Burning Force

 is a 1989 third-person shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco in Japan. A home conversion for the Sega Genesis was released worldwide a year later. The player assumes control of the 21-year-old space cadet Hiromi Tengenji, a pilot training to become a member of the Space Force, who must complete each level by shooting down enemies with her airbike and avoiding projectiles. Gameplay is similar to "Space Harrier", featuring a fixed camera position behind the player and having similar mechanics. It runs on the Namco System 2 arcade hardware.
Gameplay.
In "Burning Force", the player controls a 21-year-old space cadet named , who as part of her final training, must battle high-tech enemies through six worlds of four areas on a futuristic airbike named "Sign Duck". The gameplay is similar to that of Sega's "Space Harrier", but the worlds are divided into four areas and there is no vertical mobility making the game different in its own right; in the first two sections the player controls Hiromi on the airbike, which can move to the left and right, as well as braking and accelerating - and the airbike can also fire bullets and missiles at the enemies. The third area of every world is a boss area and the airbike will be transformed into a flying ship which can move in all directions; the fourth area of each world, however, is a bonus stage and the player has to collect as many spheres (which have numbers on them) as possible for bonus points.
Reception.
In Japan, "Game Machine" listed "Burning Force" on their December 1, 1989 issue as being the ninth most-popular table arcade game at the time.
The Sega Genesis / Mega Drive received mixed and mostly mediocre reviews in the West upon the release, including 4/10 from "ASM", 5/10 from "Génération 4", 71% from "Joystick", 51% from "Power Play", and 77% from "RAZE", which opined ""Space Harrier" is too old a formula to be successful nowadays." The "New Straits Times", in October 1990, dismissed the game as "yet another ... in the line of "Space Harrier" clones." It also had mediocre sales.
Retrospectively, Hardcore Gaming 101's Kurt Kalata opined it "is among the better of ["Space Harrier"] clones, partly because it's based on more powerful arcade hardware (the Namco System-II, which ran "Phelios" and "Valkyrie no Densetsu", amongst others), and partly because it puts its own unique spin on the formula." "Next Generation" listed the Genesis version at number 93 in their "Top 100 Games of All Time", explaining that "What earns "Burning Force" its place on this list is level design, the fact that no enemies are repeated from level to level, and the stunning design of the bosses."
Legacy.
Hiromi Tengenji went on to reappear in an advertisement on an airship in "Mach Breakers" (along with "Pac-Man", Prince Gil and Princess Ki from "The Tower of Druaga", "Wonder Momo", Valkyrie from "Valkyrie no Densetsu", and Pitto and Patti from "Tinkle Pit") and also appeared in the Namco System 12-era "World Stadium" games as the Nikotama Gals' defensive half. She is one of player's party characters in "Namco x Capcom", where she is partners with Toby "Kissy" Masuyo, the main character of the "Baraduke" games. In ShiftyLook's Namco dating sim "Namco High", she appears as one of 18 dateable characters. "Namco Game Sound Express Vol. 02 - Burning Force", published by Victor Entertainment in 1990, contains the original soundtrack from "Burning Force" with compositions by Yoshinori Kawamoto.


RapidCAD

RapidCAD is a specially packaged Intel 486DX and a dummy floating point unit (FPU) designed as pin-compatible replacements for an Intel 80386 processor and 80387 FPU. Because the i486DX has a working on-chip FPU, a dummy FPU package is supplied to go in the Intel 387 FPU socket. The dummy FPU is used to provide the FERR signal, necessary for compatibility purposes.
Despite being able to execute instructions in the same number of cycles as an i486DX, integer performance on RapidCAD suffers due to the absence of level 1 cache and the bottleneck of the 386 bus. RapidCAD offers minimal improvement in integer performance over a 386DX (typically 10%, at most 35%), but provides substantial improvement in floating point operations (up to 80% faster) for which it was marketed. Floating point performance is mostly improved by moving the FPU onto the CPU core.
Technical specifications.
Intel RapidCAD-1
Intel RapidCAD-2


Multi-Color Graphics Array

The Multi-Color Graphics Array or MCGA is a video subsystem built into the motherboard of the IBM PS/2 Model 30, introduced on April 2, 1987, and Model 25, introduced later on August 11; no standalone MCGA cards were ever made.
The MCGA supports all CGA display modes plus 640×480 monochrome at a refresh rate of 60 Hz, and 320×200 with 256 colors (out of a palette of 262,144) at 70 Hz. The display adapter uses a DE-15 connector. The MDA monochrome text mode is not supported.
MCGA is similar to VGA in that it had a 256-color mode (the 256-color mode in VGA was sometimes referred to as MCGA) and uses 15-pin analog connectors. The PS/2 chipset's limited abilities prevents EGA compatibility and high-resolution multi-color VGA display modes.
The tenure of MCGA was brief; the PS/2 Model 25 and Model 30 were discontinued by 1992, and no manufacturer produced a clone of this display adapter except for Epson Equity Ie, since the VGA standard introduced at the same time was considered superior.
Software support.
The 256-color mode proved most popular for gaming. 256-color VGA games ran fine on MCGA as long as they stuck to the basic 320×200 256-color mode and didn't attempt to use VGA-specific features such as multiple screen pages.
Games lacking support for 256-color graphics were forced to fall back to four-color CGA mode (or not run at all) due to the incompatibility with EGA video modes (320×200 in 16 colors, as well as sometimes 640x200 or 640x350). Some games, including point-and-click adventures from Sierra On-line and Lucasfilm Games, as well as simulation and strategy titles from Microprose solved this problem for low-resolution titles by supporting MCGA in its 320×200 256-color mode and picking the colors most resembling the EGA 16-color RGB palette, while leaving the other available colors in that mode unused. Higher resolution titles were often unsupported unless graphics could be converted into either MCGA low or high (640x480 monochrome, which would also support 640x400 and 640x350 graphics with some letterboxing) in an acceptable fashion. An alternative approach used by a small number of (generally earlier) games was to use 4-colour CGA assets but make use of the adaptor's ability to freely change each of the palette colours for a slightly enhanced appearance.
Output capabilities.
MCGA offered:
CGA compatible modes:


Home screen

A home screen, homescreen, or start screen is the main screen on a device or computer program. Home screens are not identical because users rearrange icons as they please, and home screens often differ across mobile operating systems. Almost every smartphone has some form of home screen, which typically displays links to applications, settings, and notifications.
Common features.
Home screens usually consist of a grid of application links or shortcuts that can often be arranged over multiple pages, and serve as the user's main method of accessing phone functions. Home screens also tend to include a dock along an edge of the screen, where application links can be stored and accessed from any page on the home screen. Most operating systems allow users to add folders to the home screen in order to further organize application links. Some home screens may also include a pane where push notifications are displayed or select system settings can be accessed.
In addition to applications links, many home screens are also capable of displaying ambient information, such as live tiles on Windows Phone or widgets on Android. Such tiles or widgets may link to applications, however they differ from traditional links in that they show current, dynamic information instead of a static icon. However, the increased relevance of the information can come at the cost of device battery life, bandwidth, and the ease of recognition afforded by static application icons.
Alternative home screens.
Although most home screens have a similar structure, not all are designed in common. Two notable examples of less-common home screens paradigms include Siri and WebOS. The former is Apple's natural language user interface, which performs functions similar to more traditional home screens such as opening applications, displaying relevant data, and managing phone settings. The latter is notable for its use of entirely dynamic application icons that mimic the current state of the application, similar to task managers on other mobile operating systems.
Although most mobile operating systems include a default home screen, some devices also allow the user to replace the native home screen with a different application or third-party home screen, allowing for additional home screen paradigms.
History.
One of the first examples of a home screen can be found on the PalmPilot, which debuted in 1997. Early home screens were often less customizable than current iterations. For example, early versions of iOS did not allow users to rearrange applications on the home screen or change the background image.
Because home screens often serve as the main method for interacting with mobile operating systems, they tend to change slowly, if at all, across updates to the operating system.


AMBRA Computer Corporation

AMBRA Computer Corporation is a defunct wholly owned subsidiary of IBM. It introduced a line of personal computers targeted at the home user, sold mainly through mail-order, first in Europe (1992), then in the USA (1993). AMBRA had a volume production run of just a year or so; the line was discontinued in 1994 in favor of the IBM Aptiva (except for Canada, where it was not discontinued until 1996).
Positioning.
AMBRA PCs were generally positioned at the low-end of the market, and made use of their ties with IBM in marketing materials in order to make the machines appear better quality than the host of clones, since 'real' IBM PCs were known to be expensive. In reality the machines were fairly low specification, having shadow-mask screens, minimal onboard peripherals, and using low-end processors with the minimum memory and hard disk size at each price.
Television advertising for the brand in the UK used the slogan: "Take your mind for a run."
Aesthetics.
The machines were coloured off-white, which was unusual at the time, since most machines were beige. Generally the cases were compact and offered little room for expansion.
One notable aspect was the original Ambra mouse, which differed from almost all other designs in the position of its buttons. Conventional mice have the buttons on top: the user clicks by pressing down. The Ambra mouse had the buttons on the front, either side of the cable: the user clicked by pulling their finger backward, in a manner similar to squeezing a trigger. Criticisms led to Ambra changing to a more conventional design: one UK magazine review described the mouse as "looking like a torture device."


List of Intel processors

This generational list of Intel processors attempts to present all of Intel's processors from the pioneering 4-bit 4004 (1971) to the present high-end offerings. Concise technical data is given for each product.
All processors.
All processors are listed here in chronological order.
The 4-bit processors.
Intel 4004.
First microprocessor (single-chip IC processor)
MCS-4 family:
Microcontrollers.
They are ICs with CPU, RAM, ROM (or PROM or EPROM), I/O Ports, Timers & Interrupts
Intel 8048.
MCS-48 family:
Intel 8051.
MCS-51 family:
Intel 80151.
MCS-151 family:
Intel 80251.
MCS-251 family:
The bit-slice processor.
3000 Family.
Introduced in the third quarter of 1974, these components used bipolar Schottky transistors. Each component implemented two bits of a processor function; packages could be interconnected to build a processor with any desired word length.
Members of the family:
Bus width 2* "n" bits data/address (depending on number "n" of slices used)
32-bit processors: P6/Pentium M microarchitecture.
Celeron (Pentium II-based).
Pentium II Xeon "(chronological entry)"
Celeron (Pentium III Coppermine-based).
XScale "(chronological entry – non-x86 architecture)"
Pentium 4 (not 4EE, 4E, 4F), Itanium, P4-based Xeon, Itanium 2 "(chronological entries)"
32-bit processors: NetBurst microarchitecture.
Pentium 4.
Itanium "(chronological entry – new non-x86 architecture)"
Xeon (32-bit NetBurst).
Itanium 2 "(chronological entry – new non-x86 architecture)"
64-bit processors: Intel 64 – Nehalem microarchitecture.
Core i7 (1st Generation).
TODO: Westmere
64-bit processors: Intel 64 – Broadwell microarchitecture.
Other Broadwell CPUs.
Not listed (yet) are several Broadwell-based CPU models:
Note: this list does not say that all processors that match these patterns are Broadwell-based or fit into this scheme. The model numbers may have suffixes that are not shown here.
64-bit processors: Intel 64 – Skylake microarchitecture.
Other Skylake Processors.
Many Skylake-based processors are not yet listed in this section: mobile i3/i5/i7 processors (U, H, and M suffixes), embedded i3/i5/i7 processors (E suffix), certain i7-67nn/i7-68nn/i7-69nn.
Skylake-based "Core X-series" processors (certain i7-78nn and i9-79nn models) can be found under current models.
Intel 805xx product codes.
Intel discontinued the use of part numbers such as 80486 in the marketing of mainstream x86-architecture microprocessors with the introduction of the Pentium brand in 1993. However, numerical codes, in the 805xx range, continued to be assigned to these processors for internal and part numbering uses. The following is a list of such product codes in numerical order:


CHKDSK.COM


NetWare Loadable Module

A NetWare Loadable Module (NLM) is a loadable kernel module (a binary code module) that can be loaded into Novell's NetWare operating system. NLMs can implement hardware drivers, server functions (e.g. clustering), applications (e.g. GroupWise), system libraries or utilities.
NLMs were supported beginning with the Intel 80386-based NetWare version 3.x. Prior versions of NetWare had a monolithic kernel, and significant hardware or functionality changes required re-linking the kernel from object modules.
Due to stability issues with early third-party NLMs, they never became popular for server application programming, with few exceptions like antivirus programs, backup programs and certain database products.
Functionality.
Upon loading, a NLM requests resources, such as memory and process threads, from the NetWare kernel. The NetWare kernel tracks such requests, and can identify memory and other resources assigned to a specific NLM. NLMs may auto-load other NLMs upon which they themselves depend.
NLMs may register commands with the NetWare kernel, extending the command vocabulary available at the NetWare console prompt.
When properly coded, NLMs can be re-entrant, allowing multiple instances of the same code to be loaded and run.
Programming issues.
Initially, Novell published a development toolkit for NLM programming including kernel API documentation and a C compiler (Watcom), but third-party support for the NLM executable function was very limited.
In early NetWare versions (prior to v4.x), all processes were executed in the kernel address space, without specific memory protection. It was therefore possible for bugs in NLMs to overwrite the kernel's or other NLM's address space and ultimately crash the server — in the mainframe-derived Novell terminology, this was known as an ABEND or ABnormal END.
Moreover, NetWare used a non-preemptive, or cooperative, multitasking model, meaning that an NLM was required to yield to the kernel regularly. An NLM executing an infinite loop, for example, could therefore not be stopped.
In NetWare v4.x, Novell introduced a limited form of memory protection, which was extended to "Protected Address Spaces" in NetWare v5.x. Through these mechanisms, properly-coded NLMs can be loaded into their own address space, and mis-behaving NLMs can be prevented from compromising the kernel integrity.
Compilers.
Official compilers that produce NLMs are:
NLM development is also possible with GNU cc and binutils. More details are available in NetWare Loadable Module Programming HOWTO by Martin Hinner.
Client-side NLMs with NIOS.
Announcing it in March 1995, Novell introduced a new 32-bit DOS/Windows NetWare client (Client 32 based on ODI32/NIOS) in 1996, replacing the former 16-bit client based on ODI/VLM. Its NIOS component (NetWare I/O Subsystem) used techniques similar to DPMS to relocate and run NLMs in protected mode and extended memory in order to reduce the conventional memory footprint of the client down to 2 to 5 KB.


Mac OS X Panther

Mac OS X Panther (version 10.3) is the fourth major release of macOS, Apple's desktop and server operating system. It followed Mac OS X 10.2 and preceded Mac OS X Tiger. It was released on October 24, 2003.
System requirements.
Panther's system requirements are:
Video conferencing requires:
Since a New World ROM was required for Mac OS X Panther, certain older computers (such as beige Power Mac G3s and 'Wall Street' PowerBook G3s) were unable to run Panther by default. Third-party software (such as XPostFacto) can, however, override checks made during the install process; otherwise, installation or upgrades from Jaguar fails on these older machines.
Panther still fully supported the Classic environment for running older Mac OS 9 applications, but made Classic application windows double-buffered, interfering with some applications written to draw directly to screen.
New and changed features.
End-user features.
Apple advertised that Mac OS X Panther had over 150 new features, including:
References.


Windows XP Professional x64 Edition

Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, released on April 25, 2005, is an edition of Windows XP for x86-64 personal computers. It is designed to use the expanded 64-bit memory address space provided by the x86-64 architecture.
The primary benefit of moving to 64-bit is the increase in the maximum allocatable random-access memory (RAM). 32-bit editions of Windows XP are limited to a total of 4 gigabytes. Although the theoretical memory limit of a 64-bit computer is about 16 exabytes (17.1 billion gigabytes), Windows XP x64 is limited to 128GB of physical memory and 16 terabytes of virtual memory.
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition uses the same kernel and code tree as Windows Server 2003 and is serviced by the same service packs. However, it includes client features of Windows XP such as System Restore, Windows Messenger, Fast User Switching, Welcome Screen, Security Center and games, which Windows Server 2003 does not have.
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is not to be confused with Windows XP 64-Bit Edition as the latter was designed for Itanium architecture. During the initial development phases, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition was named "Windows XP 64-Bit Edition for 64-Bit Extended Systems".
Software compatibility.
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition uses a technology named Windows-on-Windows 64-bit (WoW64), which permits the execution of 32-bit software. It was first used in Windows XP 64-bit Edition (for Itanium architecture). Later, it was adopted for x64 editions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
Since the x86-64 architecture includes hardware-level support for 32-bit instructions, WoW64 simply switches the process between 32- and 64-bit modes. As a result, x86-64 architecture microprocessors suffer no performance loss when executing 32-bit Windows applications. On the Itanium architecture, WoW64 was required to translate 32-bit x86 instructions into their 64-bit Itanium equivalents—which in some cases were implemented in quite different ways—so that the processor could execute them. All 32-bit processes are shown with *32 in the task manager, while 64-bit processes have no extra text present.
Although 32-bit applications can be run transparently, the mixing of the two types of code within the same process is not allowed. A 64-bit program cannot use a 32-bit dynamic-link library (DLL) and similarly a 32-bit program cannot use a 64-bit DLL. This may lead to the need for library developers to provide both 32-bit and 64-bit binary versions of their libraries. Specifically, 32-bit shell extensions for Windows Explorer fail to work with 64-bit Windows Explorer. Windows XP x64 Edition ships with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows Explorer. The 32-bit version can become the default Windows Shell. Windows XP x64 Edition also includes both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Internet Explorer 6, so that user can still use browser extensions or ActiveX controls that are not available in 64-bit versions.
Only 64-bit drivers are supported in Windows XP x64 Edition, but 32-bit codecs are supported as long as the media player that uses them is 32-bit.
Installation of programs.
By default, 64-bit (x86-64) Windows programs are installed onto their own folders under folder location "C:\Program Files", while 32-bit (x86-32) Windows programs are installed onto their own folders under folder location "C:\Program Files (x86)".
Known limitations.
There are some common issues that arise with Windows XP Professional x64 Edition.
Service packs.
The RTM version of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition was built from the Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 codebase. Because Windows XP Professional x64 Edition comes from a different codebase than 32-bit Windows XP, its service packs are also developed separately. For the same reason, Service Pack 2 for Windows XP x64 Edition, released on March 13, 2007, is not the same as Service Pack 2 for 32-bit versions of Windows XP. In fact, due to the earlier release date of the 32-bit version, many of the key features introduced by Service Pack 2 for 32-bit (x86) editions of Windows XP were already present in the RTM version of its x64 counterpart. Service Pack 2 is the last released service pack for Windows XP Professional x64 Edition.


Ubuntu Unity

Ubuntu Unity is a Linux distribution based on Ubuntu, using the Unity interface in place of Ubuntu's GNOME Shell. The first release was 20.04 LTS on 7 May 2020. Prior to the initial release it had the working names of Unubuntu and Ubuntu Unity Remix
History.
The Unity interface was originally developed by Canonical Limited and first included as the default interface in Ubuntu 11.04, which was released in April 2011. Unity was developed as an alternative to the GNOME Shell, which replaced the GNOME 2 interface. At that time Canonical had planned to converge the desktop, cellphone and tablet interfaces into Unity 8, a project that was abandoned in 2017 when Ubuntu moved to the GNOME 3 desktop instead, ending Unity development at version 7, version 8 being incomplete. Ubuntu 17.04 introduced the GNOME 3 desktop in April 2017, but it was not universally accepted by Ubuntu users or developers. A number of forks were proposed, with UBports taking over Unity 8 development for its value as a cellphone interface and renaming it Lomiri in February 2020. In 2019 Canonical gave its approval for the use of trademarks for a Unity 7 Ubuntu remix.
Linux Foundation Certified Developer and Ubuntu team member Rudra B. Saraswat, who is based near New Delhi, India, started Ubuntu Unity. He polled users and used a stock Unity 7 interface with the Ubuntu backend and minimal changes otherwise. He included the Nemo file manager as an alternative to GNOME Files and employed the LightDM X display manager to replace Ubuntu's GNOME Display Manager.
Saraswat had previously created several other Linux distributions, including the server-focused Krob Linux. About his motivations for starting Ubuntu Unity, Saraswat stated, "I had used Ubuntu 17.04 back when I was 8 [years old] and I really loved Unity7, so when Unity7 was discontinued by Canonical, I wasn't happy and wanted to bring it back. I created this project to give Unity7 a new life." Saraswat was ten years old in 2020 when he first released Ubuntu Unity. He has indicated that his goal is to eventually have the distribution accepted as an official Ubuntu "flavour".
Releases.
Ubuntu Unity 20.04 LTS.
This release was the first Ubuntu Unity release, as well as the first long term support release. It was released on 7 May 2020, two weeks after the release of Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. It uses a default Yaru theme with Papirus icons with Adwaita, Ambiance, Radiance and High Contrast themes available.
This initial release attracted the attention of the tech press and was widely reported.
In a review in Forbes, Jason Evangelho stated, "If you’re yearning for the good ole' Unity and Compiz days, I bring awesome tidings: someone's shining a new spotlight on them, and the stage underneath is a brand new Linux distribution called Ubuntu Unity Remix 20.04."
Jack Wallen of TechRepublic wrote, "Unity is back as is your ticket out of a world of inefficient desktop interfaces that made using a laptop a less-than-ideal proposition. For those who've lauded Ubuntu's choice to switch to GNOME, fear not--Ubuntu is sticking with GNOME. Unity, on the other hand, has made its return, thanks to the likes of the Ubuntu Unity desktop distribution. It's a fresh take on an old, once defunct favorite."
Marius Nestor reviewed the release in "9to5Linux", stating, "I took Ubuntu Unity Remix 20.04 for a spin and it brought back good old memories for me. The spin looks great and works like a charm."
Eric Londo of "Linux++" reviewed the new release, saying, "Yes, this was the old Unity I used to know and love, but somehow it felt fresher. As I worked to regain muscle memory over the key-bindings (GNOME really can take over the way you control your system XD), the experience was smooth, graceful, and fun in a way that is unique to the Unity experience. During the testing, I did not encounter a single issue that I would deem detrimental or even annoying. Everything from the Dash to the file manager and theming appeared to be just where it had left off, not skipping a beat. Congratulations to Rudra Saraswat on bringing Ubuntu Unity back to life."
Adam Hunt of Full Circle magazine, wrote, "this release can’t be termed "groundbreaking" or "a game-changer", but it does show exactly where the mainstream Ubuntu could have been today if it had not left Unity 7 behind for the Gnome Shell."
The first point release was made on 6 August 2020, on the same day as the other Ubuntu flavours and included fixes for a number of small issues.
A 19 October 2020 review by John Perkins in "Make Tech Easier" faulted the release for its high idle RAM and CPU use, and noted, "the main thing that sticks out as a con to me is the wallflower factor. Nothing about Unity really sticks out. Aside from the search function, the appearance, look and feel of Unity doesn’t have anything special enough to keep me coming back."
Ubuntu Unity 20.10.
This standard release came out on 22 October 2020.
The version incorporates Linux kernel version 5.8 and uses GNU GRUB for both BIOS and UEFI booting. It also adds fixes and updates for many user interface issue, including adding the Compiz settings manager, with many plugins and effects. It also introduces a new default theme of Arc-darker, new wallpaper and a new Yaru-Purple theme and icon theme.
In a review of the first alpha version, Marius Nestor wrote in "9to5 Linux", "I took it for a test drive, and, to my surprise, everything works a lot faster than version 20.04."
A review of the final release on "Debug Point", Arandam Giri praised Ubuntu Unity's efficiency and how it improved user productivity.
A January 2021 review in Full Circle magazine noted: "Ubuntu Unity 20.10 is a very strong release. It builds on the success and all the tech press attention that the first release garnered and shows developer commitment to taking Ubuntu Unity further, with the goal of gaining official status. Adding the CompizConfig Settings Manager, more window and icon themes, and a wide array of wallpaper choices, plus settling on Thunderbird for email and Nemo as the default file manager, shows that this development cycle is going to be focused on sharpening the user experience. This makes it worth tracking this distribution along the road to the next LTS version, 22.04 LTS, due out in April 2022. If this release is any indication, we should see good things in the future."
Ubuntu Unity 21.04.
Ubuntu Unity 21.04 is a standard release, made on 22 April 2021.
This version uses Linux kernel 5.11 and included a new Yaru-Unity7 theme, plus a new transparent launcher icon. It also included new wallpapers and a new Plymouth theme for boot-up, plus a few bug fixes.
Reviewer Marius Nestor noted in "9 to 5 Linux", "Ubuntu Unity 21.04 is here to give fans of the good old Unity 7 desktop environment a much-improved experience by shipping with a new Yaru-Unity7 dark theme that features a transparent launcher icon, a new Plymouth boot splash theme, as well as new wallpapers based on the Hirsute Hippo mascot. Various apps have been updated to their latest release, and other received bug fixes to work better, such as the GNOME System Monitor app. In addition, this release adds the missing notifications for volume and brightness changes, and improves support for Snap apps."
Ubuntu Unity 21.10.
Ubuntu Unity 21.10 will be a standard release, scheduled for 14 October 2021.
Applications.
Some of the applications included by default in Ubuntu Unity are:


Clarkdale (microprocessor)

Clarkdale is the code name for an Intel processor, initially sold as desktop Intel Core i5 and Core i3 and Pentium. It is closely related to the
mobile Arrandale processor; both use dual-core dies based on the
Westmere 32 nm die shrink of the Nehalem microarchitecture, and have integrated Graphics as well as PCI Express and DMI links.
Clarkdale is the successor of the 45 nm Core microarchitecture-based Wolfdale processor that is used in the many desktop Intel Core 2, Celeron and Pentium Dual-Core processors. While Wolfdale typically used both a north bridge and a south bridge, Clarkdale already contains the major north bridge components, which are the memory controller, PCI Express for external graphics, integrated graphics and the DMI connector, making it possible to build more compact systems without a separate northbridge or discrete graphics as Lynnfield.
The Clarkdale processor package contains two dies: the 32 nm processor die with the I/O connections, and the 45 nm graphics and integrated memory controller die. Physical separation of the processor die and memory controller die resulted in increased memory latency.
The CPUID for Clarkdale is family 6, model 37 (2065x). The mobile equivalent of Clarkdale is Arrandale.
Brand names.
Clarkdale processors are sold under the Intel Core, Pentium and Celeron brand names, with varying feature sets. The Core i5 versions generally have all features enabled, with the Core i5-661 and Core i5-655K models lacking Intel VT-d and TXT like the Core i3, which also does not support Turbo Boost and AES new instructions. In addition, the Pentium and Celeron versions do not have SMT, and they can only use a reduced amount of third-level cache.
The Xeon L340x line has a lower clock frequency and thermal design power, and supports unbuffered ECC memory in addition to the features of the Core i5-6xx, but has support for the integrated graphics disabled.
Importantly, although the memory controller in Clarkdale processors is on-package, it is on a separate die from the CPU cores, and thus has increased latency compared to processor architectures which integrate it on-die with the main CPU cores.


DPMSTEST.EXE


Sunwah Linux

RAYS Linux (previously Sun Wah Linux) was a Chinese Debian-based Linux distribution.
Development and distribution.
Sunwah Linux was a Debian-based distribution. It was the first Chinese Linux distribution to receive Linux Standard Base (LSB) certification. The system architecture was designed in Hong Kong and the programming was developed in Nanjing. The distribution was sponsored by the Sunwah Group in Hong Kong and the Jiangsu Provincial Government of China.
Sunwah - PearL Linux (abbreviated SWP), the technology training entity of the group, has been providing research assistance, testing, and training support for the distribution. SWP is a joint establishment of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Sunwah Group.
In 2005, Sunwah Linux was installed in over 140,000 PCs in primary and secondary schools in China.
Awards.
In April 2006, Sunwah Linux won the Best Linux Desktop Application Award at the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo in Boston. According to Albert Chung, who presented the distribution to the judges, "The competition was fierce. We were proud of our Chinese Linux desktop distribution being recognized by industry experts and judges."


X86 assembly language

x86 assembly language is a family of backward-compatible assembly languages, which provide some level of compatibility all the way back to the Intel 8008 introduced in April 1972. x86 assembly languages are used to produce object code for the x86 class of processors. Like all assembly languages, it uses short mnemonics to represent the fundamental instructions that the CPU in a computer can understand and follow. Compilers sometimes produce assembly code as an intermediate step when translating a high level program into machine code. Regarded as a programming language, assembly coding is "machine-specific" and "low level". Assembly languages are more typically used for detailed and time critical applications such as small real-time embedded systems or operating system kernels and device drivers.
Mnemonics and opcodes.
Each x86 assembly instruction is represented by a mnemonic which, often combined with one or more operands, translates to one or more bytes called an opcode; the NOP instruction translates to 0x90, for instance and the HLT instruction translates to 0xF4. There are potential opcodes with no documented mnemonic which different processors may interpret differently, making a program using them behave inconsistently or even generate an exception on some processors. These opcodes often turn up in code writing competitions as a way to make the code smaller, faster, more elegant or just show off the author's prowess.
Syntax.
x86 assembly language has two main syntax branches: "Intel syntax" and "AT&T syntax". "Intel syntax" is dominant in the DOS and Windows world, and AT&T syntax is dominant in the Unix world, since Unix was created at AT&T Bell Labs.
Here is a summary of the main differences between "Intel syntax" and "AT&T syntax":
Many x86 assemblers use "Intel syntax", including NASM, FASM, MASM, TASM, and YASM. GAS, which originally used "AT&T syntax", has supported both syntaxes since version 2.10 via the ".intel_syntax" directive. A quirk in the AT&T syntax for x86 is that x87 operands are reversed, an inherited bug from the original AT&T assembler.
The AT&T syntax is nearly universal to all other architectures with the same order; it was originally a syntax for PDP-11 assembly. The Intel syntax is specific to the x86 architecture, and is the one used in the x86 platform's documentation.
Registers.
x86 processors have a collection of registers available to be used as stores for binary data. Collectively the data and address registers are called the general registers. Each register has a special purpose in addition to what they can all do:
Along with the general registers there are additionally the:
The IP register points to the memory offset of the next instruction in the code segment (it points to the first byte of the instruction). The IP register cannot be accessed by the programmer directly.
The x86 registers can be used by using the MOV instructions. For example, in Intel syntax:
mov ax, 1234h ; copies the value 1234hex (4660d) into register AX
mov bx, ax ; copies the value of the AX register into the BX register
Segmented addressing.
The x86 architecture in real and virtual 8086 mode uses a process known as segmentation to address memory, not the flat memory model used in many other environments. Segmentation involves composing a memory address from two parts, a "segment" and an "offset"; the segment points to the beginning of a 64 KB (64×210) group of addresses and the offset determines how far from this beginning address the desired address is. In segmented addressing, two registers are required for a complete memory address. One to hold the segment, the other to hold the offset. In order to translate back into a flat address, the segment value is shifted four bits left (equivalent to multiplication by 24 or 16) then added to the offset to form the full address, which allows breaking the 64k barrier through clever choice of addresses, though it makes programming considerably more complex.
In real mode/protected only, for example, if DS contains the hexadecimal number 0xDEAD and DX contains the number 0xCAFE they would together point to the memory address 0xDEAD * 0x10 + 0xCAFE = 0xEB5CE. Therefore, the CPU can address up to 1,048,576 bytes (1 MB) in real mode. By combining "segment" and "offset" values we find a 20-bit address.
The original IBM PC restricted programs to 640 KB but an expanded memory specification was used to implement a bank switching scheme that fell out of use when later operating systems, such as Windows, used the larger address ranges of newer processors and implemented their own virtual memory schemes.
Protected mode, starting with the Intel 80286, was utilized by OS/2. Several shortcomings, such as the inability to access the BIOS and the inability to switch back to real mode without resetting the processor, prevented widespread usage. The 80286 was also still limited to addressing memory in 16-bit segments, meaning only 216 bytes (64 kilobytes) could be accessed at a time.
To access the extended functionality of the 80286, the operating system would set the processor into protected mode, enabling 24-bit addressing and thus 224 bytes of memory (16 megabytes).
In protected mode, the segment selector can be broken down into three parts: a 13-bit index, a "Table Indicator" bit that determines whether the entry is in the GDT or LDT and a 2-bit "Requested Privilege Level"; see x86 memory segmentation.
When referring to an address with a segment and an offset the notation of "segment":"offset" is used, so in the above example the "flat address" 0xEB5CE can be written as 0xDEAD:0xCAFE or as a segment and offset register pair; DS:DX.
There are some special combinations of segment registers and general registers that point to important addresses:
The Intel 80386 featured three operating modes: real mode, protected mode and virtual mode. The protected mode which debuted in the 80286 was extended to allow the 80386 to address up to 4 GB of memory, the all new virtual 8086 mode ("VM86") made it possible to run one or more real mode programs in a protected environment which largely emulated real mode, though some programs were not compatible (typically as a result of memory addressing tricks or using unspecified op-codes).
The 32-bit flat memory model of the 80386's extended protected mode may be the most important feature change for the x86 processor family until AMD released x86-64 in 2003, as it helped drive large scale adoption of Windows 3.1 (which relied on protected mode) since Windows could now run many applications at once, including DOS applications, by using virtual memory and simple multitasking.
Execution modes.
The x86 processors support five modes of operation for x86 code, Real Mode, Protected Mode, Long Mode, Virtual 86 Mode, and System Management Mode, in which some instructions are available and others are not. A 16-bit subset of instructions are available on the 16-bit x86 processors, which are the 8086, 8088, 80186, 80188, and 80286. These instructions are available in real mode on all x86 processors, and in 16-bit protected mode (80286 onwards), additional instructions relating to protected mode are available. On the 80386 and later, 32-bit instructions (including later extensions) are also available in all modes, including real mode; on these CPUs, V86 mode and 32-bit protected mode are added, with additional instructions provided in these modes to manage their features. SMM, with some of its own special instructions, is available on some Intel i386SL, i486 and later CPUs. Finally, in long mode (AMD Opteron onwards), 64-bit instructions, and more registers, are also available. The instruction set is similar in each mode but memory addressing and word size vary, requiring different programming strategies.
The modes in which x86 code can be executed in are:
Switching modes.
The processor runs in real mode immediately after power on, so an operating system kernel, or other program, must explicitly switch to another mode if it wishes to run in anything but real mode. Switching modes is accomplished by modifying certain bits of the processor's control registers after some preparation, and some additional setup may be required after the switch.
Examples.
With a computer running legacy BIOS, the BIOS and the boot loader is running in Real mode, then the 64-bit operating system kernel checks and switches the CPU into Long mode and then starts new kernel-mode threads running 64-bit code.
With a computer running UEFI, the UEFI firmware (except CSM and legacy Option ROM), the UEFI boot loader and the UEFI operating system kernel is all running in Long mode.
Instruction types.
In general, the features of the modern x86 instruction set are:
Stack instructions.
The x86 architecture has hardware support for an execution stack mechanism. Instructions such as codice_8, codice_9, codice_10 and codice_11 are used with the properly set up stack to pass parameters, to allocate space for local data, and to save and restore call-return points. The codice_11 "size" instruction is very useful for implementing space efficient (and fast) calling conventions where the callee is responsible for reclaiming stack space occupied by parameters.
When setting up a stack frame to hold local data of a recursive procedure there are several choices; the high level codice_13 instruction (introduced with the 80186) takes a "procedure-nesting-depth" argument as well as a "local size" argument, and "may" be faster than more explicit manipulation of the registers (such as codice_14 ; codice_15 ; codice_16). Whether it is faster or slower depends on the particular x86-processor implementation as well as the calling convention used by the compiler, programmer or particular program code; most x86 code is intended to run on x86-processors from several manufacturers and on different technological generations of processors, which implies highly varying microarchitectures and microcode solutions as well as varying gate- and transistor-level design choices.
The full range of addressing modes (including "immediate" and "base+offset") even for instructions such as codice_8 and codice_9, makes direct usage of the stack for integer, floating point and address data simple, as well as keeping the ABI specifications and mechanisms relatively simple compared to some RISC architectures (require more explicit call stack details).
Integer ALU instructions.
x86 assembly has the standard mathematical operations, codice_19, codice_20, codice_21, with codice_22; the logical operators codice_23, codice_24, codice_25, codice_26; bitshift arithmetic and logical, codice_27/codice_28, codice_29/codice_30; rotate with and without carry, codice_31/codice_32, codice_33/codice_34, a complement of BCD arithmetic instructions, codice_35, codice_36, codice_37 and others.
Floating-point instructions.
x86 assembly language includes instructions for a stack-based floating-point unit (FPU). The FPU was an optional separate coprocessor for the 8086 through the 80386, it was an on-chip option for the 80486 series, and it is a standard feature in every Intel x86 CPU since the 80486, starting with the Pentium. The FPU instructions include addition, subtraction, negation, multiplication, division, remainder, square roots, integer truncation, fraction truncation, and scale by power of two. The operations also include conversion instructions, which can load or store a value from memory in any of the following formats: binary-coded decimal, 32-bit integer, 64-bit integer, 32-bit floating-point, 64-bit floating-point or 80-bit floating-point (upon loading, the value is converted to the currently used floating-point mode). x86 also includes a number of transcendental functions, including sine, cosine, tangent, arctangent, exponentiation with the base 2 and logarithms to bases 2, 10, or "e".
The stack register to stack register format of the instructions is usually codice_38 or codice_39, where codice_40 is equivalent to codice_41, and codice_42 is one of the 8 stack registers (codice_41, codice_44, ..., codice_45). Like the integers, the first operand is both the first source operand and the destination operand. codice_46 and codice_47 should be singled out as first swapping the source operands before performing the subtraction or division. The addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, store and comparison instructions include instruction modes that pop the top of the stack after their operation is complete. So, for example, codice_48 performs the calculation codice_49, then removes codice_41 from the top of stack, thus making what was the result in codice_44 the top of the stack in codice_41.
SIMD instructions.
Modern x86 CPUs contain SIMD instructions, which largely perform the same operation in parallel on many values encoded in a wide SIMD register. Various instruction technologies support different operations on different register sets, but taken as complete whole (from MMX to SSE4.2) they include general computations on integer or floating point arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication, shift, minimization, maximization, comparison, division or square root). So for example, codice_53 performs 4 parallel 16-bit (indicated by the codice_54) integer adds (indicated by the codice_55) of codice_56 values to codice_57 and stores the result in codice_56. Streaming SIMD Extensions or SSE also includes a floating point mode in which only the very first value of the registers is actually modified (expanded in SSE2). Some other unusual instructions have been added including a sum of absolute differences (used for motion estimation in video compression, such as is done in MPEG) and a 16-bit multiply accumulation instruction (useful for software-based alpha-blending and digital filtering). SSE (since SSE3) and 3DNow! extensions include addition and subtraction instructions for treating paired floating point values like complex numbers.
These instruction sets also include numerous fixed sub-word instructions for shuffling, inserting and extracting the values around within the registers. In addition there are instructions for moving data between the integer registers and XMM (used in SSE)/FPU (used in MMX) registers.
Data manipulation instructions.
The x86 processor also includes complex addressing modes for addressing memory with an immediate offset, a register, a register with an offset, a scaled register with or without an offset, and a register with an optional offset and another scaled register. So for example, one can encode codice_59 as a single instruction which loads 32 bits of data from the address computed as codice_60 offset from the codice_61 selector, and stores it to the codice_62 register. In general x86 processors can load and use memory matched to the size of any register it is operating on. (The SIMD instructions also include half-load instructions.)
The x86 instruction set includes string load, store, move, scan and compare instructions (codice_63, codice_64, codice_65, codice_66 and codice_67) which perform each operation to a specified size (codice_68 for 8-bit byte, codice_54 for 16-bit word, codice_70 for 32-bit double word) then increments/decrements (depending on DF, direction flag) the implicit address register (codice_71 for codice_63, codice_73 for codice_64 and codice_66, and both for codice_65 and codice_67). For the load, store and scan operations, the implicit target/source/comparison register is in the codice_78, codice_79 or codice_62 register (depending on size). The implicit segment registers used are codice_61 for codice_71 and codice_83 for codice_73. The codice_85 or codice_86 register is used as a decrementing counter, and the operation stops when the counter reaches zero or (for scans and comparisons) when inequality is detected.
The stack is implemented with an implicitly decrementing (push) and incrementing (pop) stack pointer. In 16-bit mode, this implicit stack pointer is addressed as SS:[SP], in 32-bit mode it is SS:[ESP], and in 64-bit mode it is [RSP]. The stack pointer actually points to the last value that was stored, under the assumption that its size will match the operating mode of the processor (i.e., 16, 32, or 64 bits) to match the default width of the codice_8/codice_9/codice_10/codice_11 instructions. Also included are the instructions codice_13 and codice_92 which reserve and remove data from the top of the stack while setting up a stack frame pointer in codice_93/codice_1/codice_2. However, direct setting, or addition and subtraction to the codice_96/codice_97/codice_98 register is also supported, so the codice_13/codice_92 instructions are generally unnecessary.
This code in the beginning of a function:
 push ebp ; save calling function's stack frame (ebp)
 mov ebp, esp ; make a new stack frame on top of our caller's stack
 sub esp, 4 ; allocate 4 bytes of stack space for this function's local variables
...is functionally equivalent to just:
 enter 4, 0
Other instructions for manipulating the stack include codice_101/codice_102 for storing and retrieving the (E)FLAGS register. The codice_103/codice_104 instructions will store and retrieve the entire integer register state to and from the stack.
Values for a SIMD load or store are assumed to be packed in adjacent positions for the SIMD register and will align them in sequential little-endian order. Some SSE load and store instructions require 16-byte alignment to function properly. The SIMD instruction sets also include "prefetch" instructions which perform the load but do not target any register, used for cache loading. The SSE instruction sets also include non-temporal store instructions which will perform stores straight to memory without performing a cache allocate if the destination is not already cached (otherwise it will behave like a regular store.)
Most generic integer and floating point (but no SIMD) instructions can use one parameter as a complex address as the second source parameter. Integer instructions can also accept one memory parameter as a destination operand.
Program flow.
The x86 assembly has an unconditional jump operation, codice_105, which can take an immediate address, a register or an indirect address as a parameter (note that most RISC processors only support a link register or short immediate displacement for jumping).
Also supported are several conditional jumps, including codice_106 (jump on zero), codice_107 (jump on non-zero), codice_108 (jump on greater than, signed), codice_109 (jump on less than, signed), codice_110 (jump on above/greater than, unsigned), codice_111 (jump on below/less than, unsigned). These conditional operations are based on the state of specific bits in the (E)FLAGS register. Many arithmetic and logic operations set, clear or complement these flags depending on their result. The comparison codice_112 (compare) and codice_113 instructions set the flags as if they had performed a subtraction or a bitwise AND operation, respectively, without altering the values of the operands. There are also instructions such as codice_114 (clear carry flag) and codice_115 (complement carry flag) which work on the flags directly. Floating point comparisons are performed via codice_116 or codice_117 instructions which eventually have to be converted to integer flags.
Each jump operation has three different forms, depending on the size of the operand. A "short" jump uses an 8-bit signed operand, which is a relative offset from the current instruction. A "near" jump is similar to a short jump but uses a 16-bit signed operand (in real or protected mode) or a 32-bit signed operand (in 32-bit protected mode only). A "far" jump is one that uses the full segment base:offset value as an absolute address. There are also indirect and indexed forms of each of these.
In addition to the simple jump operations, there are the codice_10 (call a subroutine) and codice_11 (return from subroutine) instructions. Before transferring control to the subroutine, codice_10 pushes the segment offset address of the instruction following the codice_10 onto the stack; codice_11 pops this value off the stack, and jumps to it, effectively returning the flow of control to that part of the program. In the case of a codice_123, the segment base is pushed following the offset; codice_124 pops the offset and then the segment base to return.
There are also two similar instructions, codice_125 (interrupt), which saves the current (E)FLAGS register value on the stack, then performs a codice_123, except that instead of an address, it uses an "interrupt vector", an index into a table of interrupt handler addresses. Typically, the interrupt handler saves all other CPU registers it uses, unless they are used to return the result of an operation to the calling program (in software called interrupts). The matching return from interrupt instruction is codice_127, which restores the flags after returning. "Soft Interrupts" of the type described above are used by some operating systems for system calls, and can also be used in debugging hard interrupt handlers. "Hard interrupts" are triggered by external hardware events, and must preserve all register values as the state of the currently executing program is unknown. In Protected Mode, interrupts may be set up by the OS to trigger a task switch, which will automatically save all registers of the active task.
Examples.
"Hello world!" program for DOS in MASM style assembly.
Using interrupt 21h for output – other samples use libc's printf to print to stdout.
.model small
.stack 100h
.data
msg db 'Hello world!$'
.code
start:
 mov ah, 09h ; Display the message
 lea dx, msg
 int 21h
 mov ax, 4C00h ; Terminate the executable
 int 21h
end start
"Hello world!" program for Windows in MASM style assembly.
.386
.model small,c
.stack 1000h
.data
msg db "Hello world!",0
.code
includelib libcmt.lib
includelib libvcruntime.lib
includelib libucrt.lib
includelib legacy_stdio_definitions.lib
extrn printf:near
extrn exit:near
public main
main proc
 push offset msg
 call printf
 push 0
 call exit
main endp
end
"Hello world!" program for Windows in NASM style assembly.
%define RVA(x) (x-0x00400000)
section .text
push dword hello
call dword [printf]
push byte +0
call dword [exit]
ret
section .data
hello db "Hello world!"
section .idata
dd RVA(msvcrt_LookupTable)
dd -1
dd 0
dd RVA(msvcrt_string)
dd RVA(msvcrt_imports)
times 5 dd 0 ; ends the descriptor table
msvcrt_string dd "msvcrt.dll", 0
msvcrt_LookupTable:
dd RVA(msvcrt_printf)
dd RVA(msvcrt_exit)
dd 0
msvcrt_imports:
printf dd RVA(msvcrt_printf)
exit dd RVA(msvcrt_exit)
dd 0
msvcrt_printf:
dw 1
dw "printf", 0
msvcrt_exit:
dw 2
dw "exit", 0
dd 0
"Hello world!" program for Linux in NASM style assembly.
section .data ; section for initialized data
str: db 'Hello world!', 0Ah ; message string with new-line char at the end (10 decimal)
str_len: equ $ - str ; calcs length of string (bytes) by subtracting the str's start address
 ; from this address ($ symbol)
section .text ; this is the code section
global _start ; _start is the entry point and needs global scope to be 'seen' by the
 ; linker --equivalent to main() in C/C++
_start: ; definition of _start procedure begins here
 mov eax, 4 ; specify the sys_write function code (from OS vector table)
 mov ebx, 1 ; specify file descriptor stdout --in gnu/linux, everything's treated as a file,
 ; even hardware devices
 mov ecx, str ; move start _address_ of string message to ecx register
 mov edx, str_len ; move length of message (in bytes)
 int 80h ; interrupt kernel to perform the system call we just set up -
 ; in gnu/linux services are requested through the kernel
 mov eax, 1 ; specify sys_exit function code (from OS vector table)
 mov ebx, 0 ; specify return code for OS (zero tells OS everything went fine)
 int 80h ; interrupt kernel to perform system call (to exit)
"Hello world!" program for Linux in NASM style assembly using the C standard library.
 global main ;main must be defined as it being compiled against the C-Standard Library
 extern printf ;declares use of external symbol as printf is declared in a different object-module.
 ;Linker resolves this symbol later.
segment .data ;section for initialized data
 string db 'Hello world!', 0Ah, 0h ;message string with new-line char (10 decimal) and the NULL terminator
 ;string now refers to the starting address at which 'Hello, World' is stored.
segment .text
main:
 push string ;push the address of first character of string onto stack. This will be argument to printf
 call printf ;calls printf
 add esp, 4 ;advances stack-pointer by 4 flushing out the pushed string argument
 ret ;return
"Hello world!" program for 64-bit mode Linux in NASM style assembly.
DEFAULT REL ; use RIP-relative addressing modes by default, so [foo] = [rel foo]
SECTION .rodata ; read-only data can go in the .rodata section on GNU/Linux, like .rdata on Windows
Hello: db "Hello world!",10 ; 10 = `\n`.
len_Hello: equ $-Hello ; get NASM to calculate the length as an assemble-time constant
SECTION .text
global _start
_start:
 mov eax, 1 ; __NR_write syscall number from Linux asm/unistd_64.h (x86_64)
 mov edi, 1 ; int fd = STDOUT_FILENO
 lea rsi, [rel Hello] ; x86-64 uses RIP-relative LEA to put static addresses into regs
 mov rdx, len_Hello ; size_t count = len_Hello
 syscall ; write(1, Hello, len_Hello); call into the kernel to actually do the system call
 ;; return value in RAX. RCX and R11 are also overwritten by syscall
 mov eax, 60 ; __NR_exit call number (x86_64)
 xor edi, edi ; status = 0 (exit normally)
 syscall ; _exit(0)
Running it under strace verifies that no extra system calls are made in the process. The printf version would make many more system calls to initialize libc and do dynamic linking. But this is a static executable because we linked using ld without -pie or any shared libraries; the only instructions that run in user-space are the ones you provide.
$ strace ./hello > /dev/null # without a redirect, your program's stdout is mixed strace's logging on stderr. Which is normally fine
execve("./hello", ["./hello"], 0x7ffc8b0b3570 /* 51 vars */) = 0
write(1, "Hello world!\n", 13) = 13
exit(0) = ?
+ exited with 0 +.
Using the flags register.
Flags are heavily used for comparisons in the x86 architecture. When a comparison is made between two data, the CPU sets the relevant flag or flags. Following this, conditional jump instructions can be used to check the flags and branch to code that should run, e.g.:
 cmp eax, ebx
 jne do_something
do_something:
 ; do something here
Flags are also used in the x86 architecture to turn on and off certain features or execution modes. For example, to disable all maskable interrupts, you can use the instruction:
 cli
The flags register can also be directly accessed. The low 8 bits of the flag register can be loaded into codice_128 using the codice_129 instruction. The entire flags register can also be moved on and off the stack using the instructions codice_101, codice_102, codice_125 (including codice_133) and codice_127.
Using the instruction pointer register.
The instruction pointer is called codice_135 in 16-bit mode, codice_136 in 32-bit mode, and codice_137 in 64-bit mode. The instruction pointer register points to the memory address which the processor will next attempt to execute; it cannot be directly accessed in 16-bit or 32-bit mode, but a sequence like the following can be written to put the address of codice_138 into codice_62:
 call next_line
next_line:
 pop eax
This sequence of instructions generates position-independent code because codice_10 takes an instruction-pointer-relative immediate operand describing the offset in bytes of the target instruction from the next instruction (in this case 0).
Writing to the instruction pointer is simple — a codice_105 instruction sets the instruction pointer to the target address, so, for example, a sequence like the following will put the contents of codice_62 into codice_136:
 jmp eax
In 64-bit mode, instructions can reference data relative to the instruction pointer, so there is less need to copy the value of the instruction pointer to another register.


DELWATCH file deletion time


Nokia E60

The Nokia E60 is a traditional candybar style smartphone from the Eseries business phone range, an S60 3rd Edition Symbian device. It was introduced on 12 October 2005 along with Nokia E61 and Nokia E70.


Neo Geo X

The Neo Geo X (NGX) is a handheld video game console manufactured by Tommo, licensed by SNK Playmore. Information about the Neo Geo X was first reported in January 2012 and later confirmed in March. It is the first Neo Geo system to be released since the discontinuation of the brand in 2004 and the third Neo Geo handheld device, following the 1999 release of the Neo Geo Pocket Color, which was supported until 2001.
The Neo Geo X features games that were on the popular original Neo Geo (the MVS/AES) hardware, and comes built-in with 20 original Neo Geo games. Additional titles were available on game cards.
The system was released on December 18, 2012 as part of a bundle called the "Neo Geo X Gold Limited Edition", which includes a docking station, an arcade stick, and a bonus game card. The docking station is modeled after the original Neo Geo AES console and is used for charging the handheld as well as connecting it to a television. The arcade stick is a replica of the original Neo Geo AES arcade stick that can be used as a controller when the handheld is connected to a TV through the docking station.
Release.
Initially, the device was rumored to retail for about $700+, but the price of the Neo Geo X Gold package was revealed to be $199, far less than the original Neo Geo AES console. The package was released in December 2012. A "" game card was offered as a bonus with the package.
The handheld by itself, without the docking station and arcade stick, was later priced at $129.99 to come out in February 2013. However, links on the official website to the stand-alone handheld were subsequently removed and the FAQ stated that the docking station is required in order to charge the device.
In January 2013, SNK Playmore announced that manufacturing of the Gold Limited Edition package was ending with the last units arriving to retailers in April. However, they stated that the handheld would continue to be manufactured and that additional games and accessories would continue to be released.
The system was distributed by Tommo in North America and Blaze in Europe.
Games.
There were a total of 36 games for the Neo Geo X.
Twenty games came pre-loaded on the system including titles from signature SNK series such as "Metal Slug", "Fatal Fury" and "The King of Fighters":
"Ninja Master's" is included as a bonus game card in the Gold Limited Edition package.
Additional game cards were announced in February 2013. A five-volume set called "Neo Geo X Classics" features five game cards with three games on each making a total of 15 games. The volumes were released in June 2013 and feature the following games:
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
Volume 5
Each volume came bundled with a charging/data transfer cable for the handheld. The game cards include a firmware update for the Neo Geo X that updates the handheld to firmware v500. See the "Firmware Update" section of this article for update details.
The Neo Geo X Mega Pack Volume 1 was also released in June 2013. It came with one game card that contains all 15 games featured in Neo Geo X Classics Volumes 1-5. The Mega Pack was packaged in a similar case used for the original Neo Geo AES game cartridges, which can also be used as a carrying case for the Neo Geo X handheld. The charging/data transfer cable was included as well.
Hardware.
 The device included a 4.3-inch LCD screen, SD card slot, A/V output, internal stereo speakers with a 3.5mm headphone jack. A micro USB port on the system is used for charging the battery. The screen's 480×272 pixels resolution is the same as the original PlayStation Portable and is close to the aspect ratio.
The system was released as part of the Gold package, which includes the "Neo Geo X Station", a replica of the original Neo Geo AES console that functions as a charging/docking station with its own composite video out and HDMI output along with a functioning replica of the original Neo Geo AES arcade stick controller.
The Neo Geo X arcade stick controllers connect to the docking station via two USB ports. Original Neo Geo AES controllers, game cartridges and memory cards are not compatible with the Neo Geo X.
The handheld has an 8-way thumbstick for directional control, menu and start buttons, four face buttons and four shoulder buttons: L1, L2, R1, R2. The shoulder buttons are used for changing screen aspect ratio and pausing games. Buttons to adjust volume and brightness are located under the handheld.
The unit's BIOS and pre-installed games were initially stored on an internal SanDisk 2GB micro SD card; later hardware revisions use a chip installed directly on the motherboard. This chip has yet to be documented.
Software.
The console used the FB Alpha emulator running on a Linux-based operating system to play ROM images of Neo Geo games. The internal memory has no copy protection, allowing third party BIOS and additional games to be directly installed on the unit. The operating system OpenDingux is used to load Final Burn Alpha, then runs .fba files when a game is selected. The system can be modified to run most emulators that will run on OpenDingux. The BIOS can also be modified to get a region-free BIOS (called Unibios), and the BIOS has many features which can be found on the website (http://unibios.free.fr/).
The SD card slot could also be used to load other ROMs, but this requires modifying the SD card contact points.
Reception.
Consumer Reports recommended the system for enthusiasts of older games, but criticized the device's video quality on modern televisions. T3 commented that the replica AES docking station and included joystick added to the "overall retro charm" of the Gold package, but the handheld by itself might not be worth the money as Neo Geo games are now easily playable through other means.
Damien McFerran, writing for Eurogamer reacted positively to the quality of the handheld's gamepad and face buttons. He also complimented details such as the unit's packaging, which remained faithful to the original AES. However, he criticized the quality of the display, calling it "washed out" and writing that the scaling made games look "fuzzy and ill-defined." He also criticized the image quality of the outputs on the docking station, calling the HDMI output "muddy" and commenting that the composite output suffered from color bleeding and a hazing effect. McFerran also lamented that games were being distributed exclusively on physical media instead of being downloadable via Wi-Fi or through a connection to a PC. In addition, he mentioned that the emulated games were prone to screen tearing and audio issues. Concluding that it was not worth the premium price, he wrote "This is a console which has been created with the right intentions but the execution is sadly lacking."
Controversy.
Reportedly due to the low manufacturing standards employed by Tommo, in October 2013, SNK Playmore has publicly ordered Tommo to cease not only manufacture of the Neo Geo X, but to pull all existing stock from store shelves. Tommo in response claimed to be in compliance with the contract between the companies, which had recently been extended until 2016, and demanding that SNK retract the cease and desist claim.
In early 2014, in a press statement sent to gaming website "Polygon", Tommo once again claimed full contractual compliance, and accused SNK Playmore of using underhanded tactics to undermine sales of their product, while failing to follow the routes of resolution put forward in the contract in the first place, and declining Tommo's offers of peaceful resolution. The CEO of the manufacturer said they were planning on "taking action" against SNK to protect their contractual rights.


ICL DME


Interactive Unix


SM.EXE


DRBIOS.SYS


System Service Descriptor Table

The System Service Descriptor Table (SSDT) is an internal dispatch table within Microsoft Windows.
Function.
The SSDT maps syscalls to kernel function addresses.
When a syscall is issued by a user space application, it contains the service index as parameter to indicate which syscall is called. The SSDT is then used to resolve the address of the corresponding function within ntoskrnl.exe.
In modern Windows kernels, two SSDTs are used: One for generic routines ("KeServiceDescriptorTable") and a second ("KeServiceDescriptorTableShadow") for graphical routines. A parameter passed by the calling userspace application determines which SSDT shall be used.
Hooking.
Modification of the SSDT allows to redirect syscalls to routines outside the kernel. These routines can be either used to hide the presence of software or to act as a backdoor to allow attackers permantent code execution with kernel privileges.
For both reasons, hooking SSDT calls is often used as a technique in both Windows kernel mode rootkits and antivirus software.
In 2010, many computer security products which relied on hooking SSDT calls were shown to be vulnerable to exploits using race conditions to attack the products' security checks.


Go!Messenger

Go!Messenger was a free Instant Messenger program for the PlayStation Portable. It was jointly developed by SCEE and BT. It was introduced to the system with the 3.90 firmware update and the Go!Messenger icon was added under Network. PSP users could communicate with PC users through Go!Messenger if the PC was running BT Softphone 2.
The software was announced on August 22, 2007 by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe at the 2007 Leipzig Games Convention, and was released on February 29, 2008. It allowed the Go!Cam to be used for video conferencing and voice chat.
When the service was functional, Go!Messenger allowed users to:
Discontinuation and removal.
Because use of the service did not meet Sony and BT's expectations, the service was discontinued on 31 March 2009. Subsequently, the 5.50 firmware update removes the Go!Messenger icon from the Network group.


INITLARG.COM


Check Point IPSO

Check Point IPSO is the operating system for the 'Check Point firewall' appliance and other security devices, based on FreeBSD, with numerous hardening features applied.
The IP in IPSO refers to Ipsilon Networks, a company specialising in IP switching acquired by Nokia in 1997.
In 2009, Check Point acquired the Nokia security appliance business, including IPSO, from Nokia.
Variations.
IPSO, now at version 6.2, is a fork of FreeBSD 6. There were two other systems, called IPSO-SX and IPSO-LX, that were Linux-based:
Check Point offers three lines of security appliances - one based on IPSO 6.x, one based on an operating system called SecurePlatform and the latest based on Gaia platform (RHEL4 based).
Features.
IPSO notable features or firsts include:
Versions.
IPSO SB was originally derived by Ipsilon Networks from FreeBSD 2.1-STABLE and cross-compiled on FreeBSD 2.2.6-RELEASE and 3.5-RELEASE platforms. Its major components are:
IPSO versions up to 2.x were sold by Ipsilon Networks as part of the ATM tag-switching solutions that they originally pioneered. IPSO 3.0 onwards were designed to host Check Point FireWall-1 and other third party packages.
IPSO 3.0 to 3.9 spanned from 1999 to 2005 and, while adding many features and significant performance and hardware refinements, were recognizably the same to the administrator.
IPSO 4.0 was not designed as a major update and was internally numbered as IPSO 3.10. However, Check Point software was unable to process a two-digit dot version, and it also included a refresh of the Voyager HTML interface. Up to that point, JavaScript and frames had been avoided in order to facilitate the use of Lynx as a command line interface. These together resulted in it being renumbered as 4.0.
IPSO 4.1 and IPSO 4.2 are incremental releases. IPSO 4.2 will gain source-based routing as its last scheduled new feature. All new development will continue on IPSO 6.x.
IPSO 5.0 build 056 was released in 2009 for VSX R65 support on IP Appliance.
IPSO 6.0 was announced by Nokia in relation to the IP2450 and IP690 hardware. It is based on FreeBSD 6.x. Its primary advantage over IPSO 4.x are improved memory management, performance, scheduling, threading, POSIX-compliance, and other operating system features. IPSO 6.0.7 was released in 2009 for IP690 and IP2450 with CoreXL (multi-core) support. IPSO 6.1 contains other enhancements from FreeBSD 6.x but without CoreXL support. Because of the step change, Nokia advertised that IPSO 4.2, 6.07 and 6.1 will run alongside each other for a period of time. When Check Point acquired Nokia IP appliance business, 6.07 and 6.1 development branches were merged and combined to 6.2.
Most recent version is IPSO 6.2MR6, released in February 2017.
For a while, Nokia offered IPSO 7, which was actually IPSO LX. It was discontinued after 7.2, in 2008.
After acquiring the Nokia IP appliance business, Check Point announced project Gaia to combine both IPSO and Secure Platform. The first release is expected in 2011.


Zen Bound

Zen Bound is a puzzle game for the iOS, Android, and Maemo platforms (Nokia N900), developed by Secret Exit. It was announced on September 5, 2008 via the company's discussion board, and officially released via the App Store on February 24, 2009, and via Ovi Store on June 16, 2010. A port to Android was announced as part of the Humble Bundle for Android 2 on March 19, 2012. The game has received press attention for its unique gameplay. A lite version of the game was also released for free which featured 2 levels of the game. A sequel, Zen Bound 2, released on the Nintendo Switch in Europe and North America on May 24, 2018.
Gameplay.
The goal of the game is to paint various objects. In each level the player is given an object with an attached rope which varies in length depending on the level. Using a mouse or touch screen and tilt controls, the player attempts to wrap the object with the rope. Each time the rope is laid down on the object, the area near the rope gets covered by paint. The challenge is getting the required percentage of an object painted with only a finite length of rope. There are three targets in each level - minimum, medium and maximum coverage.
Some levels require nails protruding from the objects to be entwined in rope rather than having to cover the object's surface.
Awards.
5th IMGAwards (International Mobile Gaming Awards) (2008): Excellence in 3D
Reception.
The game was extremely well received in the reviews upon its release. Following are the review scores by some of the websites:
PocketGamer: 10/10 (Platinum Award)
IGN: 9.5/10
SlideToPlay: 4/4
For a time the game was the highest rated on Gamerankings.com (with a score of 97.86%), before being overtaken by "Grand Theft Auto V" in 2014.


Multi-user software

Multi-user software is computer software that allows access by multiple users of a computer. Time-sharing systems are multi-user systems. Most batch processing systems for mainframe computers may also be considered "multi-user", to avoid leaving the CPU idle while it waits for I/O operations to complete. However, the term "multitasking" is more common in this context.
An example is a Unix or Unix-like system where multiple remote users have access (such as via a serial port or Secure Shell) to the Unix shell prompt at the same time. Another example uses multiple X Window sessions spread across multiple terminals powered by a single machine - this is an example of the use of thin client. Similar functions were also available a variety of non-Unix-like operating systems, such as Multics, VM/CMS, OpenVMS and Multiuser DOS.
Some multi-user operating systems such as Windows versions from the Windows NT family support simultaneous access by multiple users (for example, via Remote Desktop Connection) as well as the ability for a user to disconnect from a local session while leaving processes running (doing work on their behalf) while another user logs into and uses the system. The operating system provides isolation of each user's processes from other users, while enabling them to execute concurrently.
Management systems are implicitly designed to be used by multiple users, typically one system administrator or more and an end-user community.
The complementary term, single-user, is most commonly used when talking about an operating system being usable only by one person at a time, or in reference to a single-user software license agreement. Multi-user operating systems such as Unix sometimes have a single user mode or runlevel available for emergency maintenance. Examples of single-user operating systems include MS-DOS, OS/2 and Classic Mac OS.


OS X Lion


ERA (command)


List of VIA Eden microprocessors

The Eden microprocessors from VIA Technologies are fifth- and sixth-generation CPUs targeted at the embedded market.
Embedded processors.
Eden C.
"Eden C" (28 nm).
Announced on 13 August 2015 was a VIA embedded PC using a 1.2 GHz VIA Eden X4 5000-series CPU.


MULTIMAX.EXE


--LINUX-.---


Tremont (microarchitecture)

Tremont is a microarchitecture for low-power Atom, Celeron and Pentium Silver branded processors used in systems on a chip (SoCs) made by Intel, it is the successor to Goldmont Plus. Intel officially launched Elkhart Lake platform with 10nm Tremont core on September 23, 2020. Intel officially launched Jasper Lake platform with 10nm Tremont core on January 11, 2021.
Design.
Tremont is 3rd generation out-of-order low-power Atom microarchitecture designed for the entry level desktop and notebook computers. Tremont is built on the 10 nm manufacturing process and supports up to 24 cores. It includes the Intel Gen11 graphics architecture from Ice Lake.
Tremont microarchitecture provides the following enhancements over Goldmont Plus:
List of Tremont processors.
Desktop processors (Jasper Lake).
List of desktop processors as follows:
Mobile processors (Jasper Lake).
List of mobile processors as follows:
Mobile processors (Lakefield).
Pentacore Lakefield CPU consists of 1 "big" Sunny Cove core and 4 "little" Tremont cores.
Processors for base transceiver stations (Snow Ridge).
Source: Intel Atom® Processor P Series Product Specifications
Embedded processors (Elkhart Lake).
List of embedded processors as follows:


Nokia E5-00

The Nokia E5-00 also called Nokia E5 is a qwerty smartphone that runs on the Symbian OS v9.3 operating system. Like all phones in the Nokia Eseries it is targeted at b2b and comes with business software applications, including QuickOffice (Office document editor). It was released in the third quarter of 2010. It comes in a candybar form factor. Its casing has five color options.
Features.
The E5-00 is very similar to the E72. It has more DRAM memory than the E72 but also has some important cost reductions. One cost reduction is the technology of the LCDs screen. The E5-00 has a transmissive LCD display while the E-72 has a transflective LCD. E5 supports only 256k display colors. Other important cost reductions are the removal of the secondary camera, the accelerometer and the digital compass. The third is the "full focus" for the camera that extends the depth of field without narrowing the aperture, instead of autofocus.
The E5-00 has a smaller battery (1200 mAh) than the E-72 (1500) but has the talk-time of 8 hours and stand by time over 10 days.
It also features a GPS, both integrated and assisted, and runs Nokia Maps 3.0 and Ovi maps. Nokia E5 supports Mail for Exchange and IBM Lotus Notes Traveler for corporate emails. E5 supports HD Voice.
Messaging.
The Nokia E5-00 features IM (instant messenger), allowing access to several chat services or communities simultaneously. These include Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, Skype, WeChat, WhatsApp and Windows Live Messenger.
Reception.
Reception of the E5 has generally been positive, CNET UK praised the quality of the full qwerty keyboard, but criticized the performance of the 320 × 240 pixel LCD, quoting it as "virtually impossible to see in direct sunlight". Softpedia in contrast stated that the LCD worked perfectly in sunlight.
Softpedia wrote that the E5-00 is "an all-rounder as it performs decent in all areas", though they also stated that the camera is not a very strong point.


Nvidia G-Sync

G-Sync is a proprietary adaptive sync technology developed by Nvidia aimed primarily at eliminating screen tearing and the need for software alternatives such as Vsync. G-Sync eliminates screen tearing by allowing a video display's refresh rate to adapt to the frame rate of the outputting device (graphics card/integrated graphics) rather than the outputting device adapting to the display, which could traditionally be refreshed halfway through the process of a frame being output by the device, resulting in screen tearing, or two or more frames being shown at once. In order for a device to use G-Sync, it must contain a proprietary G-Sync module sold by Nvidia. AMD has released a similar technology for displays, called FreeSync, which has the same function as G-Sync yet is royalty-free.
Nvidia built a special collision avoidance feature to avoid the eventuality of a new frame being ready while a duplicate is being drawn on screen (something that could generate lag and/or stutter) in which case the module anticipates the refresh and waits for the next frame to be completed. Overdriving pixels also becomes tricky in a non-fixed refresh scenario, and solutions predicting when the next refresh is going to happen and accordingly adjusting the overdrive value must be implemented and tuned for each panel in order to avoid ghosting.
Hardware.
The module carries all the functional parts. It is based around an Altera Arria V GX family FPGA featuring 156K logic elements, 396 DSP blocks and 67 LVDS channels. It's produced on the TSMC 28LP process and paired with three DDR3L DRAM chips to attain a certain bandwidth, for an aggregate 768MB capacity. The employed FPGA also features a LVDS interface to drive the monitor panel. It's meant to replace common scalers and be easily integrated by monitor manufacturers, who only have to take care of the power delivery circuit board and input connections.
GPU:
Nvidia GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost GPU or higher. (G-Sync, G-Sync Ultimate)
Geforce 10 series (Pascal) and above. (G-Sync Compatible)
Driver:
R340.52 or higher.
R417.71 or higher (G-Sync Compatible)
Operating System:
Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10. Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris.
Windows 10 x64 (G-Sync Compatible)
System Requirement:
Must support DisplayPort 1.2 directly from the GPU. (Displayport 1.2a for G-Sync Compatible)
Monitor:
G-Sync monitor connected natively via DisplayPort v1.2 or higher: (1.2a for G-Sync Compatible)
Please note: Some Adaptive-Sync (G-Sync Compatible) monitors will ship with the variable refresh rate setting set to disabled. Consult with the user manual for your monitor to confirm the Adaptive-Sync setting is enabled. Also, some monitors may have the DisplayPort mode set to DisplayPort 1.1 for backwards compatibility. The monitor must be configured as a DisplayPort 1.2a or higher to support Adaptive Sync.
Criticism.
G-Sync faces some criticism due to its proprietary nature, and the fact that it's still being promoted when free alternatives exist, such as the VESA standard Adaptive-Sync which is an optional feature of DisplayPort version 1.2a. While AMD's FreeSync relies on the above-mentioned optional component of DisplayPort 1.2a, G-Sync requires an Nvidia-made module in place of the usual scaler in the display in order for it to function properly with select Nvidia GeForce graphics cards, such as the ones from the GeForce 10 series (Pascal). However, G-Sync compatible monitors that can utilize AMD's FreeSync can also be found.
G-Sync notebook.
Nvidia announced that G-Sync will be available to notebook manufacturers and that in this case, it would not require a special module since the GPU is directly connected to the display without a scaler in between.
According to Nvidia, fine tuning is still possible given the fact that all notebooks of the same model will have the same LCD panel, variable overdrive will be calculated by a shader running on the GPU, and a form of frame collision avoidance will also be implemented.
"Big Format" gaming displays.
At CES 2018 Nvidia announced a line of large gaming monitors built by HP, Asus and Acer with 65-inch panels, 4K, HDR, as well as G-Sync support. The inclusion of G-Sync modules make the monitors among the first TV-sized displays to feature variable refresh-rates.
G-Sync Compatible displays.
At CES 2019 Nvidia announced that they will support variable refresh rate monitors with FreeSync technology under a new standard named G-Sync Compatible. All monitors under this new standard have been tested by Nvidia to meet their baseline requirements for variable refresh rate and will enable G-Sync automatically when used with an Nvidia GPU. However, users with any Freesync monitor, including those that are not officially certified may choose to enable the G-Sync option in the Nvidia Control Panel.
Unlike G-Sync, G-Sync Compatible displays are only compatible with the GTX 10-series and onwards.


MOVE.EXE


USB adapter

A USB adapter is a type of protocol converter that is used for converting USB data signals to and from other communications standards. Commonly, USB adapters are used to convert USB data to standard serial port data and vice versa. Most commonly the USB data signals are converted to either RS232, RS485, RS422, or TTL-level UART serial data. The older serial RS423 protocol is rarely used any more, so USB to RS423 adapters are less common.
Uses.
USB to serial RS232 adapters are often used with consumer, commercial and industrial applications and USB to serial RS485/RS422 adapters are usually mainly used only with industrial applications. Currently, USB to TTL-level UART converters are used extensively by students and hobbyist as they can be directly interfaced to microcontrollers.
Adapters for converting USB to other standard or proprietary protocols also exist; however, these are usually not referred to as a serial adapter.
The primary application scenario is to enable USB-based computers to access and communicate with serial devices featuring D-Sub (usually DB9 or DB25) connectors or screw terminals, where security of the data transmission is not generally an issue.
USB serial adapters can be isolated or non-isolated. The isolated version has opto-couplers and/or surge suppressors to prevent static electricity or other high-voltage surges to enter the data lines thereby preventing data loss and damage to the adapter and connected serial device. The non-isolated version has no protection against static electricity or voltage surges, which is why this version is usually recommended for only non-critical applications and at short communication ranges.
History.
Historically, most personal computers had a built-in D-sub serial RS232 port, also referred to as a COM port, which could be used for connecting the computer to most types of serial RS232 devices. By the late '90s, many computer manufacturers started to phase out the serial COM port in favor of the USB port. By the mid-2000s, some computers had both a serial COM port and a USB port; however, many no longer had a serial COM port by that time, and today most modern computers have no serial COM port but instead only USB ports.
Since many serial devices with a RS232, RS485 or RS422 port are still in use and even still produced today, the disappearance of the serial COM port from personal computers has created a need for the USB to serial adapter.
Architecture.
As a simplified example a typical standard USB to serial adapter consists of a USB processor chip which processes the USB signals. The USB processor sends the processed USB signals to a serial driver chip which applies the correct voltages and sends the processed data signals to the serial output.
For the computer to be able to detect and process the data signals drivers must be installed on the computer. Some chip models have drivers installed by default, including FTDI, while drivers for other chip models must be manually installed (e.g. for Windows and MacOS, WCH CH340, Silicon Labs 210x.
When the USB to serial adapter is connected to the computer via the USB port the driver on the computer creates a virtual COM port which shows up in Device Manager on Windows, and under /dev on Linux and MacOS. This virtual COM port can be accessed and used as if it was a built-in serial COM port. However, the characteristics of the virtual COM port are not exactly the same as a real internal COM port, mainly due to data latency; which means that if very sensitive and precise data transfer is required, the USB to serial adapter might be unreliable and not a desired solution. Virtual COM drivers are usually available for Windows, Linux and Mac only.


Radeon R430

The Radeon R430 chip from ATI Technologies can be found in some models of the Radeon X800 GTO video card. The Radeon X800 "R430"-based 110 nanometer series was introduced at the end of 2004 along with ATI's new X850 cards. The X800 was designed to replace the position X700 XT failed to secure, with 12 pipelines and a 256-bit RAM bus. The card more than surpassed the 6600GT with performance similar to that of the GeForce 6800. A close relative, the new X800 XL, was positioned to dethrone Nvidia's GeForce 6800 GT with higher memory speeds and a full 16 pipelines to boost performance. R430 was unable to reach high clock speeds, being mainly designed to reduce the cost per graphics processing unit (GPU), and so a new top-of-the-line core was still needed.


MODE (command)


Barbarian (2002 video game)

Barbarian is a 3D fighting video game developed by Saffire, published by Titus Interactive and distributed in Europe by Avalon Interactive. The game was released in North America in 2002, and in Europe in December 2003. The Japanese title is "Warrior Blade: Rastan vs. Barbarian".
Gameplay.
The game features 11 different fighters, each with different weapons and abilities. The player may freely destroy the environment, and use destroyed objects as weapons against their opponents. The characters each have alternate costumes, which, depending on which the player chooses, may change their default weapon. However, it does not affect the weapon's damage capabilities or uses.
The game plays much like "Power Stone" with its arena-style gameplay.
Release.
The GameCube version was originally planned for a U.S. release in late 2002 and in Europe in 2004, but was canceled while it was released in Japan in 2003.
A scaled-down port of "Barbarian" was originally planned for release on the Game Boy Advance, but was later canceled.
Reception.
The game received "mixed reviews" on all platforms according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. Many video game websites and publications gave earlier reviews and average scores on the GameCube and Xbox versions in late 2002, months before the release dates for both of those versions were canceled in the U.S. due to mediocre reception for the PS2 version.


Bloomfield (microprocessor)

Bloomfield is the code name for Intel high-end desktop processors sold as Core i7-9xx and single-processor servers sold as Xeon 35xx., in almost identical configurations, replacing the earlier Yorkfield processors. The Bloomfield core is closely related to the dual-processor Gainestown, which has the same CPUID value of 0106Ax (family 6, model 26) and which uses the same socket. Bloomfield uses a different socket than the later Lynnfield and Clarksfield processors based on the same 45 nm Nehalem microarchitecture, even though some of these share the same Intel Core i7 brand.
Features.
Bloomfield has many new features that represent significant changes from Yorkfield:
Overclocking.
The process of overclocking the Bloomfield architecture is similar to that of the AMD architecture due to the on-die MCH. Over-clocking will be possible with the 900 series and a motherboard equipped with the X58 chipset. In early October 2008, reports surfaced that it will not be possible to use "performance" DDR3 DIMMs that require voltages higher than 1.65v, because the integrated memory controller within the Core i7 will be damaged.
Bloomfield has three memory channels, and the channel bandwidth can be selected by setting the memory multiplier. However, in early benchmarks, when the clock rate is set higher than a threshold (1333 for the 965XE) the processor will only access two memory channels simultaneously. A 965XE has higher memory throughput with 3xDDR3-1333 than with 3xDDR3-1600, and 2xDDR3-1600 has almost identical throughput to 3xDDR3-1333.
Drawbacks.
The Core i7 Bloomfield does not support error-correcting memory. Some motherboards with an LGA 1366 socket support both Core i7 and the Xeon 35xx and 55xx series processors, and advertise support for ECC memory. However ECC functionality is only available if a Xeon is installed, not if a Core i7 is installed.
Product evolution.
The Core i7 950 and the Core i7 975 Extreme Edition were introduced in March 2009 with prices similar to the prices for the 940 and 965 Extreme Edition, respectively, but with better performance in each case. Intel has scheduled the discontinuation of the 940 and 965XE for Q3 2009. Intel announced discontinuations in other older families at the same time.


S3 Trio

The S3 Trio range were popular video cards for personal computers and were S3's first fully integrated graphics accelerators. As the name implies, three previously separate components were now included in the same ASIC: the graphics core, RAMDAC and clock generator. The increased integration allowed a graphics card to be simpler than before and thus cheaper to produce.
Variants.
The Trio64 and 64V+, first appeared in 1995, are essentially fully integrated solutions based upon the earlier Vision 864 and 868 accelerator chipsets. Like the 868, the 64V+ has a video acceleration engine that can perform YUV to RGB color space conversion and horizontal linear filtered scaling. Unlike the Vision964/968, the Trio chips do not support VRAM, and are limited to FPM DRAM and EDO DRAM only. The 2D graphics hardware was later used in the ViRGE.
The Trio32 is a low-cost version of the Trio64 with a narrower 32-bit DRAM interface (vs. 64-bit).
The Trio64V2 improved on the 64V+ by including vertical bilinear filtering. The 2D graphics core was later used in the ViRGE/DX and ViRGE/GX. Like the corresponding ViRGE chips, the 64V2 also came in /DX and /GX variants, with the latter supporting more modern SDRAM or SGRAM. The final version, called the Trio3D, was effectively the 128-bit successor to the ViRGE/GX2.
The various Trio chips were used on many motherboards. Because of the popularity of the series and the resulting compatibility advantages, they are used in various PC emulation and virtualization packages such as DOSBox, Microsoft Virtual PC, PCem and 86Box.


DEBUG.EXE


MSDOS.DOS


Embedix


Intel Ireland

Intel Ireland's parent company – the giant U.S.-based Intel microprocessor business – is a public company trading on the NASDAQ exchange. Intel decided in 1989 to build its European manufacturing operations in Leixlip, County Kildare, and formed Intel Ireland to be the holding company on . The manufacturing plant manufactured its first chip in 1993. To base its European operations in Ireland, Intel received over IRE£87m in grants from IDA Ireland. Intel Ireland also operates a research facility ("Intel Shannon") in Shannon, County Clare which employs approximately 250 people. Since 1989, Intel has invested $15 billion, turning 360 acres of the Collinstown Industrial Park into the most advanced industrial campus in Europe.
Intel Ireland has approximately 4,500 employees working at its Leixlip campus as of 2020, and as it has been a major contributor to the performance of the Irish economy. Construction of the Fab 24 manufacturing plant in the 2000s signified its continuing commitment to developing its Irish operations.
The Intel Ireland campus at Leixlip is Intel's largest manufacturing plant outside of the United States and consisted of two semi-conductor wafer fabrication facilities: Fab 10 Ireland Fab Operations (IFO), and also the Fab 24 manufacturing plant which includes Fab 24-2. IFO was a 200mm wafer facility whilst Fab 24 processes 300mm wafers using 65-nanometer and 90-nanometer process technologies. IFO ceased operations and Fab 10 is now classed as Fab 24, along with Fab 14. The Leixlip facility now only produces 300mm wafers using 14 nm technology.
In April 2005, the operation announced that the one-billionth microchip had been manufactured by the Leixlip-based operation . By August 2010, Intel Fab Operations (IFO) had become the first Intel plant to ship 2 billion die. It is also notable as the only Intel facility to achieve the ISO 14001 safety standard for its management of the local environment .
Intel Ireland has been located in County Kildare since 1989. The company has invested over $7 billion transforming the 360-acre former stud farm into a manufacturing centre. This site was chosen as it was ideal for the further expansion of the plant.