Slashdot Mirror
Embedded OpenBSD Running the Stallion ePipe
Louis Bertrand noted that in another win for free software, OpenBSD can now be found in the
guts of the Stallion
ePipe, a dial-up network gateway, a little like the IBM InterJet we mentioned a few days ago. Playing to OpenBSD's strengths,
the core processor is a Motorola ColdFire 5307 VL-RISC chip, and the
encryption is provided by OpenBSD's built-in encryption code. They've even written a cooperative press release about it, complete with OpenBSD's very cool blowfish.
--
-- Slashdot sucks.
It's been noted a number of times now that the majority of patents by companies AREN'T for the purpose of screwing others out of the technology. Rather, it's to prevent themselves from losing the right to use it when someone ELSE patents it.
Now isn't that acceptable? After all, even Linus has a copyright on the name Linux.
The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist.
Yes, in fact some people do--from their homes. But I doubt they expect home use to be their main market. In almost all areas only residential phone service is flat-rate, while business rate is metered. Using bonded dialups is expensive, though is some cases it's all that's available. (One exception: Centrex, though even that is usage-charged in some areas; besides, since Centrex is restricted to a single CO, using it doesn't tie up inter-office trunks, which is where the highest cost of a nailed-up dialup accrue.)
I mean, the whole point of a security audit is so that you fix the stuff that's (become) broken, right?
Being no OpenBSD expert, I guess what the OpenBSD guys try to do is more proactive -- they want to find and fix all the holes before they get found out about by others.
They don't want to fix it after someone else has found the hole and it has been widely publicised. I believe they have a number of techniques in place to make the OS overall less vulnerable to certain types of problems.
To enhance stability, OpenBSD takes a more cautious disk write approach, which might slow down disk accesses some.
Specific information about tuning the disk subsystem for speed (and to eliminate above delay) can be found here.
Geeky modern art T-shirts
While can't Slashdot give each of the handful BSDs their own icon, given that every Linux distribution on earth have them (and I imagine quite a few can't compare with the userbase the BSD distributions have).
(8-DCS)
Here.
4.0 inches True Color TFT LCD
= YOPY's display supports 65,536 colors (240×320 pixels)and its clarity will be attractive enough with its bright backlight.
High Performance 32-Bit Microprocessor
= 206MHz speed Microprocessor will enable you to run any exciting application on YOPY.
Embedded internet Web Browser
= YOPY is a multimedia powerhouse that enables users to view films or surf the internet in vivid color with rich stereo sound.
CompactFlashTM Slot
= YOPY provides you with CompactFlashTM Slot which is industry-standard for storage, memory and additional features.(TV, Digital Camera, GIS, etc.)
Graphic Game
= Enjoy the game of 65,536 colors with powerful stereo sound.
MP3 Player
= You can enjoy MP3 Stereo music and improve foreign language skills.
4Mbps-speed Infrared Transceiver(IrDA)
= You can exchange messages and informations with speed up to 4Mbps and range within 1 meter distance around you
Voice Recording
= It is easy for voice recording by just pressing quick start button and unidirectional microphone allows you to record ideas, reminders and voice memos.
Stereo Earphone with Remote keys
= YOPY provides you with stereo earphone with remote button.
With this, you can listen to MP3 music, radio broadcasts, various sound of games and also you can control and select all the functions of YOPY.
Docking Cradle
= YOPY's docking cradle includes RS232C & USB Serial Port for synchronize with PC and automatic recharge.
Handwriting Recognition with YOPY? Stylus Pen
= Put in information on touch screen with YOPY's stylus pen and it add the nobility of your style. Access E-mail and Internet with YOPY. Organize your schedule and customer information with YOPY's PIMS (Personal Information Management System).
LED Indicator while recharging, data exchanging and alarming.
= Vibration when you need quiet Alarming.
Quick stsrt buttons and scroll action button makes you easy to access applications you want.
Napster-to-go says "Fill and refill your compatible MP3 player", which is a lie. It's not MP3. It's WMA with DRM.
Since they use OpenBSD, there goes any chances of messing internally with the machine. If it were running RedHat, i could just find the Root-Exploit-Of-The-Day-Advisory warning and be on my way. Damn I love OpenBSD. Once SMP support is released, Its all over for everything else.
Chaos, Mayhem, and Destruction: Not
I'm one of the coders on the ePipe project.
:-)
Upgrading the OS is as simple as downloading a new
OS image and rebooting. Last time I checked
you need to reboot a PC to upgrade the BSD kernel
too.
-- veni vidi nuclei deceri --- I came, I saw, I dumped core.
Yeah, but too bad they are rolling it into a suite that they have applied for a patent on. Not really in the flavor or spirit of OpenBSD.
More race stuff in one place,
than any one place on the net.
The parent comment here has been posted at 6:46 EDT, and was initially labelled "funny", which it was in a somewhat mild and inoffensive way. Then some asshole re-labelled it "flamebait". In about 12 hours, the comment got 3 (three) responses, none of them flames. WHY is it flamebait? If I was in charge of /., I would perpetually ban that moderator for terminal stupidity.
I suppose that downtime's not going to be that critical to the epipe, since it's only a dialup gateway. (Security being less of an issue, too -- they can't reach you all that easily when your line keeps crapping out on you, right? ;) ) This looks kinda similar to a RAQ3, but for dialup. Is that right?
Can anybody tell me where I'm wrong here?
--
We have fought the AC's, and they have won.
Unfortunately, it seems like our good poster failed to notice that Stallion has committed the ultimate sin - they have applied for a software patent.
To quote the press release
"Stallion has applied for a patent for E2B."
E2B appears to be simply a method for hardening the connection to the ISP. I don't know nearly enough about security, and they don't tell nearly enough about their technology, to have a reasonable opinion about this patent, but my knee-jerk reaction to it would be opposition, as it is a software patent.
Sam TH
Sam TH
AbiWord Developer