Development for Multiple Linux Distributions mini−HOWTO

              As a developer, there is occasionally a need to code and/or test programs on multiple Linux distributions. This
mini−howto outlines a neat chroot trick that can, in many cases, obviate the need to reboot into different Linux distributions to do testing or development.

 

Introduction to Diameter

                The Diameter protocol was derived from the RADIUS protocol with a lot of improvements in different aspects, and is generally believed to be the next generation Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) protocol. The Diameter protocol was widely used in the IMS architecture for IMS entities to exchange AAA-related information. Because the IMS system might be the next big thing in the telecom industry, we believe a clear understanding of the Diameter protocol is necessary for understanding the essence of the IMS architecture. This article offers an overview of Diameter and how it works. For developers interested in how AAA in IMS works, or who want to implement Diameter applications, this article is a good starting page.

With the emergence of new technologies and applications such as wireless networks and mobile IPs, the requirements for authentication and authorization have greatly increased, and access control mechanisms are more complex than ever. The existing RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) protocol can be insufficient to cope with these new requirements; what's needed is a new protocol that is capable of fulfilling new access control features while keeping the flexibility for further extension. This is where the Diameter protocol comes into play.

Please note that this article provides an overview of Diameter and does not cover all the protocol details. If you want to go further and implement the Diameter base protocol, refer to RFC3588 in Resources for more details. So, because this article mainly addresses the base protocol, Diameter will refer to the Diameter Base Protocol.

Wi-fi Basic Tutorial

            Wi-Fi (pronounced wye-fye, IPA: /ˈwaɪfaɪ/) is a wireless technology brand owned by the Wi-Fi Alliance intended to improve the interoperability of wireless local area network products based on the IEEE 802.11 standards. Common applications for Wi-Fi include Internet and VoIP phone access, gaming, and network connectivity for consumer electronics such as televisions, DVD players, and digital cameras.The Wi-Fi Alliance is a consortium of separate and independent companies agreeing to a set of common interoperable products based on the family of IEEE 802.11 standards.

                The Wi-Fi Alliance certifies products via a set of established test procedures to establish interoperability. Those manufacturers that are members of Wi-Fi Alliance whose products pass these interoperability tests can mark their products and product packaging with the Wi-Fi logo. Wi-Fi technologies have gone through several generations since their inception in 1997. Wi-Fi is supported to different extents under Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS X and open source Unix and Linux operating systems.

Linux Palm Developer's Quick Start Guide

           This guide is intended to help those new to palm programming get started developing using linux, PRC Tools, GNU tools, and the PalmOS© SDK. It assumes a fair knowledge of linux and GNU tools and a user level understanding of the PalmOS. There are development tools for Windows, but whaateverrr. If you find this at all useful please drop me a 5+ word email, for gloating statistics.

 

How to get a 3 button serial mouse working properly under Linux

               The following document is offered in good faith as comprising only safe programming and procedures. No responsibility is accepted by the author for any loss or damage caused in any way to any person or equipment, as a direct or indirect consequence of following these instructions.

Building And Using Static And Shared "C" Libraries

            One of the problems with developed programs, is that they tend to grow larger and larger, bringing up overall compilation and linking time to a large figure, and polluting out makefile, and the directory where we placed the source files. The first time a program we write reaches this state, is normally when we look for a different way to manage our projects.

Calling MySQL from C

MySQL databases may be used by programs written in the C programming language on Socrates and Plato and on the IS Solaris workstations. Full details of the C API (Application Program Interface) are given in the MySQL manual at http://www.mysql.com/doc/en/C.html.

IAX2: Inter-Asterisk eXchange Version 2 

This document describes the Inter-Asterisk eXchange protocol, Version  2, (IAX2) an application-layer control and media protocol for creating, modifying, and terminating multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks.  IAX2 was developed by the open source community for the Asterisk PBX and is targeted primarily at Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call control, but it can be used with streaming video or any other type of multimedia.

Attacking Web Datastore

                Web sites present data. The data range from Web journals to catalogs of widgets to real-time financial information. Users see the colorful front-ends that present them with personalized shopping, but they do not see the less glamorous database servers sitting behind the scenes like a great Oz, churning away silently to manage inventory, user logins, e-mail, and other data-related functions.
                The unseen database server is not untouchable. In this chapter we will show how variables—your username, for instance—can be modified to contain special instructions that affect how the database performs. These modifications, or SQL injection, drive to the heart of the application. After all, a Web merchant does not store credit card information in a file on the Web server—it’s in the database.

 Branch Tables via Function Pointer Arrays in C

                Examination of assembly language code that has been crafted by an expert will usually reveal extensive use of function "branch tables." Branch tables (a.k.a., jump tables) are used because they offer a unique blend of compactness and execution speed, particularly on microprocessors that support indexed addressing. When one examines typical C code, however, the branch table (i.e., an array of funtion pointers) is a much rarer beast. The purpose of this article is to examine why branch tables are not used by C programmers and to make the case for their extensive use. Real world examples of their use are included.

General Telecommunication Questions

Q1. In T1, what is the difference between superframe (SF)/D4 and extended superframe (ESF)?

Q2. What is the difference between T1 and E1?

Q3. What is the difference between T1 and J1?

Q4. What is SLC-96 and how does it relate to T1?

Intel Core Duo vs. Core 2 Duo: What's the Difference?

              Three people have written to me in the last 10 days asking about Intel Core Duo CPUs vs. Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs. I figured it was time to tackle the topic on the blog.