Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Contiki Turns Ten

Posted by timothy on from the better-than-the-internet-of-ding-a-lings dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The first release of Contiki, the open source operating system, was announced ten years ago today on Slashdot. From its inception, Contiki has been all about connecting 'unexpected things' to the Internet, including things like Lego bricks and Apple II computers. Today, Contiki is still going strong and is now being used in the Internet of Things, where it is connecting things like thermostats to smartphone apps throughout Europe."

16 of 28 comments (clear)

  1. This will be the year!!! by thomasdz · · Score: 5, Funny

    2013 will be known as the Year of the Contiki Desktop! mark my words.

    --
    Karma: Excellent. 15 moderator points expire sometime.
    1. Re:This will be the year!!! by fph+il+quozientatore · · Score: 4, Insightful

      More like "the year of the Contiki refrigerator".

      --
      My first program:

      Hell Segmentation fault

    2. Re:This will be the year!!! by Runaway1956 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I've been wondering how to connect my refrigerator to the internet. And my toaster, washer, dryer, vacuum, my car, my mower, chain saw - everything!

      What could go wrong? It's not like there are any threats to SCADA that are connected to the internet, is there?

      --
      "Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
    3. Re:This will be the year!!! by StarWreck · · Score: 2

      As far as I can tell they stopped updating the desktop version, as seen on the Commodore 64, very early in development.

      --
      ... and in the DRM, bind them.
    4. Re:This will be the year!!! by citizenr · · Score: 1

      Contiki Desktop!

      still better than Ubuntu

      --
      Who logs in to gdm? Not I, said the duck.
  2. Question: can it handle IPv6 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Just wondering

    1. Re:Question: can it handle IPv6 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      "Contiki provides powerful low-power Internet communication. Contiki supports fully standard IPv6 and IPv4, along with the recent low-power wireless standards: 6lowpan, RPL, CoAP. With Contiki's ContikiMAC and sleepy routers, even wireless routers can be battery-operated."

      http://contiki-os.org/#about

  3. Yes, but... by pigiron · · Score: 1

    "it is connecting things like thermostats to smartphone apps throughout Europe."

    Has it reached Polynesia yet?

  4. Thingsquare by ChrisMP1 · · Score: 1

    Holy crap, that website does not miss a single fucking buzzword.

    --
    <sig>&nbsp;</sig>
    1. Re:Thingsquare by lisaparratt · · Score: 2

      Perhaps because for such a massively multiplatform RTOS such an architecture specific question can't be answered in a meaningful way?

    2. Re:Thingsquare by DamnStupidElf · · Score: 2

      10KB of RAM, 30KB of ROM. That should also tell you what the processor and power requirements are. Anything with that amount of memory is running at a few MHz and sipping milliwatts.

    3. Re:Thingsquare by OolimPhon · · Score: 1

      That sounds like the Z80s I have in the back of my cupboard...

  5. Interview with Contiki's creator, Adam Dunkels by angry+tapir · · Score: 4, Informative

    Shameless plug: I had a pretty extensive chat late last year with the guy who Contiki. You can read it here.

  6. Re:Create the next internet by dwye · · Score: 1

    Ah but I want to to live in milkyway.org.universe.0042 They already have the answers.

    Just not the Questions.

  7. Re:where does contiki fit in with bluetooth LE? by iamwahoo2 · · Score: 2

    Contiki is primarily aimed at 802.15.4 devices. As far as I am concerned, Bluetooth LE is a hackish attempt to make it compete in the same space as 802.15.4. I think that your average 802.15.4 radio consumes less power for the same range & throughput as a bluetooth LE. Also, you have the advantage being able to create more advanced sensor networks. Of course, BLE has the huge advantage of being able to piggyback along with existing bluetooth to get on all the phones and tablets.

  8. Good OS for a raft by the_arrow · · Score: 1

    I'll think I'll use it on a raft, then sail over the Pacific Ocean.

    --
    / The Arrow
    "How lovely you are. So lovely in my straightjacket..." - Nny