses the ultra-lightweight XFCE window manager.)

Supporting all but the SL-C5x00 and the SL-C6000 models of the venerable Zaurus, Zubuntu 1.0 can now run largely from internal flash memory. However, a "part has to be made available on SD, CF or Microdrive," says Omegamoon, who suggests using an SD card of "at least 1GB." After formatting the card as ext2 or ext3, would-be Zubuntu users can extract the root filesystem, as well as the root-addition archive for the specific Zaurus model. Omegamoon then shows how to flash the multiboot kernel, and in a separate post offers instructions for booting Zubuntu from internal flash.

In a presentation delivered at a CELF Embedded Linux Conference earlier this year, Mojo project leader Andrew Christian noted that while Nokia's Maemo project has packaged 500-600 Linux binaries, Ubuntu packages upwards of 12,000. Therefore, porting Ubuntu to ARM and thence to the Zaurus should make for greater software versatility.

Ubuntu appears to making considerable progress as it spreads into the embedded Linux world. In November, Canonical announced that it was porting Ubuntu Desktop Linux to the ARMv7 architecture, which is used by the ARM Cortex-A8, and today Freescale announced it was sampling a Cortex-A8-based i.MX515 system-on-chip (SoC) for netbooks that will run Ubuntu.

Availability

The Zubuntu 1.0 port of Ubuntu 8.04 is available now, says Omegamoon. More information may be found here, and more on the internal flash boot process may be found here.


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Freescale has launched a new Linux-ready system-on-chip (SoC) family based on ARM's Cortex-A8 core clocked from 800MHz to 1GHz. The HD-capable i.MX51 integrates OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG 1.1 accelerators, and will be be delivered in several variants suitable for specific consumer electronics and embedded applications, Freescale says.

The first of the i.MX51 processors, announced today, is the netbook-focused i.MX515. Additional i.MX51 variants will be announced in the coming months, aimed at automotive devices and other embedded applications, said a Freescale spokesperson. The i.MX51 will also ship in a future extended temperature range version, he said.

The i.MX51 is based on ARM's Cortex-A8 superscalar core, which enables instruction-level parallelism within a single processor. The other established Cortex-A8 platform is the OMAP3x processor family from Texas Instruments (TI). In particular its OMAP35xx platform offers a similarly broad approach to the market, spanning both consumer electronics and general embedded devices, and similarly supporting HD video and Open GL ES 2.0.

Freescale's Cortex-A8 is equipped with 32KB L1 instruction, 32KB L1 data, and 256KB L2. The i.MX51 supports Mobile DDR and DDR2 SDRAM memories, as well as SLC/MLC NAND flash.

The SoC offers power management features including multiple independent power domains, power gating, and dynamic process and temperature compensation, says the company. A key power management feature is Freescale's DVFS (Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling) technology, which is said to enable the 1GHz processor to throttle down a much lower voltage and frequency (as low as 200MHz), for tasks such as audio decode, thereby reducing power usage.

i.MX51 block diagram
(Click to enlarge)

Multimedia processing is enhanced by a multi-level cache system and multi-standard hardware-accelerated video and audio codecs, says Freescale. The SoC is also equipped with an autonomous Image Processing Unit (IPU) that offers image signal processing, image manipulation and enhancement, and CMOS camera sensor support. The i.MX51 integrates ARM's "NEON" SIMD media accelerator, which is said to offer 32-bit single-precision floating point support. In addition, the SoC comes with a variety of hardware video and audio codecs, as well as OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG 1.1 accelerators for 3D graphics. The latter is said to enable Flash and SVG multimedia.

The SoC offers an LCD controller that supports both 24-bit primary (WXGA) and 18-bit secondary display ports. Peripheral support on the i.MX51 includes USB, Ethernet, and various serial interfaces. There are also MMC/SDIO expansion card interfaces, as well as ATA storage interfaces. In addition, the i.MX51 provides a variety of security features, including ARM TrustZone support, says the company.

Touted video and multimedia capabilities for the i.MX51 include:Video resolutions of up to HD 720p (1280x720)
Hardware video de-interlacing
Image and video resize, inversion, and rotation hardware
Alpha blending and color space conversion
Video/graphics combining (four planes plus hardware cursor)
Color correction, gamut mapping, and gamma correctionSpecifications listed for the i.MX51 include:Processor core -- ARM Cortex A8 core running at 1GHz (@ 1.1 V), 800MHz (1.0 V), with dynamic downshift to as low as 200MHz (0.7 V)
Cache -- 32KB L1 instruction; 32KB L1 data; 256KB L2
External memory interface -- Mobile DDR and DDR2 SDRAM; 16/32-bit, 200MHz Flash interface -- SLC/MLC NAND flash, 8/16-bit
Co-processors -- NEON SIMD media accelerator; vector floating point coprocessor
Video/graphics accelerators:Image Processing Unit
Hardware video codecs
OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG 1.1 acceleratorsDisplay interface -- LCD controller, supporting 24-bit primary (WXGA) and 18-bit secondary display ports
Video -- HD 720p component TV output
Security features:Security controller, including secure RAM and security monitor
Secure high assurance boot
JTAG controller
Real-time clock
Cipher and random number generator accelerators
Run-time integrity checker
Universal unique identification
Tamper detectionCamera interface -- CMOS camera sensor interface
Networking -- Fast Ethernet controller
USB interface -- High-Speed USB On-The-Go; 3 x High-Speed USB hosts
Expansion card interface -- 4 x High-Speed MMC/SDIO Host
Storage interfaces -- CE-ATA, P-ATA
Other interfaces:UARTs
I2C
I2S and S/PDIF audio
SPIPackaging – 13 x 13mm (0.5mm pitch, MAPBGA package) or 19 x 19mm (0.8mm pitch, MAPBGA)Availability

Freescale did not offer a specific timetable for upcoming i.MX51 SoCs. However, the netbook oriented i.MX515 is said to be sampling now to select customers. The company is also offering a reference design for the i.MX515, built by Pegatron, that features Ubuntu Linux. More information on the i.MX51 may be found here.


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Freescale Semiconductor is sampling a system-on-chip (SoC) expected to compete with Intel's Atom processor in the netbook market. Offered with an Ubuntu Linux-based reference design from Pegatron, the i.MX515 uses ARM's superscalar Cortex-A8 core clocked from 600MHz to 1GHz, and targets sub-$200 netbooks with 8.9-inch displays and eight-hour battery life.

Freescale's i.MX515 is the first ARM- or ARM-Cortex-A8-based processor to directly target the sizzling market for netbooks. While ceding some software compatibility, netbooks based on i.MX515 should offer longer battery life, says Freescale. Performance may also lag a bit behind Atom-based systems, as Freescale is claiming 2100 Dhrystone MIPS (DMIPS) for a 1GHz netbook. Intel's top netbook chip, the N270, usually turns in about 4000 DMIPS, when clocked at 1.6GHz.

Built around the Cortex-A8 core, the i.MX515 offers a dedicated, hardware-based video acceleration block that "enables extended battery life and eliminates the need for fans or heat sinks," says the company. The SoC offers graphics cores for both OpenGL and OpenVG, with the latter enabling Flash and SVG.

Freescale touts the i.MX515 for its flexible memory interface, which supports DDR2 as well as the mobile DDR1 memory type. According to Freescale, DDR2 is better suited for netbooks, claiming that it supports "low power at significantly less cost." In an apparent dig at TI's OMAP3x, Freescale notes that "competing Cortex-A8 platform options available today are limited to mobile DDR1."

Reference design focuses on Ubuntu

The i.MX515 reference design was developed jointly with Pegatron, says Freescale. It includes a board equipped with the i.MX515, plus a SGTL5000 low-power audio codec and Freescale's new power management IC, called the MC13982, says the company. Offered with Canonical's Ubuntu Linux distribution, the bundle includes Adobe Flash Lite and Flash Player.

The eight-hour battery life claims appear to be based on power savings due in part to the new MC13982 IC, which is separate from the i.MX515. The MC13982 extends battery life through function integration, as well as power management and control features, says Freescale. The MC13982 is said to incorporate a battery charging system, plus four adjustable buck converters for the processor core and memory. The IC also provides two boost converters for LCD backlighting and RGB LED displays, as well as serial backlighting drivers for display and keypad.

In November, Canonical announced that it was porting Ubuntu Desktop Linux to the ARMv7 architecture, which is used by the Cortex-A8 and licensed by Freescale and TI, among others. Nokia has long sponsored an unofficial project to port Ubuntu to ARM, but with the Canonical port, ARM capabilities in the Linux kernel such as highmem support should enable compiling Ubuntu on ARM in its entirety, including OpenOffice and Java.

ARM has always had a power advantage over x86, especially in idle power use. Early devices based on Intel's most power-efficient Z5xx-series Atom processors typically last less than six hours, according to some tests. If Freescale can back up its eight hour claims, the i.MX515 would offer a significant advantage.

Stated Lisa Su, SVP and GM of Freescale's Networking and Multimedia Group, "Our solution for netbooks will enable OEMs to develop compelling products that feature cell phone-like battery life at extremely aggressive price points."

Stated Philip Solis, principal analyst at ABI Research, "The netbook market is still in its infancy, and it represents a huge market opportunity for companies like Freescale."

Availability

Freescale’s netbook reference design, built by Pegatron, is available now, and the i.MX515 SoC and MC13982 power management ICs are sampling now to tier one netbook customers, says Freescale. (Pricing was not provided.) Volume production for the i.MX515 is expected in the second quarter, with expectations that associated netbooks will be ready for the 2009 holiday season.


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Sure, "no va" means "no go" in Spanish. Yet, "Nova" seems to be either the name or the codename for a Linux-based smartphone and device OS stack that handset maker Palm is expected to launch at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.

(Click for larger view of a Chevy "no va.")

The rumors appear to have started in Dec., when Palm CEO Ed Colligan confirmed in an earnings call that the "Nova" OS had been distributed to wireless carriers and software developers. Then, a Saturday story by the San Francisco Chronicle's Ryan Kim re-kindled interest in the stack.

Kim called the stack Palm's "last gasp," suggesting that if it fails to generate significant buzz, it could spell doom for Palm, which this winter has cut staff and restructured. Kim noted that Palm shipped only about 700 thousand phones, while Apple and RIM shipped 6.9 and 6.7 million, respectively.

Palm's single-tasking PalmOS is considerably far behind modern smartphone stacks such as Android or the iPhone, and while the company has shipped several Windows Mobile versions of its flagship Treo smartphone line, it has seen production delays with Windows-based models. Palm this summer ended a year-long draught of Windows Mobile Treo models when it finally shipped the 800w. A few months later, it delivered the unlocked Palm Pro, though the device was nearly identical to the earlier 800w.

Palm previously used Linux in a Foleo mobile companion product that was scrapped after a high-profile launch at LinuxWorld. And, Palm has been rumored to be at work on an in-house Linux stack for phones for several years. CEO Ed Colligan confirmed Linux Treo plans earlier this year, but the company has not managed to market such a device.

Several years ago, Palm tried to re-absorb PalmSource, its OS spinout, which had adopted Linux. However, along with Motorola, it was outbid by Japanese phone software vendor Access.

A long-time leader of the PDA market, Palm was also an early leader of the smartphone market. Equipped with tiny QWERTY hardware keyboards, Palm's Treo devices were the iconic smartphone in the early days of the market. The company today employs about 1,050, according to reports. The Chronicle story about "Nova" can be found here.

Linux and Debian open source leader Thiemo Seufer died in a car accident on December 26, says a memorial notice on LWN.net. Seufer served as binutils maintainer for five years, and helped advance the Linux/MIPS project, while also contributing to the Debian and QEMU projects.

Seufer contributed to the Linux/MIPS project for over eight years, and eventually joined MIPS UK, says the LWN.net memorial posting, which was signed by Bdale Garbee, Steve McIntyre, Ralf Baechle, Daniel Jacobowitz, Aurelien Jarno, and Thomas Gleixner. Seufer was also instrumental in advancing the QEMU open source machine emulator. Seufer, who joined Linutronix in April of last year, was praised in the post for his technical skills, subtle sense of humor, and his "calm and considerate demeanor."

Thiemo Seufer's funeral service will be held on Monday January 5, 13:30, at Dominikanerkirche Bad Wimpfen, in Germany. Condolences may be sent here, and will be forwarded to Thiemo's family. The memorial note on LWN.net may be found here.


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German Linux integrator Millenux is launching a series of monthly workshops for Linux developers and IT managers on open-source Linux topics including high availablity (HA), Debian, and kernel development. The initial January 7 event in Munich will address "mobile computing," plus NoMachine's "NX" Xhosting technology.

Millenux offers consulting, integration, application service provisioning, and support services for Linux development, says the company. The premiere Millenux event will be held on January 7 at Munich's historic Unions-Brau Haidhausen brewpub and inn (see logo above). The event will offer the following presentations, says Millenux:Linux-based terminal server environments using NX -- Harald Milz, manager of the Millenux Munich branch and long-time High Availability (HA) Linux expert, will discuss terminal server environments that integrate "practical adaptations and extensions" of NoMachine NX.

Open source meets Blackberry -- Helmuth Neuberger, managing director, Zarafa Germany, will give a presentation on the potential for open source integration with Research in Motion's proprietary smartphone platform.

OpenMapi.org or "Never again annoyance with groupware" -- Thomas Uhl, founder and member of the Executive Board, Topalis AG, will discuss the open source OpenMapi groupware libraries and API, which is in the process of being ported to Android.Available in open source and commercial versions, the Linux-ready NoMachine NX aims to reduce the bandwidth required to run X Window applications over a network. NX places caching proxy servers at either end of the connection, and then limits network transfers to "differential" data, such as cursor movements and menu expansions. In November, NoMachine announced a free "NX Web Player" that will be bundled with NX 4.0 when it's released early this year. The Player is said to enable browsers running on desktops and handsets, including the Apple iPhone, to run and display remote Linux desktops without requiring installation of client software.

Stated Millenux's Milz, "We have brought together an engaging group of executives, and we look forward to helping Linux and Open Source get a better momentum in the Munich and South Bavaria areas by networking with the most accomplished Linux players around."

Availability

To register for any of the Millenux "Linux and Open Source" events, including the January 7 event at the Unions-Brau Haidhausen in Munich, attendees must subscribe to the LS-MUC XING group, here, and then register here.


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Aaeon announced a COM Express module powered by Intel's N270 Atom processor. The new "COM-945GSE" targets "leading-edge applications" including gaming, entertainment, and industrial automation, with a 1.6GHz CPU, eight USB ports, two SATA ports, CRT, LCD, or TV video outputs, and gigabit Ethernet, the company says.

(Click here for a larger view of Aaeon's COM-945GSE)

Aaeon's new COM (computer on module) uses the well-known COM Express format. Like that of other Type 2 COM Express modules, its underside has two surface-mount connectors, with 220 pins apiece, conveying all its signals to a development board (see below) or custom carrier board.

Visible on the front, and occupying nearly a third of the highly integrated board's surface area, are Intel's N270 Atom processor, 945GSE northbridge, and ICH7M southbridge. Aaeon doesn't cite the COM-945GSE's power consumption, but this trio of Intel chips has a total TDP of approximately 9 Watts, according to the chipmaker. Therefore, the COM-945GSE may likely be operated fanlessly, with adequate cooling installed.

The COM-945GSE has an Intel 82547L gigabit Ethernet chip. Additional I/O includes eight USB ports, two SATA II ports, a PATA interface that supports dual drives, HD audio, and four GPIO lines that may be used as inputs or outputs, according to Aaeon.

Aaeon touts the COM-945GSE's ability to support mirrored or independent dual displays, which may be either a CRT and an LCD, a CRT and a TV, or a TV and an LCD. Supported resolutions, via up to 224MB of shared video memory, are said to range up to 2048 x 1538 pixels for LCDs, and 1600 x 1200 pixels for CRTs.

The module's single SO-DIMM slot, said to accept up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, is visible in the photo at the top of this story. Other expansion potential is provided by up to five PCI Express interfaces, four PCI interfaces, LPC, SMBus, and I2C, Aaeon says.

Aaeon's ECB-916M
As usual for a COM, bringing all this goodness to the outside world requires a carrier board for the module. Aaeon offers to design a custom carrier board "for specific project requirements," but also nominates its standard ECB-916M development board, shown above. This off-the-shelf product uses the 9.6 x 9.6 micro-ATX form factor, and provides real-world interfaces that include the following, the company says:VGA, LVDS, and TV-out connectors
2 x RJ45 connectors for gigabit Ethernet
Audio I/O
1 x CompactFlash Type II slot
1 x PCI Express x16 slot
1 x PCI Express x1 slot
1 x PCI slot
1 x Express Card slot
1 x Mini PCI slot
4 x SATA ports
1 x PATA
1 x floppy disk drive connector
4 x USB ports
4 x COM ports
1 x LPC connector
1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse connector
1 x AT/ATX power inputFeatures and specifications listed by Aaeon for the COM-945GSE on its own include:Processor -- 1.6GHz Atom N270
Memory -- Up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM via single SO-DIMM slot
Display -- Supports dual displays: CRT/LCD, CRT/TV, or TV/LDC
Storage -- None on board
Networking -- 1 x gigabit Ethernet interface
Other I/O:LVDS and SDVO video
1 x PATA
2 x SATA II
8 x USB 2.0
Audio I/O (output up to 7:1)
4 x GPIO (assignable to input or output)
Expansion:3 x PCI Express x1 (standard), 5 x PCI Express x1 (optional)
4 x 32-bit PCI
LPC
SMbus
I2CPower requirements -- Accepts 8.5VDC to 19VDC input range
Operating temperature -- 0 to 60 deg. C
Dimensions -- 3.75 x 3.75 inches (95 x 95mm)Further information

According to Aaeon, the COM-945GSE supports Linux, Windows XP, and Windows XP Embedded. Pricing and availability were not provided, but more information may be found on the company's website, here.


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