Understanding Real-Time Computing

Before diving into real-time Linux, let’s grasp the concept of real-time computing.

1. Real-Time vs. General-Purpose Computing: Real-time computing involves processing tasks within a specified time frame, often with strict deadlines. In contrast, general-purpose computing systems prioritize throughput and can tolerate variable execution times.
2. Determinism and Predictability: Real-time systems must be deterministic and predictable, ensuring that tasks complete within predefined time limits. This is critical for safety-critical applications.
3. Hard and Soft Real-Time: Real-time systems are categorized into hard and soft real-time. Hard real-time systems have strict, immovable deadlines, while soft real-time systems have flexible deadlines, where missing a deadline is undesirable but not catastrophic.

The Role of Linux in Real-Time Computing

Linux, a popular open-source operating system, is widely used in general-purpose computing. However, it wasn’t initially designed for real-time applications. Traditional Linux kernels have scheduling mechanisms optimized for throughput rather than strict timing requirements. Real-time Linux aims to bridge this gap by providing a real-time kernel extension that enables deterministic behavior.

Key Components of Real-Time Linux Development

Real-time Linux development relies on several key components and techniques:

PRЕЕMPT-RT Patch: The PRЕЕMPT-RT рatch is a critical compоnent thаt trаnsforms thе Linuх kernel intо a reаl-time operаting system. It minimizes nоn-deterministiс latencies and imрroves thе kernel’s respоnsiveness tо high-priоrity tasks.

Priority-Вased Sсheduling: Reаl-time Linuх uses priority-based sсheduling algоrithms, such as thе Cоmpletely Fair Sсheduler (CFS) and thе Round Rоbin Sсheduler. Thеsе algоrithms prioritize tasks based оn thеir impоrtance, еnsuring thаt high-priоrity tasks are еxеcutеd without undue delay.

Intеrrupt Нandling: Effiсient intеrrupt handling is crucial in reаl-time systems. Reаl-time Linuх emplоys teсhniques like intеrrupt masking and handler prioritizatiоn tо minimize intеrrupt lаtency.

High-Resolutiоn Тimers: High-resolutiоn timers enable рrecise timing in reаl-time applicatiоns. Reаl-time Linuх prоvides thеse timers for tasks thаt rеquirе microsecоnd-level precisiоn.

Кernel Preemptiоn: Кernel preemptiоn allows thе Linuх kernel tо be intеrrupted at any pоint, prоviding bеttеr respоnsiveness tо high-priоrity tasks.

Applications of Real-Time Linux

Real-time Linux development finds applications in a wide range of critical systems and applications:

Industrial Autоmatiоn: Rеal-timе Linuх is usеd in industrial control systems, where рrecise timing is essential for tasks likе сontrolling robots, monitоring sensors, аnd managing production lines.

Aеrospacе аnd Defense: Aеrospacе аnd defense systems rely on reаl-time Linuх for avionics, radar systems, аnd unmannеd aerial vеhiclеs (UAVs) tо ensure mission-critical tasks are executed withоut delay.

Autоmotive: Аutоnomous vеhiclеs dеpеnd on reаl-time Linuх tо proсess sensor data, make sрlit-second decisions, аnd control vehicle oрerations, enhаncing safеty аnd reliability.

Medical Deviсes: Rеal-timе Linuх is employed in mediсal deviсes such as MRI machines, robotic surgеry systems, аnd pаtient monitоring equipment tо guarantee thе accuracy of mediсal prоcedures.

Telecommunications: Rеal-timе Linuх is usеd in tеlеcommunications equipment tо manage nеtwork trаffic, ensure low-latency communication, аnd suppоrt voice over IР (VoIР) aррlications.

Еnergy Sectоr: In thе energy sectоr, reаl-time Linuх is appliеd in powеr grid management, еnsuring reliable control аnd monitоring of electricity distribution.

Challenges in Real-Time Linux Development

Developing real-time Linux applications comes with unique challenges:

1. Hardware Compatibility: Ensuring real-time behavior often requires specific hardware and drivers that are compatible with real-time Linux.
2. Complexity: Real-time systems can be complex to design and debug, requiring meticulous attention to detail to meet timing constraints.
3. Resource Allocation: Effective resource allocation is crucial to prevent resource contention that can disrupt real-time tasks.
4. Testing and Verification: Rigorous testing and verification processes are essential to ensure the correctness and safety of real-time applications.

Tools and Frameworks for Real-Time Linux Development

Several tools and frameworks support real-time Linux development:

1. Xenomai: Xenomai is a popular real-time framework that provides a co-kernel alongside the standard Linux kernel, offering real-time capabilities.
2. RTAI: The Real-Time Application Interface (RTAI) is another real-time extension for Linux that provides real-time APIs and services.
3. PREEMPT-RT: As mentioned earlier, the PREEMPT-RT patch is a widely used solution for transforming Linux into a real-time operating system.
4. Real-Time Libraries: Libraries like POSIX Real-Time Extensions (POSIX-RT) provide real-time programming interfaces for application development.

Conclusion: Enabling Precision and Reliability

Rеal-timе Linuх dеvеlopmеnt hаs become indispensаble for powering critical systems and aррlications that demand prеcision, reliability, and determinism. Вy intеgrating reаl-time extensions, implеmеnting рriority-based scheduling, and leveraging high-resоlutiоn timers, Linuх hаs evolved tо meet thе stringent rеquirеmеnts of reаl-time сomputing. As technology continues tо advanсe, reаl-time Linuх will plаy an increasingly crucial role in shaрing our interсonneсted world and ensuring thе deрendable perfоrmance of mission-critical systems.

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The latest release of the Linux was on 28^th August, 2011 which led to formation of OpenMandriva the continuation of Mandriva. It was established by the French Law to represent OpenMandriva community and the first version of the OpenMandriva Linux was developed and it was characterized by the 2011 Mandriva Linux model.

Features of the Mandriva Linux

Desktop

In 2011, when the Mandriva Linux was released, Plasma Desktop came along with it. Other desktops were there but not fully supported by the Linux.

Package Manager

Urpmi it is the package manager that is used by the Mandriva Linux which has functions of wrapping to the rpm binaries.

Its ability to retrieve back packages from other sources of media, makes it media transparent

Live USB

The Live USB of the Mandriva Linux can be manually created.

Installing, control and Administration

To make configuration easier, the Mandriva Linux has a control center to manage also its settings.

Mandriva Linux Editions

The following are some of the major editions of the Mandriva Linux and each has been derived from same Linux and available in open software and free versions:

Mandriva Linux Free- This edition requires one to install the distribution to the computer before it starts running. It was designed and made available for public download with no charges applied. It aimed at users who preferred installing in the CD system and also to those whom having freedom of software was important.

Mandriva Linux One- Its download is free either in a live CD or an installer. The Mandriva Linux One editions were provided to the preceding Mandriva Linux of 2008. This edition gave the users options to choose the languages on either KDE or GNOME desktops. Each of the versions of the Mandriva Linux One included non-free software.

Mandriva Linux Power pack- DrakX it is an installer that comes with the Mandriva Linux Power Pack that it is used to install the distribution to the desktop before it starts running. This edition requires payment which has an intention of adding value for the end user.

Mandriva Linux Discovery­- It was sold through the Mandriva store and also it could be downloaded by the subscribers of the Mandriva Club. This edition was aimed and directed to users who use the novice desktop since it has a simplified menu layout which was easier to work with.

Mandriva Linux Power Pack+ – This version is the same with the Power Pack version having additional packages especially the commercial software.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Mandriva Linux.

Advantages

• It has special configuration tools for instance msec which gives permit to the user to change the settings from GUI
• The development committee responsible for the manufacturing of Mandriva Linux is open and accessible.
• If you have KDE and GNOME together installed in your system, the program menu is easier to work along with.
• All graphical configurations are centralized in their Control Centre.

Disadvantages

• Late security updates
• The configuration tools may be tampered with bugs.

Installation Process of the Mandriva Linux

Before the installation process begins, the following are the requirements:

• A processor of any Intel
• A RAM of 512MB being the minimum but 1BG it is the most recommended
• A hard disk with a recommended capacity of 6GB, minimum is 2GB
• Graphics card such as NVIDIA. This will depend on compatibility of the hardware and the database.
• Sound Cards such as HAD and AC97 which are supported by the Linux
• Controllers such as SATA, IDE and some that are supported in RAID mode.

The following are the main steps of installation:

• Insert the CD and reboot the system
• Press ENTER button when the Welcome message appears on the screen and follow the instructions carefully.
• Once the installation is complete, take out the media when ejected and automatically, the system restarts. If it does not, restart it manually.
• Mandriva Linux will start after that, and you can login using the user account that has been set up during installation.

Beside the process above, you can also install the Mandriva Linux from network media. At this point you will be required to have a bootable image on a CD to start the installation process and change to a network media.

If you have graphical installation problems, you can use Text Mode installation whereby you will be required to press F1 at the Mandriva Linux Welcome Screen.

OpenMandriva Linux

This edition was produced in 2012 when Mandriva Linux was abandoned. It was established by the French Law to represent OpenMandriva community.

The first version of the OpenMandriva Linux was developed and it was characterized by the 2011 Mandriva Linux model.

Its final release of the OpenMandriva Linux was released in 2016, and after its release most of the developers started abandoning the i586 processor design in the OpenMandriva.

OpenMandriva Linux Installation

The installation of the OpenMandriva it does not have much difference with the Mandriva Linux installation process. The following are the major steps in installing the OpenMandriva Linux:

1. Select the language to use
2. Accept the licensing agreement
3. Once you have accepted the agreement, choose your time zone and format it to either 12 hours or 24 hours.
4. Click next and select the Keyboard layout
5. Once done, double click the ‘openmandriva lx installer’ icon and choose the language you will use.
6. Go through all steps in setting up the installation and once done remove the installation medium and restart the whole system.

OpenMandriva Linux Pre-Installed Applications

OpenMandriva usually comes pre-installed with some of the applications such as:

1. Libreoffice which includes calculator, document reader among others.
2. Firefox Internet
3. Graphics supported by Glenview image viewer
4. Multimedia
5. Accessories such as HP send fax, ark.

Conclusion

In summary, the Mandriva Linux has been of great importance in the technology world. The versions of it has led to better developed systems and easy to work with. Additionally, the introduction of OpenMandriva Linux has led to better experience than the Mandriva Linux. Booting process is fast, possible and it can be easily installed in the desktop.

It gives an option of choosing a video driver during installation. All the configuration tools have been centralized in the Control Centre making it available to the Mandriva users.

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Microsoft plays into the hands of the huge Windows ecosystem, its inertia, which drags business and home users with it. But the Linux ecosystem has grown a lot compared to what it was 15 years ago, and now many organizations and home users have a reason to switch to Linux. And not even one, but seven.

Transparency

Linux and most of the software in its ecosystem have open / free licenses like the GPL and BSD. This means that the source codes of the programs are not stored somewhere in the deep programmer’s copies of corporations, but lie before the eyes of the whole world on public servers. Moreover, the development process of this software is also completely open, every change is recorded and visible to everyone. Therefore, the code is constantly checked by a decentralized network of specialists from all over the world for errors, vulnerabilities and malware. If anyone can submit changes (patches), such software is improved faster than proprietary software (adjusted for popularity and development model, of course).

Availability

You can get a legal (licensed) copy of the system completely free of charge by downloading it on the Internet. Yes, there are commercial distributions like RHEL, but they pay for updates and technical support. These distributions themselves, again, can be legally downloaded without paying a dime. An enterprise or organization can save a lot on licenses, because pirated software is extremely risky for them and therefore unacceptable. In my opinion, it is also better for an ordinary home user not to use pirated (hacked) programs, even despite the almost zero risk of falling under the article. After all, a compromised system or program may be unstable. And what prevents cracking pirates from stuffing a Trojan or an ad module into their code?

With good programming skills (and no personal life), you can control the code of the programs you use yourself. Also completely legal. This is especially convenient for organizations and companies.

Safety

Slightly less than all malicious programs inhabiting the global network are designed for Windows and its ecosystem. Linux well protects your local systems and networks from infections like Trojans, viruses, miners, lockers, ad modules.

Yes, Linux servers break and infect often, but most attacks happen through applications like web servers / engines / etc. or through obvious errors in system administration. If necessary, the level of protection can be unscrewed to an impenetrable level using hardened tools like PaX and SELinux.

I often see the careless attitude of people to the security of their home systems, they say, what should these hackers take from me. In fact, everyone in 2020 can take a lot of things from computers: work accounts, accounts from banks and wallets, etc. And personal / work files can be lost due to some kind of ransomware, too little pleasant. Hackers do not need to pant to break manually specifically you, bots and viruses do everything themselves on a massive scale.

Decentralization

Open source and free software belongs to everyone at once and to no one in particular. Thanks to this, different companies, countries, organizations, collectives, and even individuals like Patrick Volkerding make their own Linux distributions (kits). Only the most popular distributions are at least a dozen, and how many of them are in total is unknown, because a distribution kit for its internal needs can be made by any organization.

As a result, no person, company or government can dictate their terms to a Linux user, especially if they have the resources to control the source locally. Yes, there is the main kernel branch, which is commanded by the great and terrible (now not so terrible) Linus Torvalds, but there are other branches that are commanded by others. Yes, you alone most likely cannot influence the development of system components or applications, but you can block or filter changes. Everything here comes down to the amount of proprietary software – the more you have, the less control you have over what is happening (and proprietary software is also available on Linux).

Scalability

The Linux kernel runs on both embedded systems and supercomputers. In Linux, there are no artificial limits on the number of processors, cores, RAM, and so on. In fact, you can copy Linux from your laptop to an adult server and it should work without issue. Hello Microsoft, which even on Windows 10 Pro does not allow working normally with more than 64 cores

This also works in the opposite direction – any single enthusiast has access to all adult capabilities like the hardened tools mentioned above or software for industrial equipment and services.

Simplicity

Yes, desktop Linux is easier to use than Windows. All you need to do is install and uninstall programs through the package manager and update the system through it (and no one forces you to install updates). You are saved from the headache of searching and downloading programs, in which there is often advertising, then a bunch of left-handed programs in the bargain, then in general some kind of infection. Over time, the system almost does not accumulate errors and glitches, although the number of installed-removed packages can amount to thousands. For example, for the fifth year I have been dragging Linux with me from computer to computer by simply copying the root and home directory.
If you have enough Linux software, and your hardware is normally supported by Linux, then only the habits and patterns accumulated on Windows can make it difficult for you to transition.

Flexibility and variety

Different distributions often seriously differ from each other, despite a lot of Bolzhenos, which have only boring wallpapers from their unique features. Some distributions focus on the corporate ecosystem and support (RHEL, SLED, Fedora, Ubuntu, Calculate), some on versatility and power (Debian, openSUSE, Arch). There are highly specialized options (media centers, workstations, systems for equipment and robots), there are lightweight builds, there are security distributions for security guards and Kali for their nightmares. NixOS and Gentoo offer powerful frameworks for customizing systems and application software to create task-specific assemblies. There are Linuxes for Orthodox Christians and Satanists (I’m not kidding), for musicians and video editors, game and educational assemblies.

The post Seven reasons why Linux appeared first on Mandriva Linux.

I would like to do my job on my Linux system and copy files over to them. I have experience with both developments and found that I don’t want to work with MS products, but I enjoy programming and writing MS code is not that much of a pain.

Are you the same developer? Could you give me some advice about your methodology to be on Linux most of the time, code and debug everything in vim on Linux and only if necessary open Visual Studio with Windows forms and the like and test what was impossible test in Linux environment?

I would see it work creating small snippets of code on Linux, testing them, and then moving them to the MS platform and integrating them throughout the system. How do you debug and test your code? Development will probably be in C # or C ++. I can’t imagine Visual Basic.

Please write here your experience, work style, if it makes sense or there are too many problems, and I would rather give up.

So the question is this: how to develop applications that run on Windows using Linux tools, without touching Visual Studio and without going through the Windows file manager, etc.

The post Developing Windows Applications Using Linux Tools appeared first on Mandriva Linux.

So it is in the case of moving from one operating environment to another. The most important, perhaps, the question that arises during the transition – “is it necessary?

And if necessary, then why?” So what motivates people to install Linux?

The desire to try something new. This is a desire to learn and see something new inherent in the vast majority of people, but everyone implements it differently – someone travels the world, someone buys collectibles, and someone is studying new systems and programs for him.

The desire to be different from everyone else. We all remember the famous figure that Linux on workstations has a distribution of about 1%. And it is exactly getting into this 1% that gives the feeling of being separated from the general mass, since 1% is a relatively small number and gives reason to consider oneself not like other people.

Desire to feel cool. A lot of people believe that Linux is an operating system for hackers and experienced professionals, and a subconscious desire to feel like that also influences the decision to install this OS.

Getting rid of most of the problems, because almost everyone knows that Windows is an extremely unstable system.

Everyone also knows what the “blue screen of death” is. In Linux, it is also present, but only in the form of a screen saver. Unwillingness to pay for programs and at the same time a desire to live honestly. Rarely, but it also happens.

The desire is laudable, and you need to facilitate its implementation. A fairly old computer where Windows will run very slowly. In Linux, you can choose a graphical desktop environment from several options, among which there are systems that are very undemanding to resources.

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