"Talk is Cheap"
For many years I have been lecturing on Open Source at conferences and at companies. Here is a current list of the talks I give on Open Source Software. I give these talks, gratis (for free) to companies and groups, so that they understand Open Source issues and technologies.
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 will be 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 tries to explain
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 Abstract
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 will discuss some of the questionable design
decisions taken by companies new to Linux and how to avoid these
mistakes.
PDF of Abstract
PDF of talk given at the August Penguin III (2004) event
A Threadbare Existance and Quantum Entanglement
This talk is about an interesting 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"
PDF of threadbare talk
Linux Dirty Tricks: How to Make Friends and Influence People
This talk will examine the Unix-Linux initialization sequence.
Understanding
the elegant, simple principles that Unix is based on is critical for
understanding current Linux systems. It will consist of a number of
parts:
- A historical overview of the Unix V6 initialization sequence.
- A look at the current Linux initialization sequence.
- An explanation of how an understanding of the initialization sequence will allow us to build and configure embedded systems.
- A demonstration of how to "exploit" this knowledge for fun and profit. This demonstration will:
- Show how to create an "embedded Linux system'' from a standard Linux distribution in 5 minutes
- Demonstrate simple hacking techniques that will endear you to your local system administrator.
The GPL Fights Back
This talk will question the widely held belief that non-GPL loadable kernel modules do not violate the Linux kernel's GPL license. Legal experts seem to be of the opinion 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 will analyze 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 can't be understood by our previous software experience. He who will not understand this major upheaval, will not prosper.
My talk explains the social and legal basis for OSS. Some points that will be addressed are:
- OSS is distributed under a license that does not restrict freedom, but rather guarantees it.
- Open Source is a Process, not a product. Software created using the Open Source model might be products.
- 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.
- 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.
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.Some points that this lecture will address are:
- The societal (social) aspects of OSS.
- OSS is distributed under a very wide spectrum of different licences. These licenses grant varied rights and assert restrictions on how they can be used, modified or distributed. Examples of different licenses will be given. OSS licenses do not restrict freedom of use, but rather try to maximize it, with varying degrees of success.
- 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.
- Legal challenges to OSS.
- 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 the world of proprietary software.
