Talks

"Talk is Cheap"

Over the years, we have lectured on Open Source at conferences and companies. See the list below for some recent talks.

Cooking up Embedded Linux in Ten Minutes
In this lecture I attempt to create an embedded Linux system in just 10 minutes (compilation time not included). The other 40 minutes of the lecture are devoted to understanding why this exercise is of interest.
PDF of Talk

Why Linux?
This talk is useful for companies who are looking into using Linux. It summaries the history of Open Source Software and explains the reasons for the growing popularity of Linux and other Open Source Software. It deals with the technical characteristics of real-time and embedded systems and how to get good support for Linux systems.
PDF of Talk

The Top 10 Mistakes Embedded Linux Users Make
Recently many companies have adopted Linux, for applications that have previously been hosted by RTOS's (Real Time Operating Systems). Linux is quite different than typical RTOS's and designs must be approached differently. This talk discusses some of the questionable design decisions taken by companies new to Linux and how to avoid these mistakes.
PDF of Talk
PDF of talk given at the August Penguin III (2004) event

A Threadbare Existence and Quantum Entanglement
Hear about an alternative to the standard threading model for sharing memory between processes. You will have to read the talk to see the relationship to Einstein's "spooky action at a distance"
tb.pdf

Linux Dirty Tricks: How to Make Friends and Influence People
This talk examines the Unix-Linux initialisation sequence. Understanding the elegant, simple principles that Unix is based on is critical for understanding current Linux systems.
  1. A historical overview of the Unix V6 initialisation sequence.
  2. A look at the current Linux initialisation sequence.
  3. An explanation of how an understanding of the initialisation sequence will allow us to build and configure embedded systems.
  4. A demonstration of how to "exploit" this knowledge for fun and profit.
    • Shows how to create an "embedded Linux system'' from a standard Linux distribution in 5 minutes
    • Demonstrates simple hacking techniques that will endear you to your local system administrator.
PDF of Abstract

The GPL Fights Back
Do non-GPL loadable kernel modules do violate the Linux kernel's GPL license? Legal experts seem to think that binary-only modules do not violate the Linux copyright. The precise status of binary-only modules remains unclear. Recent technical developments of the Linux kernel will make these legal arguments moot. Linux kernel developers have developed new techniques that will in the future exclude binary-only modules. This talk analyzes what alternatives are available to companies that would like to add non-GPL functionality to the Linux kernel.
PDF of Abstract

Open Source Software The 2nd Wave
Open Source Software (OSS) has arrived. Everyone has heard, but I believe most people still don't understand that a fundamental paradigm shift has occurred that cannot be understood by previous software experience. He who does not understand this major upheaval, will not prosper.
Discussing the social and legal basis for OSS, addressed points include:
  1. OSS is distributed under a license that does not restrict freedom, but rather guarantees it.
  2. Open Source is a Process, not a product. Software created using the Open Source model might be products.
  3. Control over the product is passed to the user of the software. Currently, many users don't want nor do they understand the power of this control. This aspect of OSS can be invaluable for users who know how to use it and can break out of the standard problematical software provider-consumer relationship.
  4. Paradigm changes create opportunities for those who can recognize them. This talk will explain why OSS will generate business opportunities that are not available in a world of proprietary software.
PDF of Abstract

Open Source Software Understanding the Legal Implications
Open Source Software (OSS) has arrived. Everyone has heard, but I believe most people still don't understand that a fundamental paradigm shift has occurred that can't be understood by our previous software experience. He who will not understand this major upheaval, will not prosper.
  1. The societal (social) aspects of OSS.
  2. OSS is distributed under a very wide spectrum of different licenses. These licenses grant varied rights and assert restrictions on how they can be used, modified or distributed. Examples of different licenses are given. OSS licenses do not restrict freedom of use, but rather try to maximize it, with varying degrees of success.
  3. Copyright law provides the legal basis of OSS licensing. A novel use of copyright law is the "GNU Public License" (GPL), sometimes called the "copyleft". The "copyleft" (GPL) license does not restrict use, as do most copyright licenses, but rather uses copyright to widen the use of the GPL'ed licensed software.
  4. Legal challenges to OSS.
  5. Paradigm changes create opportunities for those who can recognize them. We explain why OSS  generates business opportunities that are not available in the world of proprietary software.
PDF of Abstract