Now Available: April 2018 issue of Linux Journal

Carlie Fairchild — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 15:17:46 +0000

Linux Journal's April issue takes a Deep Dive Into the Cloud. Articles in this issue include:

Vendor Lock-in and the Cloud
Cloud Computing Basics
Complexities of Cloud Billing
Multiprocessing in Python
Smart-Home Hacks
A Talk with OSI President Simon Phipps
Tips for Securing Your Cloud Environment
Introducing ONNX: the Open Neural Network Exchange Format
EU's New Copyright Laws Attack Open Source
Write an Adventure Game in the Terminal with nurses
Bash Project: Create Dynamic Wallpaper
FOSS Project Spotlight: Ravada
...and more!

And yes, Linux Journal continues boasting as many pages as most technical books, this month’s issue of Linux Journal coming in at a hefty 178.

Subscribers, you can download your April issue now.

Not a subscriber? It’s not too late. Subscribe today and receive instant access to this and all back issues since 2010.

Want to buy a single issue? Buy the April magazine or other single back issues in the LJ store.

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Exploring the Samsung ARM Chromebook 3G

Bill Childers — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 18:08:55 +0000

by Bill Childers

Back in late 2010, Google announced a "Chromebook"—a low-cost, entry-level netbook that would run Google's own operating system, ChromeOS. Google's vision of ChromeOS, although based on Linux, basically would be a giant Web browser, with all the apps on the machine running in the browser. ChromeOS would be a nearly stateless computer, with all the user's apps based in Google's cloud, running the Google Apps suite.

Google's first stab at this was the CR-48: an Intel Atom-powered netbook with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of Flash. The CR-48 wasn't a powerhouse by any means, but it had a couple cool things going for it. First, it came with 100MB of free 3G service a month. Second, it had a "developer mode" that allowed users to break free of the strict Chrome-based browser jail and expose the chewy Linux center. A CR-48 in developer mode became a usable machine for a lot of people, because the machine pretty much became a small Linux laptop.

Today—the Samsung ARM Chromebook

Fast-forward a couple years, and the first real Chromebook products are hitting the market. Quite a few Chromebooks exist today, but all of them are Intel-based (either Atom or Celeron). In late 2012, however, Samsung released an ARM-based Chromebook. This little guy is different in lots of ways—primarily, it beats its bigger brothers in size and battery life, without compromising much on performance. Speaking of performance, let's go over the specifications of the XE303—the first non-Intel powered Chromebook:

Dual-Core, Samsung Exynos 5 ARM CPU (Cortex A15, 1.7GHz).
2GB of RAM (not upgradable, soldered to the mainboard).
16GB SSD/Flash-based disk (also not upgradable, soldered to the mainboard).
ARM Mali T-604 Quad-Core GPU.
Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n).
Bluetooth 3.0 (sadly, no Bluetooth 4.0 here).
11" LCD screen at 1366x768 resolution.
One USB 2.0 port, one USB 3.0 port, one HDMI-out port and one SD card slot.
Optional 3G modem (CDMA, on the Verizon network in the US, equipped on this model).
6.5 hours of (rated) battery life.
Dimensions: 2.4 lbs (1.10 kg), 11.4" x 8.2" x 0.68" (289.6 x 208.5 x 17.5mm).
Bonus: 100GB of Google Drive included for two years.
Bonus: 100MB/month of Verizon 3G service included for two years (3G model only).

Figure 1. The Samsung ARM Chromebook, atop an iPad for Scale

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hacking

Now Available: April 2018 issue of Linux Journal

Exploring the Samsung ARM Chromebook 3G