From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: "Paul Beskeen" To: , Subject: Announcing the eCos 1.3.1 net developers release Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 06:10:00 -0000 Message-id: <032b01bf97f3$98c8b240$292782c2@cygnus.co.uk> X-SW-Source: 2000/msg00000.html Announcing the eCos 1.3.1 net developers release. In this, the third major public release of eCos, we have added a wealth of new features, enhancements, and have further extended the target platform coverage. New features include support for the current net gcc toolchains, a revised configuration system, a beta of the eCos TCP/IP stack, and a PCI bus support library. Contributed features include the i386 PC platform port from Patrick O'Grady. The eCos net developers site http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ecos/ has been updated to include full details, documentation, downloads, and install & build instructions for the new 1.3.1 release. The configuration system has been completely revised and updated. Major new elements include: * Package management that supports the extension of eCos functionality via third party add-on packages * A standardized configuration save file format that is human readable and editable, and compatible between both GUI and command line configuration tools. * Enhanced web based help and component documentation system integrated into the GUI configuration tool * The Component Definition Language (CDL) has been radically revised and has now been implemented as a TCL extension for maximum flexibility. CDL is now fully documented in the Component Writers Guide. * Template support for straightforward control of multiple configuration elements, which can be used to provide easy access to standard eCos configurations such as a debug stub boot ROM. * Best of all, the source of the new configuration tools and underlying libCDL technology has been open sourced under the GNU Public License (GPL). A companion beta version of the eCos TCP/IP stack has been released in conjunction with 1.3.1. The stack is derived from the OpenBSD source base and provides UDP, TCP, ICMP and BOOTP protocol support on an IPv4 standards base. Device driver support for Cirrus Logic EP72xx evaluation boards and Motorola MBX is included. The stack, ethernet core support, and device drivers are all distributed as configurable eCos packages. See http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ecos/tcpip/ for further details. A PCI bus support library has also been added that provides generic PCI bus based device initialization, discovery, and configuration. The library has been ported to both the VR4300 DDB-VRC4373 and StrongARM EBSA285 development boards. New architectures and platforms added in this release include: * ARM Thumb * ARM9 * Cirrus Logic CL-PS7111 and EP72xx * Cogent CMA222 and CMA230 ARM boards * Hitachi SH3 * Intel StrongARM * Intel x86 PC (beta) * Matsushita AM33 * Motorola MBX evaluation board * NEC MIPS VR4300 For full details the latest set of targets support see http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ecos/hardware.html and the NEWS file in the eCos sources for other features and changes. Windows users should be aware that building the gcc toolchains will require use of the new Cygwin 1.1.0 release. This is currently undergoing final tweaking and is planned to be released later this week. Watch out for news of this release on http://sourceware.cygnus.com/cygwin/ This is the first release of eCos since the merger of Red Hat and Cygnus Solutions was completed. Red Hat is dedicated to continued enhancement and maintenance of the eCos system. Developers can look forward to upcoming releases that further expand the architectural and board coverage, extend the functionality of the TCP/IP stack, add a Linux version of the GUI configuration tool, and add major new features such as a Linux/Posix compatibility layer based on the upcoming EL/IX standard - see http://sourceware.cygnus.com/elix/ for more details. The merger has brought about some minor changes to eCos's Mozilla-derived public license, the most fundamental of which is simply the change of name from Cygnus eCos Public License (CEPL) to Red Hat eCos Public License (RHEPL). The license terms themselves have not changed in any material way other than alterations necessary to accommodate the change in company details. Comments and questions on this release should as usual be sent to the discussion list ecos-discuss@sourceware.cygnus.com and problems reported via http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ecos/problemreport.html Happy Hacking! Paul.