Writing Your Own Distributed Compilation System

 Business, Discursive Labs, News, Programs  1 Response »
Jan 102011
 

As the title implies in our latest article over at Discursive Labs we walk you through the creation of a fully distributed compilation system (i.e. a fully federated system not based on DistCC, Sun’s DMAKE, or other existing distributed compilation tools). The scripts are available in the article and can be dropped into an existing compilation node or as a base for future development. While I have posted a few articles over at Discursive Labs since I last posted here, I thought this one in particular may be of interest to anyone wishing to make their own cluster for compilation or scientific computing. If you’re interested in cross-compiling, low power ARM clusters, virtual clusters or distributed computing and you’re not reading our continuing series then you should really catch up.

*UPDATE — These articles have been collected into the volume ‘Build Your Own Distributed Compilation Cluster’, read more at it’s information page here.

Active Compile on 6 Virtual Nodes

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A 25$ Gaming/Emulation Powerhouse – Using the Dockstar as a Gaming Console

 Hacking and Robotics, News, Programs  159 Responses »
Nov 282010
 

As most regular readers will probably know, I’ve got a thing for low powered devices. In my daily work life, I build clusters with them and write/run scientific computing and visualization software on them. At home though, I’ve got a thing for game consoles, emulation, and USB. I’ve especially got a thing for getting people playing games or running consoles on unusual systems that they would have never thought to use. I think the Zipit and IM-ME communities are fairly well aware of this already. What amazed me though, is how few people I found seriously discussing the idea of using a pogoplug device as a game or emulation console. Allow me to get the conversation started with a bang.

For those with web ADHD:
tl;dr – Using a Dockstar and a DisplayLink adapter in tandem for gaming works incredibly well not just as an emulation console, but as a general purpose desktop as well, watch the video below for a multitude of console and PC gaming goodness. I show it running

  • Scummvm (Monkey Island 3)
  • NES (Contra)
  • Doxbox (Warcraft)
  • Mednafen–
  • Lynx (Lemmings)
  • GBA (Aria of Sorrow)
  • GBC (Lufia)
  • GB (Links Awakening)
  • TurboGrafx (Bonk 3)
  • NeoGeo Pocket (Last Blade)
  • Wonderswan (Guilty Gear Petite 2)
  • stella 2600 (Adventure)
  • VisualBoyAdvance (Mario World)
  • SuperTux
  • Abuse – Actually this was cut for time in the youtube clip but it plays perfectly.
  • Wesnoth
  • yabuase Sega Saturn (Sonic Extreme)
  • Quake 3 (OpenArena)

Most with the exception of Saturn and OpenArena run at full playable speed with sound and full or near fullscreen graphics. I have no reason to believe SNES or even Mame and Playstation are out of the picture, with some cleverness. There is so much more below.

For everyone else, read on for photos, configuration files, tips, tricks, explanations, and a thorough walkthrough of the process.

Continue reading »

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Source Tree Visualizer Beta 2 Media Update with Images and Video

 Business, Discursive Labs, News, Personal  No Responses »
Nov 082010
 

For those of you who are not on beta list over at Discursive Labs, this is the sort of thing you are missing out on. If you follow our corporate blog over at www.discursivelabs.com, you know that Source Tree Visualizer is an entirely new way to interact and understand the complexities of source control in a meaningful, intuitive way. Rooted in the most current research in computer graphics and visualization, Source Tree Visualizer may literally change the way you think about your source tree forever. Head on over to the Source Tree Visualizer media page and find out how Discursive Labs is bringing you a whole new kind of source tree visualization.

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