Splashtop

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Splashtop
Splashtop first screen.jpg
Splashtop start screen
Company / developer DeviceVM
OS family Unix-like
Working state Current
Source model Proprietary[1]
Latest stable release 2.0 / January 7, 2010.[2]
Latest unstable release Community Preview v0.9.0.1 / before 2007/10/06[3]
Marketing target Embedded
Supported platforms x86
Kernel type Monolithic (Linux)
License most Free and open source software
Website www.splashtop.com

Splashtop is an instant-on commercial Linux distribution targeting PC motherboard vendors and other device manufacturers.[4] It is developed by DeviceVM.[5]

It uses Bootsplash[6], SquashFS[7], Blackbox, SCIM, and the Linux kernel 2.6.[8]

Contents

[edit] Concept

Splashtop is intended to be integrated on a read-only device and shipped with the hardware, rather than installed by the user. It does not prevent the installation of another operating system for dual booting. It boots in about 5 seconds,[9] and is thus marketed as "instant-on."

[edit] Features

Splashtop features a graphical user interface[9], a web browser based on Mozilla Firefox 2.0[9], a Skype VoIP client[9] and a chat client based on Pidgin.[8] It also includes an Adobe Flash Player 10.[10]

[edit] Limitations and requirements

Most versions of Asus motherboards no longer come with Splashtop preinstalled, as the manufacturer now limits the inclusion of its built-in ExpressGate flash drive to "Premium" motherboards such as the P6T Deluxe and P7P55D-E Premium. Other Asus motherboards allow installation of the compact OS via a Windows-only based installer on its support CD. Installation from CD requires a Windows partition to store 500 MB of files, which has to be a SATA drive defined as IDE (no support for AHCI).[11] If one doesn't have a Windows-based machine, it is possible to install Splashtop on a USB key, from the sources.[12]

[edit] Internals

Splashtop seems to work with a 512MB flash memory embedded on the PC motherboard.[13] A proprietary core engine starts at the BIOS boot and loads a specialized Linux distribution called a "Virtual Appliance Environment" (VAE). While running this VAE, the user can launch "Virtual Appliances" (VA). Skype is a VA, for instance.[14]

[edit] Motherboards featuring Splashtop

Splashtop application screen with menu for switching built-in programs

As of April 2008, Splashtop is known to be used on the following ASUS motherboards, and on these it is rebranded as "Express Gate":[15]

  • P5PKL/1600
  • P5E3 Deluxe/WiFi AP @n
  • P5E3 Premium/WiFi AP @n
  • M2N68-VM
  • M3N-HT Deluxe/Mempipe
  • M3N-HT Deluxe/HDMI
  • M3N-H/HDMI
  • M3N-HD/HDMI
  • M3A-H/HDMI
  • M3A76-CM
  • M3A78-Pro
  • M3N78-Pro
  • M3A78-EM
  • M4N78 Pro
  • M4A785TD-M EVO
  • M4A785TD-V EVO
  • P5N64 WS Professional
  • P5Q family (P5QC, P5Q Deluxe, P5Q-WS, P5Q Pro, P5Q3 Deluxe, P5Q-E, P5Q-EM, P5QL-E, P5Q SE/R)
  • P6T family
  • Asus Eee Box motherboard[16][17]
  • M4A78T-E
  • M4A78-EM

In May 2008 ASUS announced they want to eventually use Splashtop across their entire motherboard product portfolio.[18] Numerous Splashtop-enabled motherboards, desktops, and laptops are available internationally since 2008.

[edit] Other products featuring Splashtop

Asus rebrands Splashtop as "Express Gate" for its other products (such as motherboards) as well.

[edit] See also

Linux portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ Splashtop Instant-On Desktop from DeviceVM
  2. ^ http://www.splashtop.com/blog/index.php/2010/01/07/splashtop-20-is-official-and-gets-touchy/
  3. ^ [Phoronix] ASUS Motherboard Ships With Embedded Linux, Web Browser
  4. ^ [Phoronix] SplashTop To Splash Onto Notebooks, Desktops
  5. ^ Splashtop Instant-On Desktop from DeviceVM
  6. ^ http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=splashtop_hacked&num=1
  7. ^ http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=915&num=1
  8. ^ a b http://www.splashtop.com/open_source.php
  9. ^ a b c d [Phoronix] ASUS Motherboard Ships With Embedded Linux, Web Browser
  10. ^ http://www.splashtop.com/press_releases_detail.php?Id=44
  11. ^ Problem with Linux based machines
  12. ^ Installing splashtop on USB key (article in French)
  13. ^ SplashTop's Instant-On Linux Desktop | Geek.com
  14. ^ http://www.phoronix.net/image.php?id=870&image=devicevm_splashtop_4_lrg
  15. ^ Have we launched? Is this thing on? | On Top of Splashtop
  16. ^ Asus gives Linux another boost
  17. ^ AnandTech: ASUS Eee Box Preview & Intel's Atom Benchmarked
  18. ^ "Splashtop to Ship on Millions of ASUS Motherboards, Starting with P5Q Family". Press release. 2008-05-14. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/05/prweb942944.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-15. 
  19. ^ http://www.splashtop.com/availability.php?cat=2&subcat=17
  20. ^ http://expressgate.asus.com/
  21. ^ http://www.splashtop.com/availability.php?cat=2&subcat=20
  22. ^ http://www.splashtop.com/availability.php?cat=2&subcat=21
  23. ^ http://www.trustedreviews.com/notebooks/news/2008/10/28/SplashTop-Hits-Lenovo-IdeaPad-S10/p1
  24. ^ http://blog.laptopmag.com/splashtop-comes-to-lenovo-ideapad-s9e-and-s10e-netbooks
  25. ^ http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/DeviceVM-Lenovo-Bring-Splashtop-Netbooks/story.aspx?guid={FA0E25CF-AB58-456F-9B2C-0EBC5A176FF1}
  26. ^ http://www.splashtop.com/availability.php?cat=2&subcat=22
  27. ^ http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/09/lgs-new-x120-netbook-with-splashtop-powered-instant-on/
  28. ^ http://gadgets.tmcnet.com/topics/gadgets/articles/58685-splashtop-platform-now-ships-sony-vaio-nw-series.htm
  29. ^ http://www.splashtop.com/availability.php?cat=2&subcat=20

[edit] German

[edit] External links

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Linux distributions
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