I dunno... I was thinking some sort of source code virus scanner could be made one day. Something that identifies general hotspots in source code that might be dangerous, or fit a fingerprint for being dangerous. Of course, I'm sure the rogue developers would try to beat the filter, but at least it would be a start and would help deter adding virus' of any type to source.
BTW, is Chinux supposed to be a Chinese Linux or a Chinese Unix? If the former then I think thats kind of a crappy misnomer, if the latter then fine. Perhaps Red/Linux? hehe....
You can share bookmarks amoung all your installs of Mozilla, Phoenix, and probably other Gecko browsers (untested). All you do is add the following command to your prefs.js file:
user_pref("browser.bookmarks.file", "C:\\Documents and Settings\\userdude\\Application Data\\Mozilla\\Profiles\\default\\wx4vqyna.slt\\bo okmarks.html");
In addition, you can share plugins by adding the following line to your environment. Her is an example of what I did on my Windows box:
MOZ_PLUGIN_PATH = "C:\Program Files\mozilla.org\Share\Plugin" (in Environment Variables on Win2k)
Really helps so you don't have to redo plugins all the time and you can share one bookmark file for all!
Well here is a benchmark of the RC5 speeds for various processors. Yes the PowerPC does kick some major arse. Why is the question, and here is the answer. Anyway, long story short I heard there is a nice barrel shifter in the PowerPC that makes them excellent candidates for the RC5 client. So as they said in the second link the RC5 contest is not a good benchmark for performance. Although, it is sweet how fast the PowerPCs cores are!
This is from the first question of the FAQ entitled "What you can do to help"
What can I do to help? We need all the distribution we can get. Tell your family. Tell your friends. Tell your coworkers. If you're a student, get it distributed at your college. Submit a story to Slashdot and other news sites about the release. Make some noise on your blog. Spread the word!
Well David Tansey (submitter of story).. the Phoenix team must like you now!:)
Yep, my Live365 station is off the air. Don't see why I should have to pay $5 a month to anyone to promote someone else's music. I did it as a hobby and as a music fan, but I'm not paying to promote someone else's music. Fucking RIAA. I already bought the damn CDs, and I bought the fucking CDs because I heard them on Live 365. Oh well, I'll just go underground with my own private shoutcast station and of course it will be invitation only... no invite.. welcome to/dev/null!!!
Did you see the part about adding the extra regsiters that would allow you to access all the other registers without jumping through hoops? How the hell is a compiler going to do that? I'll tell you. Its not, because the compiler would have to jump through the hoops. With the RegisterMapControl (RMC) you would be able to access all registers without using multiple shifts and without having to go through specific sequences of assembly code to get at the contents of certain registers. This is a *hardware* issue not a software issue. If you had read and understood the article you would know this because when this guy at ChipGeek is talking about assembler, which is what any compiler outputs. In addition, MMX is only for multimedia instructions (duh) and the article specifically talks about speeding up general purpose applications. READ, READ, READ... If you don't understand then don't post. This goes for moderators too. This should not have been modded up to +5 insightful because it isn't and its completely off base from what the article was talking about.
RTFA or nicely put...read the article. By adding the instructions he reduced the complexity of shifts, the multiple ordered instructions it takes to do one thing, and increases the visibility of all the registers. There are added instructions, but the benefit is reduced complexity in assembly instructions due to greater direct accessibility of all the registers.
Desktops don't use much for power management while they are on. In addition, NT4 and up (2k, XP) all have idle message that it sent to the CPU to keep it cool. Win9x kernels do not have this function.
I don't mind downloading the latest builds. However, every time I do I basically delete the old mozilla directory and uncompress the new one. Of course, the plugins are deleted when using this method. Does anyone know if its ok to simply install over the previous directory? If so would my plugins and Java stay the same. Keep in mind I am not deleting my profile directory.
Yeah, after doing a little more research on the GNU Hurd page the slash is definitely used by GNU to describe Hurd. However, that slash is contradictory to their Linux FAQ. Here is an excerpt from the FAQ:
We're talking about a version of GNU, the operating system, distinguished by having Linux as the kernel. A slash fits the situation because it means "combination." (Think of "Input/Output".) This system is the combination of GNU and Linux; hence, "GNU/Linux".
The last sentence states a combination between GNU and Linux. Well in this case Hurd is a GNU package and the combination is not necessary. In addition, if we follow the FAQ it also states:
Following the rules of English, in the construction "GNU Linux" the word "GNU" modifies "Linux". This can mean either "GNU's version of Linux" or "Linux, which is a GNU package." Neither of those meanings fits the situation at hand.
Which clearly indicates that the GNU Hurd is the only correct way to state the kernel's name.
It's not that I completely disagree with your points Michael. Common sense indicates the pattern is System/Kernel like you said. My beef is with GNU's ambiguity. I would also say there is some confusion on GNU's side because based on their actions they have not clearly articulated to us when to use the slash. Based on the evidence in the Linux FAQ the use of a slash on any GNU package is incorrect. However, the evidence on the Hurd page is contradictory... I dunno... and I don't think they do either.
So when you are talking about GCC would you say GNU/GCC or GNU GCC? Based on the FAQ I think the latter. I'm not trying to be bullish about my stance, but it seems clear in the FAQ that I linked in the parent post. There is supposed to be a clear division between GNU and Linux. From my understanding that is why there is a slash. Since Hurd is a GNU package it should be "GNU Hurd". If you can find some refuting evidence I would like to see it. Take care.
Since Hurd is a GNU package then it should not be GNU/Hurd. Instead we should use GNU Hurd. Since Linux is not a GNU package then it is referred to as GNU/Linux. For more details see the FAQ.
OK, well 2pF may not seem like alot and in most cases its not. However, what you are forgetting is the scale we are working at here. I tried to lookup the exact memory module for a GeForce card, but I couldn't so I just went to Micron's site and looked up their spec on their 256Mb DDR333 SDRAM. If you will look on page six you will see the capacitance ratings for each signal line are as low as 0.5pF for three of the signal lines and max out at 4.0pF for the I/O (data) lines on the memory module. So lets look at the 2pF number again. By adding a connector you increase your input capacitance by 400% in some cases and 50% in the best case scenario. This is very bad and will directly impact how much memory can be put on one bus and how fast the memory can be timed. The more input capacitance you have on a line the harder the output buffers of the graphics chip (or memory controller) have to work. More input capacitance directly affects how fast you can get that nice little square wave signal to look nice enough to be registered on the other side. The more input capacitance the longer it takes, and this is all very relevant at the speeds we are talking about here. Also, FYI other factors for not using a connector include trace length. By adding modules you are increasing trace length by a large amount (relatively speaking of course). This also adds input capacitance.
So now you are probably asking. How much capacitance can a typical graphics chip or processor drive? Well I tried to find the datasheet on nVidia's website for their GeForce chips, but didn't turn up a thing. So I went to Intel's site and looked up the datasheet for their 845G chipset with integrated graphics. If you look on page 525 you will see that the output drive for the Intel chip is 12pF. So now you can probably see the problem. Assuming all we drove were memory modules directly from the 845G (which we wouldn't in real life) we could put just two to three 256Mb (32MB) modules on board without connectors. If we put the Molex connector you specified in between that number changes from 1 - 2 chips. In real life we would put a nice buffer in between that has a stronger output drive in between the 845G and the memory. Like TI's 24-Bit to 48-Bit Registered Buffer. That sucker has a 30pF drive and each buffer could easily drive 6 - 7 modules for a total of 256MB of RAM without the connector. Add a connector and this number deindles to 4 - 5. Anyway, I'm sure you get the point. At this scale even a 2pF connector makes a big difference.
However, after saying all that I should mention that I do not believe that these electrical considerations are the main or only reason the cards are not expandable. I think alot of it has to do with demand. Very few people are gonna upgrade their video card with more memory. I don't know any Matrox Millenium owners, including me, that upgraded their memory on their video cards. Because the economies of scale for a specialized memory make them much more expensive to produce than consumers like myself are willing to pay. In adition, by the time I am gonna upgrade a cards memory I can probably buy a brand new one with that amount of memory for the price of the piddly module;)
I appreciate the healthy skepticism. I think all of us agree that modular RAM could be added to the system. However, there are engineering tradeoffs. By soldering the RAM directly to the board the signal quality is better and therefore timing can be sped up. I went all over the net looking for specific proof that connectors, especially DIMM connectors add capacitance. The best I could find was one from Molex, one of the connector manufacturers themselves. They state in their Product Specification PDFs (hope that nasty generated link works) that the connector (part# 71736-0011) adds 1pF of load at 1MHz with a 50 Ohm impedance. Now as you increase the speed of the bus to say... 100MHz, 200MHz, etc.. it gets worse. Sorry I couldn't find a better link for ya.
Anyway... yes, engineers could design in removable RAM, but consider this. The RAM types are changing all the time! You would pay an extreme premium for the specialty RAM because it would vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, card to card, even model to model. The memory types are changing all the time and getting faster all the time and thus the connectors would have to change to keep up with the speed. For now it really is just easier to solder it on. Besides that card of yours will be worthless in two to three years anyway...;)
Slashdot Mirror
Yes, I thought it was a mistake by the posted, but I think not anymore because it happens way too much.
JOhn
I dunno... I was thinking some sort of source code virus scanner could be made one day. Something that identifies general hotspots in source code that might be dangerous, or fit a fingerprint for being dangerous. Of course, I'm sure the rogue developers would try to beat the filter, but at least it would be a start and would help deter adding virus' of any type to source.
BTW, is Chinux supposed to be a Chinese Linux or a Chinese Unix? If the former then I think thats kind of a crappy misnomer, if the latter then fine. Perhaps Red/Linux? hehe....
JOhn
Thats true... I had thought of that as well. I guess we gotta check that CVS tree and make sure stuff like trojans in the OpenSSH tree don't get us!
JOhn
I will never switch over to a government based OS. Be it China's Linux, or the US's Linux. No way.
JOhn
hehe... the good ol' days.
JOhn
You can share bookmarks amoung all your installs of Mozilla, Phoenix, and probably other Gecko browsers (untested). All you do is add the following command to your prefs.js file:
o okmarks.html");
user_pref("browser.bookmarks.file", "C:\\Documents and Settings\\userdude\\Application Data\\Mozilla\\Profiles\\default\\wx4vqyna.slt\\b
In addition, you can share plugins by adding the following line to your environment. Her is an example of what I did on my Windows box:
MOZ_PLUGIN_PATH = "C:\Program Files\mozilla.org\Share\Plugin" (in Environment Variables on Win2k)
Really helps so you don't have to redo plugins all the time and you can share one bookmark file for all!
JOhn
Well here is a benchmark of the RC5 speeds for various processors. Yes the PowerPC does kick some major arse. Why is the question, and here is the answer. Anyway, long story short I heard there is a nice barrel shifter in the PowerPC that makes them excellent candidates for the RC5 client. So as they said in the second link the RC5 contest is not a good benchmark for performance. Although, it is sweet how fast the PowerPCs cores are!
JOhn
This is from the first question of the FAQ entitled "What you can do to help"
:)
What can I do to help?
We need all the distribution we can get. Tell your family. Tell your friends. Tell your coworkers. If you're a student, get it distributed at your college. Submit a story to Slashdot and other news sites about the release. Make some noise on your blog. Spread the word!
Well David Tansey (submitter of story).. the Phoenix team must like you now!
JOhn
Yep, my Live365 station is off the air. Don't see why I should have to pay $5 a month to anyone to promote someone else's music. I did it as a hobby and as a music fan, but I'm not paying to promote someone else's music. Fucking RIAA. I already bought the damn CDs, and I bought the fucking CDs because I heard them on Live 365. Oh well, I'll just go underground with my own private shoutcast station and of course it will be invitation only... no invite.. welcome to /dev/null!!!
JOhn
At UT Austin you can only buy one copy.
JOhn
damn good idea!!!
JOhn
Did you see the part about adding the extra regsiters that would allow you to access all the other registers without jumping through hoops? How the hell is a compiler going to do that? I'll tell you. Its not, because the compiler would have to jump through the hoops. With the RegisterMapControl (RMC) you would be able to access all registers without using multiple shifts and without having to go through specific sequences of assembly code to get at the contents of certain registers. This is a *hardware* issue not a software issue. If you had read and understood the article you would know this because when this guy at ChipGeek is talking about assembler, which is what any compiler outputs. In addition, MMX is only for multimedia instructions (duh) and the article specifically talks about speeding up general purpose applications. READ, READ, READ... If you don't understand then don't post. This goes for moderators too. This should not have been modded up to +5 insightful because it isn't and its completely off base from what the article was talking about.
JOhn
RTFA or nicely put...read the article. By adding the instructions he reduced the complexity of shifts, the multiple ordered instructions it takes to do one thing, and increases the visibility of all the registers. There are added instructions, but the benefit is reduced complexity in assembly instructions due to greater direct accessibility of all the registers.
JOhn
Yes JOhn you dolt. Simply check out Bug #104184 on Bugzilla for details. It states that you can add a line similar to
user_pref("browser.bookmarks.file", "D:\\My Docs\\bookmarks.html");
Notice the double slashes... on Unix your mileage may vary...
JOhn
Desktops don't use much for power management while they are on. In addition, NT4 and up (2k, XP) all have idle message that it sent to the CPU to keep it cool. Win9x kernels do not have this function.
JOhn
Sweet... is there a similar command for bookmarks too?
JOhn
I don't mind downloading the latest builds. However, every time I do I basically delete the old mozilla directory and uncompress the new one. Of course, the plugins are deleted when using this method. Does anyone know if its ok to simply install over the previous directory? If so would my plugins and Java stay the same. Keep in mind I am not deleting my profile directory.
JOhn
Just called Representative Lofgren's office to say thanks. Even if you don't vote for her directly you can say thanks too :)
JOhn
Thats a good idea! Share them on Gnutella and OpenNap (WinMX) networks!
JOhn
Yeah, after doing a little more research on the GNU Hurd page the slash is definitely used by GNU to describe Hurd. However, that slash is contradictory to their Linux FAQ. Here is an excerpt from the FAQ:
We're talking about a version of GNU, the operating system, distinguished by having Linux as the kernel. A slash fits the situation because it means "combination." (Think of "Input/Output".) This system is the combination of GNU and Linux; hence, "GNU/Linux".
The last sentence states a combination between GNU and Linux. Well in this case Hurd is a GNU package and the combination is not necessary. In addition, if we follow the FAQ it also states:
Following the rules of English, in the construction "GNU Linux" the word "GNU" modifies "Linux". This can mean either "GNU's version of Linux" or "Linux, which is a GNU package." Neither of those meanings fits the situation at hand.
Which clearly indicates that the GNU Hurd is the only correct way to state the kernel's name.
It's not that I completely disagree with your points Michael. Common sense indicates the pattern is System/Kernel like you said. My beef is with GNU's ambiguity. I would also say there is some confusion on GNU's side because based on their actions they have not clearly articulated to us when to use the slash. Based on the evidence in the Linux FAQ the use of a slash on any GNU package is incorrect. However, the evidence on the Hurd page is contradictory... I dunno... and I don't think they do either.
JOhn
So when you are talking about GCC would you say GNU/GCC or GNU GCC? Based on the FAQ I think the latter. I'm not trying to be bullish about my stance, but it seems clear in the FAQ that I linked in the parent post. There is supposed to be a clear division between GNU and Linux. From my understanding that is why there is a slash. Since Hurd is a GNU package it should be "GNU Hurd". If you can find some refuting evidence I would like to see it. Take care.
JOhn
Since Hurd is a GNU package then it should not be GNU/Hurd. Instead we should use GNU Hurd. Since Linux is not a GNU package then it is referred to as GNU/Linux. For more details see the FAQ.
JOhn
Anyone know how to make Phoenix share bookmarks with old Mozilla?
JOhn
OK, well 2pF may not seem like alot and in most cases its not. However, what you are forgetting is the scale we are working at here. I tried to lookup the exact memory module for a GeForce card, but I couldn't so I just went to Micron's site and looked up their spec on their 256Mb DDR333 SDRAM. If you will look on page six you will see the capacitance ratings for each signal line are as low as 0.5pF for three of the signal lines and max out at 4.0pF for the I/O (data) lines on the memory module. So lets look at the 2pF number again. By adding a connector you increase your input capacitance by 400% in some cases and 50% in the best case scenario. This is very bad and will directly impact how much memory can be put on one bus and how fast the memory can be timed. The more input capacitance you have on a line the harder the output buffers of the graphics chip (or memory controller) have to work. More input capacitance directly affects how fast you can get that nice little square wave signal to look nice enough to be registered on the other side. The more input capacitance the longer it takes, and this is all very relevant at the speeds we are talking about here. Also, FYI other factors for not using a connector include trace length. By adding modules you are increasing trace length by a large amount (relatively speaking of course). This also adds input capacitance.
;)
So now you are probably asking. How much capacitance can a typical graphics chip or processor drive? Well I tried to find the datasheet on nVidia's website for their GeForce chips, but didn't turn up a thing. So I went to Intel's site and looked up the datasheet for their 845G chipset with integrated graphics. If you look on page 525 you will see that the output drive for the Intel chip is 12pF. So now you can probably see the problem. Assuming all we drove were memory modules directly from the 845G (which we wouldn't in real life) we could put just two to three 256Mb (32MB) modules on board without connectors. If we put the Molex connector you specified in between that number changes from 1 - 2 chips. In real life we would put a nice buffer in between that has a stronger output drive in between the 845G and the memory. Like TI's 24-Bit to 48-Bit Registered Buffer. That sucker has a 30pF drive and each buffer could easily drive 6 - 7 modules for a total of 256MB of RAM without the connector. Add a connector and this number deindles to 4 - 5. Anyway, I'm sure you get the point. At this scale even a 2pF connector makes a big difference.
However, after saying all that I should mention that I do not believe that these electrical considerations are the main or only reason the cards are not expandable. I think alot of it has to do with demand. Very few people are gonna upgrade their video card with more memory. I don't know any Matrox Millenium owners, including me, that upgraded their memory on their video cards. Because the economies of scale for a specialized memory make them much more expensive to produce than consumers like myself are willing to pay. In adition, by the time I am gonna upgrade a cards memory I can probably buy a brand new one with that amount of memory for the price of the piddly module
JOhn
I appreciate the healthy skepticism. I think all of us agree that modular RAM could be added to the system. However, there are engineering tradeoffs. By soldering the RAM directly to the board the signal quality is better and therefore timing can be sped up. I went all over the net looking for specific proof that connectors, especially DIMM connectors add capacitance. The best I could find was one from Molex, one of the connector manufacturers themselves. They state in their Product Specification PDFs (hope that nasty generated link works) that the connector (part# 71736-0011) adds 1pF of load at 1MHz with a 50 Ohm impedance. Now as you increase the speed of the bus to say... 100MHz, 200MHz, etc.. it gets worse. Sorry I couldn't find a better link for ya.
;)
Anyway... yes, engineers could design in removable RAM, but consider this. The RAM types are changing all the time! You would pay an extreme premium for the specialty RAM because it would vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, card to card, even model to model. The memory types are changing all the time and getting faster all the time and thus the connectors would have to change to keep up with the speed. For now it really is just easier to solder it on. Besides that card of yours will be worthless in two to three years anyway...
Hope that helps dispel some of the skepticism.
JOhn