Dedoimedo posted a guide presenting several tips and tricks for solving common Xen problems, including missing modules, bad environment variables, Python site packages, Python versions, wrapper scripts, and more. When the karma takes a turn for the worst, your virtualization experience may turn sour. If you're a fresh new user of the Xen technology, you may learn the hard way that Xen error messages are extremely verbose and not quite useful, unless you're a Python developer. With a verbose trace and cryptic references to internal function calls, the errors can actually detract you from what are inherently simple and easy-to-solve problems. While I'm no expert on either virtualization or Python, I've come across a handful of common problems that take only a few short minutes to resolve, but may seem like an eternity to less knowledgeable users. P.S. I am an expert, but it is usually better to claim you are not, because 1) errors are excused then 2) you can afford to fail 3) people love humility and all that underdog attitude. Anyhow, let me help you enjoy Xen.
NixCraft shows you how to configure network bonding in Debian/Ubuntu
NIC teaming is nothing but combining or aggregating multiple network connections in parallel. This is done to increase throughput, and to provide redundancy in case one of the links fails or Ethernet card fails. The Linux kernel comes with the bounding driver for aggregating multiple network interfaces into a single logical interface called bond0. In this tutorial, I will explain how to setup bonding under Debian Linux server to aggregate multiple Ethernet devices into a single link, to get higher data rates and link failover.
August is typically regarded as one of the slower months, at least when it comes to tech news. But this August? Not so much.
It started with Google's announced intent to acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, a move that (if approved) will fundamentally alter the smartphone game.
"We recently explained how companies, including Microsoft and Apple, are banding together in anti-competitive patent attacks on Android," Google CEO Larry Page wrote in an Aug. 15 corporate blog posting , soon after news of the intended acquisition became public. "Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Google's patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies."
The question is whether the acquisition will disturb other device manufacturers enough to sway them away from Android. Microsoft certainly hopes so, with company executives raising the specter of Motorola Mobility as Google's favored child -- while promoting the idea of Windows Phone as an equal-opportunity software platform.
"Investing in a broad and truly open mobile ecosystem is important for the industry and consumers alike," Andy Lees, president of Microsoft's Windows Phone division, wrote in a statement soon after Google announced its news, "and Windows Phone is now the only platform that does so with equal opportunity for all partners."
Google's move could also drive competitors into buying frenzies of their own. "RIM suddenly becomes very valuable for its patent horde," Ray Wang, principal analyst and CEO of Constellation Research, wrote in an Aug. 15 email to eWEEK. "HP, Apple or Microsoft should quickly move to buy RIM for its patents and also [BlackBerry Enterprise Server], the crown jewel."
If that wasn't enough excitement for the tech community, Hewlett-Packard then decided to announce it was changing course, with plans to shed its PC manufacturing arm on the way to becoming an enterprise-focused software and services company in the mold of IBM. As part of that shift, two of HP's most prominent recent projects -- its TouchPad tablet and nascent smartphone franchise -- would need to die.
"HP reported that it plans to announce that it will discontinue operations for webOS devices, specifically the TouchPad [tablet] and webOS phones," read the August 18 statement released by the company ahead of its most recent earnings call. "HP will continue to explore options to optimize the value of webOS software going forward."
Some analysts saw HP's move away from PCs as indicative of a larger trend within the industry.
"HP just abdicated playing a role in the mobility revolution except from the air-conditioned comfort of the cloud data center. This move makes Google's acquisition of Motorola look prescient," Yankee Group analyst Carl Howe wrote in an Aug. 19 research note. "We are witnessing the final collapse of the Silicon Valley PC era."
As with IBM when it executed a similar transition, the hurdles facing HP are immense. "HP is reforming as much more of a broad software company more like Microsoft/Oracle than even IBM," Rob Enderle, principal analyst of the Enderle Group, wrote in an Aug. 18 email to eWEEK. "In effect, they are repeating what IBM did with Palmisano and what Apple did with Jobs in that the new HP will be optimized for their new CEO."
But HP will have to bulk up its software and services muscle in the face of what will surely be aggressive countermoves from the likes of Oracle and IBM.
Evidently, the fates didn't think that Google and Hewlett-Packard made August enough of a roller coaster, so they threw in a third major event: Apple CEO Steve Jobs resigning his post.
In a letter to Apple's board of directors and employees, Jobs suggested he could "no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO." He asked the board to activate a prearranged succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO -- a familiar role for the latter, considering he's stepped in as interim chief whenever Jobs' longstanding health issues drove him to take medical leave.
At this early stage, analysts generally seem to think that Apple will more than survive its co-founder handing off the reins to Cook.
"Apple has been run by a team of very accomplished visionaries that includes Tim Cook, Phil Schiller, Jonathan Ive, Scott Forestal, Ron Johnson and a host of others," Carl Howe, an analyst with the Yankee Group, wrote in an Aug. 25 blog posting . "Steve was [the] public face of the company, but we shouldn't think that he was the only one making all the decisions."
Indeed, Apple is widely expected to release its next-generation iPhone (widely dubbed the "iPhone 5" by the media) in either September or October, following that with the next iPad sometime in early 2012.
With an August this busy, people in tech might need September to recuperate.
Nicholas Kolakowski is a writer for eWEEK. Follow him on Twitter .
Jonathan Angel can be reached at jonathan.angel@ziffdavisenterprise.com and followed at www.twitter.com/gadgetsense .
The Canonical-backed Ubuntu project released the first beta of Ubuntu 11.10 ("Oneiric Ocelot"), featuring both an improved Dash interface for the Unity desktop and a makeover for the Ubuntu Software Center that resembles the Mac App Store. Ubuntu 11.10 moves up to Linux 3.0.3, the Firefox 7.0 browser, and a Thunderbird 7.0 beta email client, among other changes.
Ubuntu 11.10 offers a more polished rendition of the UI changes to the Unity desktop's "Dash" interface, which were first disclosed in conjunction with the August alpha release of Oneiric Ocelot . The key Dash changes include new windows controls and transparency effects, and the swapping out of the "Places" concept with more search-savvy "Scopes and Lenses."
Ubuntu 11.10's new Dash interface
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Scopes are data sources that can access both online or offline data with improved search filtering options, including user ratings and app categories. Lenses present the data derived from Scopes in different views. For more details on the Dash changes, see our earlier coverage , as well as this beta review of Ubuntu 11.10 by Lifehacker .
Software Center in Ubuntu 11.10 beta
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The other major change in Oneiric Ocelot's beta release is the new Ubuntu Software Center. The makeover mimics the look and feel of the Mac App Store, and "looks fantastic, and is much faster than it was before," according to Lifehacker's Whitson Gordon. He notes with some regret, however, that the Synaptic package manager is no longer included by default, although it's said to be easily installable.
Other interface changes include a redesigned Alt+Tab switching interface (see image below). In addition, better performance is promised for the launchers and panel, thanks to a port to GTK 3 and a GTK 3-based indicator stack, says the Ubuntu project.
Redesigned Alt+Tab switcher in Ubuntu 11.10
The Ubuntu 11.10 beta offers GNOME 3.1.5 as an alternative to the Unity desktop. However, many Ubuntu old-timers accustomed to good old GNOME 2.x are criticizing both of these new-look, touchscreen-focused environments.
Other package updates include Linux 3.0.3 , Python 3.2, GCC 4.6.1, CUPS 1.5.0, and Shotwell 0.11. Mozilla's Firefox 7 browser is now standard issue as is a beta of its Thunderbird 7.0 email client, now established for the first time as the default, says the project.
Firefox 7.0 is standard issue
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Ubuntu adds LibreOffice 3.4.2, which appears to have pretty much supplanted OpenOffice.org in the desktop Linux community. It will likely move up to the new 3.4.3 version by the time the final is released in October. The Banshee music player, meanwhile, has moved up to version 2.1.3, and ships with a music lens installed by default. New packages include the Deja Dup backup tool.
Those with Ubuntu 11.04 can upgrade in place, if they have an hour or so to spare
The major change to Ubuntu Server is the addition of an "Orchestra" collection of "the best free software services for provisioning, deploying, hosting, managing, and orchestrating enterprise data centre infrastructure services," according to the Ubuntu project. Orchestra includes the up-and-coming Cobbler Linux installation server.
Other Ubuntu Server improvements include a new DevOps-based Ensemble platform for handling service deployment and orchestration for both cloud and bare metal, according to the project. There's also further integration of the OpenStack cloud platform, which was initially supported in the previous Ubuntu 11.04 release, as well as the reintroduction of Xen hypervisor as an option.
New images for Ubuntu Core
Finally, Canonical has posted some new development builds of the minimalist, embedded-oriented Ubuntu Core, which will be fully unveiled in the final October release, according to a story this week in TheVARGuy . Automotive in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) appears to be a major focus, says the story. Indeed, last month the Genivi Alliance listed Ubuntu IVI Remix , which is based on Ubuntu Core, as one of five distros compliant with its open source Linux Genivi spec for IVI systems.
Availability
The first beta for Ubuntu 11.10 is available now for free download from links provided at the Ubuntu 11.0 Technical Overview page . Users currently running Ubuntu 11.04 on a desktop can upgrade in place via the command update-manager -d update-manager -d.
The final stable version of Oneiric Ocelot will be ready in October, following a secondary beta release on Sept. 27.
Axiomtek announced a fanless, industrial "shoebox" PC with two expansion slots, offering four different combinations of PCI or PCI Express cards. The IPC922-212-FL includes single- or dual-core Atom processors, up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, multiple ports, plus both hard disk and CompactFlash storage, according to the company.
Axiomtek's IPC922-212-FL is a fanless, Atom-powered PC aimed at industrial applications. That's not unusual, but this device is like some other Axiomtek PCs (including the IPC914-211-FL we covered last year) in that its brains are provided by a PICMG (PCI Industrial Computer Manafacturers Group) 1.3 single board computer (SBC), visible at left in the image below.
Axiomtek's IPC922-212-FL
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This design means expansion signals can be routed over a passive backplane, which Axiomtek offers in three different versions. Thus, depending on model, the IPC922-212-FL's expansion slots can be:
1 PCI Express x1 and 1 PCI Express x4, or 2 PCI Express x1 1 PCI Express x4 and 1 PCI-X or 1 PCI and 1 PCI Express x4 As for the SBC, it's the SHB212 that we covered last April. Background details are provided later in this story, but we couldn't help noticing that the version installed in the IPC922-212-FL obviously has only one Ethernet port on its coastline, as opposed to the two such ports touted earlier this year.For duty in the IPC922-212-FL, the SHB212 can be fitted with either the single-core Intel Atom D425 , or the dual-core D525 , both clocked at 1.8GHz and featuring 10-Watt TDPs. Maximum memory is 4GB of DDR3 RAM, installed in the SBC's single, 204-pin SO-DIMM socket, according to Axiomtek.
As for fixed storage, that's provided by either a CompactFlash slot, apparently on the back of the SBC itself, or by an optional 2.5-inch hard disk drive. (The SHB212 has two SATA ports, as you'll read later, but there's apparently room for only one disk drive inside the IPC922-212-FL.)
The rear of the IPC922-212-FL is featureless, since it is designed to be mounted flush with a wall. The front, meanwhile, has an Ethernet port, a VGA port, and two USB 2.0 ports deriving directly from the edge of the SHB212's coastline, plus four additional USB 2.0 ports and four serial ports (3 x RS232, and 1 x RS232/422/485).
According to Axiomtek, the IPC922-212-FL has a built-in DC-to-DC power supply that lets it tolerate DC input voltages from 18 to 28VDC. Featuring a remote power switch feature, the device is also operable via an AC adapter with a nominal 19VDC output, the company adds.
Specifications listed by Axiomtek for the IPC922-212-FL include the following:
Processor -- Intel Atom D425 or Atom D525 @ 1.8GHz Chipset -- Intel ICH-8M Memory -- up to 4GB of DDR3 via 204-pin SODIMM Storage -- CompactFlash slot; 1 bay for 2.5-inch SATA hard disk drive Expansion slots: 1 PCI Express x1 and 1 PCI Express x4, or 2 PCI Express x1 1 PCI Express x4 and 1 PCI-X or 1 PCI and 1 PCI Express x4 Networking -- 1 x gigabit Ethernet Other I/O: 6 x USB 2.0 VGA 4 x serial (3 x RS232, 1 x RS232/422/485) Power -- 18~28VDC; 19VDC via AC adapter Operating temperature -- 32 to 104 deg. F (0 to 45 deg. C) Dimensions -- Weight -- 9.3 pounds (4.22kg) Background on the SHB212Like earlier SHB boards from Axiomtek -- including the Intel Xeon- and Core-ready, full-length SHB105 released in December -- the SHB212 supports the PICMG 1.3 form factor as well as the SHB (Sundance High speed Bus) standard. (Other Axiomtek SHB boards include the 2008-issue SHB102 SBC and last year's SHB111 .)
Axiomtek SHB212
The SHB212 can, as noted earlier, be fitted with the Atom D425 and D525, and it also supports the Atom N455 clocked to 1.66GHz. Equipped with up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, clocked at either 667MHz (N455) or 800MHz, the SBC offers a CompactFlash slot and dual SATA ports for storage, Axiomtek said in April.
The SHB212 was also said to offer dual-display support via a VGA port and an internal 18-bit, single channel LVDS interface. The SBC also provides two rear USB 2.0 ports and four more internal, for six ports in all, plus an RS-232/422/485 and RS/232 port, as well as PS/2 connectivity, according to the company.
SHB212 port detail
Used on its own, the fanless board measures 7.28 x 4.96 inches (185 x 126mm) and runs on +12V DC power, says Axiomtek. Operating temperatures can range from 32 to 140 deg. F (0 to 60 deg. C), the company noted.
Further information
Axiomtek did not cite pricing or operating system support for the IPC922-212-FL, but the company says the device is available now. More information may be found on the IPC922-212-FL product page .
Jonathan Angel can be reached at jonathan.angel@ziffdavisenterprise.com and followed at www.twitter.com/gadgetsense .
Freescale Semiconductor has begun sampling the first system on chips (SoCs) built on its Linux-ready QorIQ Qonverge architecture for femtocell and picocell 4G base stations. The QorIQ Qonverge PSC9130/31 (femotecells) and PSC9132 (picocells) SoCs support up to 16 and 64 simultaneous users respectively, and simultaneously support multiple air interfaces, including LTE, WiMAX UMTS, WCDMA (HSPA+), and CDMA, says the company.
The processors are related to the company's QorIQ processors , sharing the same e500 cores and offering other similarities. However, the QoriQ processors, which have often been deployed in base station designs along with Freescale's StarCore and Maple baseband chips, were significantly re-engineered, according to Freescale.
The PSC9130/31 femtocell SoCs support between eight to 16 simultaneous users, while the PSC9132 picocell/enterprise SoC devices support up to 64 simultaneous users, says Freescale. The processors support air interfaces, including LTE (FDD/TDD), WCDMA (HSPA+) WiMAX UMTS and CDMA, says the company. Newly revealed features include support for GPS synchronization and 2G/3G sniffing.
QorIQ Qonverge PSC9130/31 block diagram
The PSC9130/31 models each combine a single e500 core, StarCore SC3850 DSP, Maple B2P accelerator, and a security engine connected by a multicore fabric, says the company (see diagram above). The SoCs are said to support simultaneous multimode and 2x2 MiMO, and offer a single 64-bit DDR3 memory channel, security and trust architecture, multiple timing sources, and an antenna interface.
The Picocell-oriented PSC9132, meanwhile, doubles up with dual e500 and StarCore SC3850 cores (see diagram below). The SoC moves up to 2x4 MiMO support, as well as MiMo equalization functionality, says Freescale. The PSC9132 offers dual DDR3 channels instead of one, and supplies both local and remote antenna interfaces. Additional interfaces are also supplied, including PCI Express expansion.
QorIQ Qonverge PSC9132 block diagram
Freescale offers multimode RF products that can be added to the PSC9130/PSC9131 SoCs products for femtocell applications. Designed to operate in all UMTS frequency bands, the MMZ09312B, MMA20312B and MMA25312B power amplifiers are based on InGaP heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) technology, says the company. In addition, Freescale’s MML09211H and MML20211H low-noise amplifiers are said to be available.
A PSC9131 reference design board, planned for availability in the fourth quarter, incorporates the processors, memory interfaces, and most peripheral functions, says Freesacle. A PSC9132 QorIQ Qonverge development system is also planned for availability at that time.
In February, when QorIQ Qonverge was announced, Mentor Graphics was said to be developing the Linux board support package (BSP). Freescale will offer software migration tools, as well as CodeWarrior software development tools. The latter are said to include a new Eclipse IDE, trace and profile, SmartDSP OS, debugger, and C/C++ compiler.
Wireless telecommunications companies in the U.S. could invest $25 billion to $53 billion in 4G cellular wireless networks between 2012 and 2016, according to a report released this week from Deloitte .
Stated Scott Aylor, director and general manager of Freescale’s Wireless Access Division, "Availability of the first QorIQ Qonverge products is a milestone for the wireless industry, which is in dire need of innovative new solutions to address challenging power requirements and exploding demand for additional bandwidth."
Availability
Freescale is currently sampling QorIQ Qonverge products to select customers. More information may be found at Freescale's QorIQ Qonverge mini-site .
O'Reilly Media opened registration for its Android Open Conference, scheduled for Oct. 9-11, in San Francisco, and announced speakers from companies including Arduino, Adobe, BestBuy, Google, Intel, LinkedIn, Motorola, Twitter, and WalMart. Meanwhile, the 10th annual Southern California Linux Expo (SCALE 10x) has issued a call for papers for its Jan. 20-22, 2012 show in Los Angeles.
O'Reilly Media announced its inaugural Android Open Conference in May, and has now posted session details and opened for registration. Scheduled for Oct. 9-11 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco, the event is said to be designed for anyone who creates, sells, or markets Android-related products.
Android Open 2011 will explore all aspects of Android, the open source Linux/Java platform operating system that appears to be in an increasingly dynamic state of flux. The Google-driven platform's rapid growth in smartphone market share and steady progress in Android tablets continues to draw consumers and technology vendors, yet there are increasing concerns over patent lawsuits , fragmentation, malware , and the potential for Google's Motorola acquisition to make Android more proprietary.
Android's breadth and reach is suggested by the conference's speaker list, which in addition to including representatives from many of the leading technology firms, features presentations from retailers WalMart and BestBuy.
Featured speakers at Android Open 2011 include:
Dion Almaer and Ben Galbraith, walmart.com Tim O'Reilly, O'Reilly Media Sara Haider, TwitterThe full list of sessions is found in the links farther below, but a few sessions that caught our eye include:
Embedded Android, Karim Yaghmour (Opersys inc.) Building Android accessories using the Open Accessory Development kit and Arduino, Simon Monk (Momote) Challenges of building HTC Sense, David Wu (HTC) The Honeycomb Action Bar: front to back, Mark Murphy (CommonsWare) Securing Android, Aleksandar Gargenta (Marakana Inc) Getting physical with Android: Open Accessories & NFC, Brian Jepson (O'Reilly Media), Tyler Moskowite (O'Reilly Media) Wearing Android: developing apps for micro devices, Ted Ladd (WIMM Labs) Android for the enterprise: getting from here to there, Hristo Bojinov (3LM) SCALE 10x call for papersThe 10th annual Southern California Linux Expo (SCALE 10x) has issued a call for papers. Following up on SCALE 9X , held this February, SCALE 10x is scheduled for January 20-22, 2012 at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport Hotel.
Speaker tracks are said to include system administration, kernel developer, application developer, cloud/virtualization, general open source/free software advocacy, and technical content. Suggested topics range from kernel internals to open source issues to multimedia tools.
Availability
Registration and detailed session information for the Android Open 2011 conference, scheduled for Oct. 9-11, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco may be found at O'Reilly Media's Android Open site .
Through Sept. 29, pricing starts at $895 for the Oct. 9 Sunday workshops only, moving to $1,195 for the two conference days minus the Sunday workshops. Adding the workshops moves the total up to $1,495. An all access pass for $1,895 includes evening and meal events, online conferences, books, and videos, etc. These prices increase $100 to $200 starting Sept. 30.
Presentation proposals for the SCALE 10x conference, to be held January 20-22, at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport Hotel, may be submitted at the Scale 10x Call for Papers site .