AMD + SoC + ARM

The previous post was about AMDs current bugdet-line mobile processors. Before that, I posted (in Norwegian) about their plans for future mobile solutions.

They are basing their new budget-line / mobile processors on the "Jaguar" microarchitecture (the pre-decessing C- and E-series are "Brazos" based), and will sport 64-bit dual- or quad-core ("Bobcat" x86-cores) with integrated Radeon 8000 graphics (80-core GPU), significantly outperforming any "Atom"-chips with integrated graphics from Intel.

The new "AMD Embedded G-series System-on-Chip" sets will be made in two versions (or architectures): x86 and ARM. Determining which architecture a chip is based on, is as easy as looking at the CPU-logo; the ARM-version will have an "A" in the lower right corner of the logo and the x86-version will have an "X" (as shown in the picture below).

AMDs "Embedded G-series SoC" seems to be direct competition against Intels "Atom" budget-line. CPU-vendor competitiveness is, as we all know (at least the one's paying attention), a good thing :-P

It will be exciting to see how the combination ARM+Radeon will operate and behave performance-wise :-) since I've been an avid embedded (ARM ) fan for years, it'll also be quite interesting to see AMD play with both CISC- and RISC-based designs in the same series.

AMD press-release:
http://www.amd.com/us/press-releases/Pages/amd-embedded-gseries-2013apr23.aspx

Ultrabook for my sister

I was recently asked by a family-member to look for a decent study-laptop for my sister. I'll admit I was kind of thrilled. I was playing around with the idea of finding a low-budget laptop, with decent specifications. Having done a machine-architecture report for school (x86/x64) last year, I had become thoroughly aware of what AMD has been doing lately.

I have always been a fan of AMD. Mainly because of their support for hardware-hacking (NOTE: this voids any warranty) and / or chip overclocking (in many cases also voids any warranty), and their clever innovation of techniques (amd64/APUs). And last but not least, their open and full support of FOSS.

In my report, I wrote about AMDs budget-line processors; the "Fusion" C-series and E-series, direct competitors to Intels "Atom" budget-line processors. In fact, the C-chips match similar Atom-chips in both TDP (Thermal Design Power) and clock-frequency (GHz). Whereas the E-series is higher clocked, resulting in a higher TDP, but also making it more similar to an Atom-chip system paired with a dedicated GPU (e.g. ION2).

My sisters computing-needs do not require massive number-crunching abilities, but it shouldn't be sluggish in operation either, so I went for the high-end mobile-solution: AMD E-450 (codename: Zacate) APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) used in a 13,3" LED-screen Asus model U32U laptop with 4GB DDR3 RAM.

The AMD E-450 is a 64-bit dual-core ("Bobcat" low-power x86-cores @ 1,65GHz) processor with an integrated Radeon HD 6320 GPU on the same die (which AMD markets as a so-called APU-chip), with a total TDP of 18 watts.

(The basic idea behind this type of system, is that: the stripped, low-power x86-cores (x2) does most of the general-purpose processing, but, hands over floating-point unit calulations to the GPU-cores on the same die, thereby eliminating both process load-balancing and CPU-GPU inter-communication delays.)

Asus product-link:
https://www.asus.com/Notebooks_Ultrabooks/U32U/

When unboxing the machine, I was pleasantly surprised :-) with the battery firmly locked-in the thing didn't weigh more than 1,55 kg! Didn't take up much space when closed either so it was a perfect carry-on companion and study-tool.

First boot took a few minutes, Windows always does at "first-boot".

Running Windows Update took around 4,5 hours to complete from a fresh install, after downloading everything that is (on a 2Mbps cable-DSL connection no less :-P *shrug*).

Installing Microsoft Office 2010 (with the help of an external USB 2.0 CD-ROM drive) actually didn't take all that long, and it ran like a dream.

Overall the CPU-response was acceptable when installing and pretty good in operation. It won't blow away anything with 4GB of RAM, but in combination with AMDs Fusion (referred to as a: Heterogeneous System Architecture by AMD) chipset and APU-chip, it didn't do half bad for an ultrabook-like laptop.

This was my first ultrabook-like experience, and I must say, I am impressed :-) I want one! Strictly speaking, the U32U does not fit the ultrabook-specification (being an Intel-trademark, and the U32U being AMD-based).

Personally (speaking as a poweruser), I would probably cram at least 8GB of RAM into the machine afterwards. And replace the 320GB HDD with an SSD for both system-speed and machine-weight. But for my sister, it was perfect! :-)

I might also add that I actually own two machines with Atom-processors, and the E-450 blew them both away on graphics and processing-power.

Edit:
I had to add a total of 8GB DDR3 RAM modules to the machine. She complained that it was getting sluggsish after a period of time. I had apparently not anticipated her usage-patterns good enough. 4GB of RAM was a little weak, especially if you want to run office-suites and similar resource-hogging software.

Funny comment :-P

This was a response to "Correct me if I'm wrong" posted by an irrate Linux FUD-er. ( http://www.zdnet.com/six-open-source-security-myths-debunked-and-eight-real-challenges-to-consider-7000014225/ )

You're wrong and probably never worked for a software company.

I've been through this a couple times before, but I'll describe it again.

Software versions are charactized by version numbers, in my case, when I worked for Bentley Systems, a version was designated by numbers like 05.07.01.22.

Software, like Firefox makes versions for Windows and Linux among others. Basically the core parts of the program operate in the same manner and the API is different to work on Linux and adjustments are made for libraries, directories, etc.

The dirty little secret here at ZDNet and among the shills is that they blame an application for allowing an intrinsic problem or vulnerability with the OS to be accessed. Shills, Ed, and ZDNet are great at blaming the application, such as Chrome or Firefox for the problem and not addressing the core Windows vulnerability. Then, they read documentation and without knowing anything about how things are done, blame the Linux counterparts, because they are listed.

The problem is that items present in the application allow the core Windows vulnerability to be used to infect Windows. The application issue may also be present in the Linux version, but because Linux is so much more secure than Windows, there is no problem or infection with Linux. The only way Linux could be infected is if the malware could read the mind of the user and get his password.

Developers review the Windows version issue and make adjustments so it does not allow the Windows vulnerability to be addressed and also make the change across the board to all sister versions to maintain consistency. Because you are naive and see Ubuntu listed as affected, it does not mean Ubuntu ever had a security issue at all, the Ubuntu version is just having the code changed for consistency. In other words, no application for Windows is ever going to fully prevent all the Windows critical flaws from being accessed. Those application characteristics causing the Windows issues may be present the Linux version, but can't be used to attack Linux, but are being changed anyway. In most cases, the change may be an operating improvement and be more efficient.

It's so silly to ZDNet pull the same BS over and over again, year after year. If you want to believe it, you are only following the ZDNet propaganda trail, Do yourself a favor, pour yourself a strong one, and install Ubuntu or Mint on a second machine, run it as a Live DVD, or install it as a dual boot and your primary computer. Then, install, Chrome, Opera or any other open source program you like and try to get infected. Then come back here and post the Website and how you got infected. That's something that no one, in all these years of accusations has ever been able to do. Once you see that you don't get infected you;ll begin to see how ZDNet twists information and is just a stooge for Microsoft.

As far as you referencing Linux Torvalds and the linux.com issue it was related to stolen passwords. Anyone who gets poorly secured passwords an attacks a system can't be stopped. Most times the admins are storing their login information on a Windows box, that gets easily hacked by a zero-day or a crafted emai that allows access. Remember the big ZDNet push for articles about Google, which runs 100% Linux getting hacked? Well, two Chinese employees were storing data on a Windows notebook and it easily got hacked. Since then, Google forbids employees from using Windows or work. you don't hear about that anymore here, do you? Forbidding employees to do company work on Windows is the single most important any manager can make.

If you dig deeply into these articles against open source and Linux, you will find, as I have, that the core problem is Windows and you will see a critical update down the road, at a later time to silently correct the Windows problem. But that is never brought up here.

anonymous

23 April, 2013 14:04

• Prove that Linux gets hacked. It's something never done here.

  If you feel that strongly about it, post how and where you got hacked. I'm waiting.

  

  anonymous

  23 April, 2013 14:09

  
  

  Test the theory yourself

  Get a box and harden Windows, use ANY anti-malware you like.
  Get a box and install any Linux distro, any of them, pick the weakest one you can think of.
  
  Go look at any web site you like with Firefox, Opera or Chrome on both ... NO IE (not supported on Linux).
  
  (hint: adult content and gaming sites that are 2nd or 3rd tier are reportedly famous for infections), try google searching "most dangerous web sites".
  
  The rules of the game are:
  
  * only following links or using the back button icon of the browser are allowed
  * if windows pop up you are not allowed to touch them anywhere (including the X to close).
  * if the back button is not usable or the browser is non-responsive, close the browser with task manager.
  
  The object is to visit infected sites and return without touching anything.
  
  See which system is left running after 1 hour.
  
  Please report your results HONESTLY.
  
  
  * ( ... no clicking (X)
  * If the browser locks up ... use the "task manager" to kill it.
  
  

  

  BrentRBrian

  23 April, 2013 11:38

AMD, SoC og ARM.

AMDs nye satsing på bærbare enheter heter "AMD Embedded G-series System-on-Chip" (kort: SoC), basert på AMDs nye Jaguar mikroarkitektur.

AMDs pressemelding:
http://www.amd.com/us/press-releases/Pages/amd-embedded-gseries-2013apr23.aspx

Det er nok den nye strømgjerrige serien som skal konkurrere direkte med Intels "Atom"-serie (benyttet i NAS-bokser, nettbrett, mini-laptoper, osv.).

Brikkene skal lages i to arkitekturer: ARM og x86. Om brikken er ARM- eller x86-basert ses nede i høyre hjørne av logoen hvor det blir trykt en "A" for ARM, og en "X" for x86 (bildet ovenfor viser en x86-basert brikke). De vil også komme med to eller fire kjerner som vil kjøre på en klokkefrekvens mellom 1 til 2 GHz. Grafikkmessig stiller AMD seg bedre enn Intel. Disse brikkene har integrert GPU basert på Radeon 8000 som i følge AMD gir opptil 5 ganger bedre grafikkytelse enn tilsvarende "Atom"-prosessorer fra Intel.

Personlig liker jeg veldig at AMD leker med å blande CISC / RISC i en brikke-serie, og det vil bli voldsomt spennende å se hvordan brikke-kombinasjonen ARM / Radeon vil oppføre seg i bruk.

Hardware.no-artikkel:
http://www.hardware.no/artikler/dette-er-amds-nye-atom-konkurrent/132867

Oppgradering?

Blir nok heller satsning på Vishera mikro-arkitekturen hvis jeg skal oppgradere kjerne-systemet :-) FX-8350s etterkommer :-) ekte "octa-core" 5GHz ulåst FX-prosessor :-p

Link:
http://www.hardware.no/artikler/amd-planlegger-trolig-ny-raskinn-prosessor/132573

AMD (Jaguar?) x8 x86_64 chips? :P

Are these AMDs new "Jaguar" x8 x86_64 custom prototype chips destined for PS4/Xbox720? :P Could be... :)

WinSCPbeen in heavy use over the years...

I hadn't given it much thought, but I have been using ONE Windows-application quite extensively over the past years. WinSCP.

For a simple-faced filemanager, it has many uses. But it's main feature is to connect to SSH / SFTP / FTP servers, handle files locally / remotely, transfer files, etc. A networked client-server file-manager application.

Before the early years of 2000, there were no decent graphical file-managers for cross-platform transfers and handling. Especially not with proper support for the Secure SHell v2 protocol.

WinSCP had this from the beginning (mainly with the scp program at first, then the SFTPv2 protocol. more recently WinSCP opts for switching to SFTPv3 protocol if available, for added security).

I can't recommend this program enough for it's easy transfer, handling and other file-related operations. I have never had any serious problems with it. It just works, and it works pretty damn good too.

It's interface is a beautiful interpretation of earlier, rather similar :P command-line designer guidelines.

Linux Mint + X.org

“Not in the Business of Picking Winners"

http://www.thepowerbase.com/2013/03/linux-mint-not-in-the-business-of-picking-winners-continues-with-xorg/

Upgrade?

At the moment, I usually sit on an AMD Phenom II X6 workstation/server/gaming-rig. But I'm thinking of upgrading to AMDs Bulldozer Vishera "true" octa-core micro-architecture.

With an octa-core based CPU running under the hood, I'll be able to compute data-loads / -streams that will be more common in the time coming.

Not that more cores are absolutely necessary, nor instantly, but with coming gaming-consoles sporting custom octa-core chips, homebrew and the like will demand (more powerful, and in some cases, distributed) computing-power.

6 cores (hexa-core) running @ 3GHz is plenty enough for most tasks today, from mundane (simple 3D) flash-games to more comprehensive high-definition 3D gaming. But 2 extra cores and an extra GHz of clock-frequency will definitely raise the bar enough to postpone sluggishness and lag.

Steam for Linux

Steam for Linux has officially been released to the public :) I have been beta-testing the client and various Steam-powered Linux-games. I'm also beta-testing Spotify Linux preview at the moment (and have been for the past two years). Comparing the two projects wouldn't be fair, since the Spotify-team have limited development-resources compared to the Steam for Linux-team.

But, I have to admit, the few (about 2) months spent beta-testing Steam for Linux really showed real development progress throughout. Bugs were rapidly being adressed and worked out, properly. Thus the Linux-client beta-phase just flew by.

The link below shows how to install Steam for Linux on a Ubuntu-machine ;)

http://www.zdnet.com/how-to-install-the-steam-gaming-client-on-ubuntu-gallery-7000011391/

Data Privacy Day

Yeah, so it's DPD again. And today it's more important than ever to be aware of data privacy issues. In our society, as it is today, we're rapidly approaching total populace monitoring. We're not quite there yet, but it's just a matter of time.

Of course, it can be argued that not everyone will have to worry too much about being "monitored". Authorities, the government and cynics tend to say: "If you don't have anything to hide, you don't need to worry". Well, is this completely true? I would disagree.

A lot of the sensitive (and often, very personal) data stored about individuals online can be used against private citizens without the intent of criminal persecution what-so-ever. An individual does not strictly have to be a criminal to be monitored. It can be any one of us. And who's to say that law-abiding citizens won't be persecuted for reasons other than direct judicial causes?

The major problem(s) with national surveillance is often: "who has the right to disclose this information?" and "who determines what parts of this information can be utilized as judicial evidence?" and last but not least "to whom can this information be disclosed?". These questions worry me.

Of course, it would be argued that ALL crime should be fought with the tools we have readily available. Fair enough. But WHO has the right to pry into such sensitive information? What do they have as a legal-inscentive to use this information for? And for whom can the person(s) responsible for gathering specified informatiom disclose this information to?

Time will show...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Privacy_Day

Tucker & Dale Vs Evil

It’s odd that Tucker & Dale Vs Evil never really secured itself the broader theatrical exposure it deserves, because it’s a really smart film. Granted, it’s bereft of outright movie stars, but the pairing of Tudyk and Labine proves inspired, and Craig is wise enough to keep his running time nice and tight.

I have to agree with the amazon review-excerpt.

I...LOVED this movie :) I would argue it's up-to-par with the Norwegian cult-film export "Dead Snow". Not quite the same genre, but, both films deliver fantastic gore and bloodshed without forcing you to immideately realize the (sometimes quite surprising) humorous outcome.

Teknologisk åpenhet

"Teknologi miljøer som baserer seg på åpen kildekode skiller seg ut. Det er kanskje ikke så rart heller. Med åpen kildekode er det er nærmest kun fantasien som begrenser hva man kan oppnå.Utgangspunktet er, og har alltid vært, teknologisk åpenhet. Denne åpenheten er det ikke alle som liker."

--Eivind Jonassen, Telekompetanse

Ja. Utdraget sier vel egentlig alt jeg, rent personlig, har opplevd i forbindelse med åpen teknologi innenfor bedrifter de siste årene.

Det samme kan ikke sies om det siste firmaet jeg jobbet for (ikke-navngitt flyverksted). Der måtte de benytte åpen teknologi i deler av virksomheten fordi proprietær teknologi ikke hadde tilsvarende gode nok systemer på bruksområdet. Åpen teknologi ble ikke sett ned på ifm. proprietær teknologi, men da kompetansen på åpen teknologi her var ganske laber, ble det ofte til at jeg ordnet det som måtte ordnes på disse systemene.

I bedrifter/selskaper der åpen teknologi MÅ benyttes, er det rett og slett mangelen på kompetansen ifm. slike systemer som gjør at de ikke blir promotert slik de kanskje burde bli, og da spesielt høyere oppe i økosystemene i disse bedriftene/selskapene.

Hadde F/OSS blitt like bra anbefalt av senior-kollegaer såvel som (oss) ny-utdannede. Hadde nok de fleste bedrifter gått over til nyere og bedre systemer.

Vi trenger teknologisk åpnehet for innovasjonens skyld. Og i et land som Norge er dette mer enn mulig. Det finnes flere norske selskaper som har laget sin egen markedsnisje basert på åpen teknologi. Men det meste av denne innovasjonen legges best merke til i utenlandske teknologi-samfunn, dessverre.

Nå ser det heldigvis ut som om myndigheter og lokale styrer ser mer og mer på åpen teknologi, men dette må også styrkes av at vi med den rette kompetansen hyler ut, argumenterer positivt for bruken og andre eventuelle bruksområder.

Vi må fortelle de rette folkene om alle fordelene, bruken, sikkerheten og fremfor alt; åpenheten.

http://www.idg.no/computerworld/article264691.ece

Unified ARM Linux kernel source

Finally, ARM manufacturers have been stepping up their efforts at unifying a single source-tree for their architecture(s). Linus announced the merging of multi-platform ARM code into the mainline Linux source-tree in October.

This means ARM developers don't need to compile a different Linux kernel for each ARM SoC they develop for, but instead they can use one single source-tree for all SoCs.

http://www.zdnet.com/one-linux-for-all-arm-systems-7000005348/

AMD vs. Intel = historie?

Det kan bli ganske sørgelig utvalg av entusiast-komponenter med høy ytelse dersom prosessor-konkurransen til Intel og AMD nå tar helt slutt.

Ref:
http://www.hardware.no/artikler/slik-skal-amd-komme-tilbake/115184

Men det kan også tenkes at AMD verrasker oss alle med nye typer mobil-prosessorer, eller nye måter å sette sammen teknologier for å oppnå bedre tekniske resultater.

Det spekuleres rundt om på nettet for tiden om mobil-prosessorer (Reduced Instruction Set Computing) faktisk kan klare å oppnå like gode hastigheter som desktop-prosessorer (Complex Instruction Set Computing). De siste årene har jo vist at gigahertz-hastigheter i mobile enheter definitivt er mulig, så dette kan ikke avvises helt.

Som ivrig AMD-fan i mange år blir det spennende for meg å se hva de finner på.

De har i alle fall ikke tenkt å bare gi opp med det første :)

Litt bakgrunnshistorie om AMD (engelsk wikipedia):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Micro_Devices

Metallica på Spotify

Etter alle årene med rettssak(er) og mediaoppstyr ifm. Napster og digitale distribusjonsrettigheter, er Metallica endelig også på Spotify ;)

http://www.nrk.no/kultur-og-underholdning/1.9753314

Steam for Linux beta

It pays off to invest in bleeding-edge hardware and modder-Linux ;D especially if you're willing to do some experimentation.

I got my candidate-mail from Valve today :P guess I'll be testing Linux-gaming for them :)

 "Big Picture" mode @ 1080p

 "Big Picture" mode @ 1080p

"Big Picture" mode @ 1080p

Thanksgiving

In the end, your family is all that matters. Take time to appreciate what you have, when you have it :) looking forward to thanksgiving @mom's house ;D

A random screenshot

This is a normal, everyday looking screen for me.
Yes, I spend a lot of time on the CLI ;) both local and remote :P

Valve - Steam > Linux

I recently logged in to my Steam-account because I wanted to check out it's status. Mostly since Valve announced they will be releasing the Steam-client for Linux. And to my surprise, all games I had bought earlier were still available in my "Library" :)

I had bought "Counter-Strike" (the original) a few years ago. Though it was the CD-ROM release copy, it included a booklet on activating the product on Steam.

I'm SO glad I actually did, because I can no longer find the original CD-ROM, nor can I find the DVD-ROM for Half-Life 2 / Counter-Strike: Source. But that didn't matter :) Steam had all the games, already activated and ready to download and install :P Woohoo!

If they are successfull at porting the client to Linux, and consequently; games. They will definitely have opened a whole new market-target for online game distribution ;)

Way to go Valve! ;D

Coincidentally, Valve recently published a press-release claiming Linux as the new de-facto open (gaming) platform. Beating both Windows and Mac OS X on the "technicalities" ;P

Linux, being an openly developed platform, gives game-developers a technical road-map of the OS' inner workings, it's limitations and structure details that give an immensely comprehensive base for advanced game programming.

Personally, I don't think they've even tapped the tip of what is possible with a Linux-system when it comes to serious gaming. I see promising development if this takes off, as we all hope it does :)

PC Games N:
http://www.pcgamesn.com/article/valve-linux-better-windows-8-gaming

Norwegian e-zine:
http://www.idg.no/computerworld/article259040.ece

Stallman, on Steam? :o

Forkjemper og leder for fri programvare (FSF), Richard M. Stallman, innrømmer at Steam-plattformen vil være positivt (og fra Stallmans synspunkt, også veldig negativt) for Linux.

Spillselskapet Valve vil nå (etter mye frem-og-tilbake) slippe "Steam Client" for Linux (online rammevek for leveranse av PC-spill), og etterhvert også portere populære spill-titler til Linux uten bruk av masse kompatibilitetslag (les: wine, DirectX, osv.).

I denne anledning ble Richard M. Stallman spurt om tankene rundt dette. Svaret ble ganske overraskende, spesielt fordi han er mest kjent for sine ekstreme meninger om proprietær programvare (Windows, Mac OS X, o.l.), bruker-rettigheter og personlig frihet (med ekstra god trykk på "personlig frihet"). Men han medgir nå altså at selv om spill er proprietære, kan de virke som et lokkemiddel for Linux-plattformen, som i seg selv kan resultere i at flere åpner opp øynene for FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) og kanskje er mer bevisste over hvilke faktiske friheter de besitter ved å benytte forskjellige typer programvare og operativsystemer.

"I suppose that availability of popular nonfree programs on GNU/Linux can boost adoption of the system. However, our goal goes beyond making this system a “success”; its purpose is to bring freedom to the users. Thus, the question is how this development affects users' freedom."
--Richard M. Stallman, 2012

"Thus, in direct practical terms, this development can do both harm and good. It might encourage GNU/Linux users to install these games, and it might encourage users of the games to replace Windows with GNU/Linux. My guess is that the direct good effect will be bigger than the direct harm. But there is also an indirect effect: what does the use of these games teach people in our community?"
--Richard M. Stallman, 2012

Nåja, forventer ikke litt vel mye her da Richie? Jaja, man vet jo aldri... :)

Link til artikkel:
Richard M. Stallman - Steam is good for GNU/Linux

Link til Computerworld-artikkel:
http://www.idg.no/computerworld/article250349.ece

Link til FSF-artikkel:
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/nonfree-games.html

VMware ESXi 5.0 upd1

I haven't been that consistent about posting on this blog lately. But here's a little re-cap of my computing escapades for the last months:

I've updated my WD 4GB USB dongle with VMware ESXi 5.0 update1 hypervisor. Yes, I've set out into the virtualization cloud ;) running through 1.8TB X-RAID array via iSCSI.

I have also upgraded the graphics-setup in "h3x", it now sports a brand-spanking-new Nvidia GeForce GT520 Silent. Testing out this card blew me away :D then again, last time I invested money in a decent gfx-setup was back in the AGP-days :p PCIe 2.0 x16 definitely kicks ass!

I had to add certain PPA-repositories (apt-get repos) to get a driver that would work in Linux Mint 13, but it was no hastle, and it worked like a charm :)

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

The next-gen developer-phone from Google/Samsung.

It has a sturdy build with high-quality plastic, and the battery-cover is cleverly fitted into the phone-chassis.

The OS (currently updated Android v4.0.2 "ICS") differs quite a lot from v2.x (which I used before). All of the UI-interaction is now done completely via touch / multi-touch (which Google had envisioned when they started development on Android).

I especially love how you can drag-n-drop shortcuts on top of each other in the new launcher to form popup folders. One of several new, interesting and innovative UI functions. Another is the ability to take a screenshot of the device-display (pressing Power+Volume down buttons simultaneously).

I've been using Android full-time since the early v1.x-days, and personally I love the new UI guidelines, drop-down menus and generally, Android v4.x all-in-all :)

Google has done a magnificent good job in rolling v2.x (mobile-version) and v3.x (tablet-version) into one monolithic source-code tree, capable of making both binary-versions.

Keep up the good job guys! :D

NAS for iSCSI/media/files

1.8TB SATA3 in RAID-1 configuration.

I have now switched my ReadyNAS Duo v2 with a ReadyNAS Ultra 2 Plus, which is the business-edition of Netgear's 2-bay NAS boxes. Way better equipped for my needs.

Hardware:

• Intel Atom dual-core 1.5GHz (x86 instead of arm5 as in Duo v2)
• Dual Gigabit RJ-45 LAN ports
• 2 x USB 3.0 on back-panel (one over each gigabit LAN port)
• 1 x USB 3.0 on front-cover (for "backup"-button)

Accessories:

• 2 x Western Digital Caviar "Green" 2TB SATA3 hard-drives

The Ultra 2 Plus business-ready revision of the dual-bay NAS from Netgear offers more advanced configuration and customization options, and also complies with Linux networking protocols (NFS, SSH, SFTP, etc.), unlike the Duo v2 which only offers AFP and SMB file-sharing (Apple and Windows network file-sharing respectively) and basic configuration.

What really makes it stand out is its ability to share iSCSI targets. Basically, it can share portions of its RAID-array as virtual hard-drives for Virtual Machines run either by for example VMware or VirtualBox on a server, or via a bare-metal hypervisor (ex.VMware ESXi, my personal favorite ;).

Extra functions in the Ultra 2 Plus compared to Duo v2, are for example the possibility for scheduled RAID-scrubbing and/or volume checking, to keep your RAID volumes clean and fixed :)

h3x4c0m

OK. Computer-building has always been a hobby of mine. Later years have shown that high-end components don't always have to cost an arm and a leg. So I figured I'd do a build-project where I would build a hybrid workstation / VM-lab / gaming-rig, with as much computing-power as my limited budget would allow.

The following became my project-goals:

• Build an HTPC (Home Theatre PC) with std.-dimensions for rack/stack placement.
• Get the most powerful and technically up-to-date cpu for as little as possible, most likely an alternative to Intel (AMD).
• Shove in, at a very minimum, at least 8GB of RAM with decent heat spreading.
• Make due with the stock cpu-fan and add cabinet fans accordingly.
• Use a customizable O.C.(overclocking)-motherboard for tweaking-purposes.

I figured I'd base the machine on an AMD chipset and processor because they've always been more on the cheaper end, compared to Intel, without losing too much of the competing processing-power (allthough AMD chips generate quite a lot of heat in contrast to Intel's).

The basic assembly was quite easy. Every screw and spacer needed was included with the cabinet to ensure a good fit for the MicroATX motherboard.

Installation of the components on the motherboard was also pretty straightforward. Although I forgot to lock the cpu-chip into the cradle before I fastened the cpu-fan over it :s doh!

Silverstone's starter-level cabinet "Milo" did the job I wanted it to. It was slimline and spec-standard so it fit nicely on my Denon receiver with a Pioneer DVD player and a Canal Digital PVR on top of it, all without over-heating any metal-surfaces.

System-disk. Period ;)

Only annoying thing I didn't think about was if I wanted to add a PCIx graphics card, it has to be a "low-profile" spec-card to fit in the low cabinet. But for now the embedded HDMI port on the M/B will do (I eventually added a low-end GeForce GT520 1GB GDDR3).

I could fit up to 3 hard-drives total, but I only used a 250GB Western Digital hard-drive for personal files (/home Linux partition) and a 60GB ForceGT Corsair SSD for the OS (Linux). The SSD was a definite improvement both on heavy word-load effectiveness and boot-up (it boots Debian GNU/Linux / Ubuntu Desktop / Linux Mint in less than a few seconds!)

A metal bar is used to keep the cabinet sturdy, and does an excellent job.

One thing I noticed when installing the OS after first bootup, was that all the six cores (yes ;) that's SIX cpu-cores :p) reported an individual total processing-power of a mere 800MHz! WTF!?

This couldn't be! 800MHz x 6!? At first I figured it was the Cool'n'Quiet-feature of AMDs processor-lines that throttled everything down to save power and/or cool the cpu. This was not the case.

As I read the motherboard webpage, I realized the cpu was released after the motherboard. And even though it listed the cpu as compatible, it also said it required an EFI-update to be able to take full advantage of a hexa-core processor.
Well, that figures... So, I aggravatingly downloaded the mentioned EFI binary-blob on a USB-stick, and proceeded to flash the motherboard.

After booting up the newly upgraded firmware, it listed the cpu with the correct specifications :) YAY-HOORAY! ;D

Without discrete graphics card.

With discrete graphics-card.
* Asus GeForce GT520 2GB 64-bit GDDR3 PCie-2.

I haven't really had the time to properly benchmark the performance yet. And I think I'll postpone it until I have a proper cpu cooling-system (preferably liquid-cooling, but I haven't been able to find a low-profile cooling-system that will fit the SilverStone Milo HTPC-cabinet yet).

For now, it has shown exceptional potential as a file-/web-server, daily mailer/browser, HD multimedia powerhouse and compilation workstation :] so I'm really looking forward to pushing it to the edge :D

Next project is setting up an advanced NAS box, preferrably with iSCSI-support for Virtual Machine network-storage :]

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NAS-project update: http://blog.pizslacker.org/2012/02/nas-for-vmwaremediafiles.html

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Discrete graphics upgrade (Sep'2014):

New (as of Sept'2014) Sapphire Radeon HD 6670 1GB 64-bit GDDR5 PCIe-2.1 discrete graphics-card
+
Supplementary (for separate iSCSI-subnet) MiniPCIe Gigabit Ethernet card

With new Sapphire Radeon HD 6670 1GB 64-bit GDDR5 PCIe-2.1 discrete graphics-card.