Genode OS Framework version 13.05 released Jun 05, 2013

Version 13.05 introduces support for automated testing and benchmarking, adds new components geared towards headless systems, and enhances the device-driver support for ARM SoCs such as Exynos 5, Freescale i.MX, and BCM2835.

We are happy to announce the release of Genode version 13.05, which comes with new tools for testing and benchmarking including a suite of networking benchmarks, added device drivers for the Samsung Exynos 5 and Freescale i.MX SoCs, and new components for the operation of headless systems.

At present, we recognize two challenges, which amplify each other. On the one hand, our user base and the user's expectations are steadily growing. On the other hand, we see the number of Genode base platforms - in particular the variety of ARM-based SoCs - to become more and more diverse. This observation calls for quality- assurance measures that go beyond unit testing and Qemu-based integration tests: Genode's base functionality, including device drivers, need to be continuously tested and measured on real hardware in order to let Genode scale well. To automate this task, version 13.05 introduces extensive tooling support including a suite of networking benchmarks that operates on different levels of the networking stack. At Genode Labs, those tools empower us to implement largely automatic tests and benchmarks across multiple hardware platforms. So our users can enjoy building upon Genode without being afraid of fundamental regressions.

Speaking of broadening the hardware support, the new version enhances the existing base of device drivers for ARM-based SoCs with support for SATA, USB-3, eMMC, and networking on Samsung Exynos 5, as well as support for LCD display and touch-screen devices on Freescale i.MX SoCs. Furthermore, it features basic support for the Broadcom BCM2835 SoC, which is the heart of the popular Raspberry Pi platform.

Apart from the extended pool of device drivers, there is a new facility for capturing log data to files stored on a file system, a command-line based user interface for managing Genode subsystems, and the addition of Linux/ARM as Genode base platform.

The full story behind these and many more changes is detailed in the release notes of version 13.05...