Category: Software management

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on FlashMyPico – Raspberry Pi Pico / Pico 2 code editing and firmware flashing from a web browser

FlashMyPico – Raspberry Pi Pico / Pico 2 code editing and firmware flashing from a web browser

FlashMyPico RP2350 web editor

FlashMyPico website allows you to write C code, build the firmware, and flash it to your Raspberry Pi Pico, Pico W, Pico 2, or Pico 2 W directly from a web browser instead of having to check out the code from GitHub, build it in a terminal, and then manually copy the resulting binary. I’ve given it a quick with a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 board. The first step is to head over to flashmypico.com from your computer or even an Android smartphone. You’ll need a web browser that supports WebSerial/WebUSB, so for example, Firefox is not an option, and I eventually had to use Google Chrome instead. There’s a detect device link on the bottom left, so I clicked on that first, and my Raspberry Pi Pico 2 was detected as “RP2350 Boot” after I put it in bootloader mode. But it just told me that my board is […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on OpenWISP open-source solution facilitates the management of OpenWrt router fleets

OpenWISP open-source solution facilitates the management of OpenWrt router fleets

OpenWisp OpenWrt router management platform

Last month, I wrote about the WL-AC1000 AP controller, a hardware-based solution to monitor fleets of routers, and wondered why the company (Wallys) did not provide a software solution instead. It was pointed out to me that software AP controller solutions for OpenWrt routers do exist, but they looked not mature. After a quick search, I found OpenWISP described as an “open-source solution for efficient IT network deployment, monitoring & management” designed for OpenWrt Linux routers. OpenWISP allows organizations with several routers to manage them in a centralized location, get alerts when issues occur, upgrade the firmware of multiple routers with a few clicks, create users with permissions to access specific routers, and so on. OpenWISP Features: Configuration Templates – Manage device settings by defining reusable configuration templates that apply updates system-wide with a single change. Automatic Provisioning – Connect and configure new devices with zero-touch auto registration for rapid […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments on Jack Dorsey talk at FOSDEM 2025 may lead to protest

Jack Dorsey talk at FOSDEM 2025 may lead to protest

FOSDEM 2025 protest

Jack Dorsey, who previously owned Twitter and now runs Block, will be giving a talk at FOSDEM 2025 entitled “Infusing Open Source Culture into Company DNA: A Conversation with Jack Dorsey and Manik Surtani, Block’s head of Open Source” and some people don’t like having a billionaire giving a talk at an open-source event and plan to host a protest. I recently wrote about my own FOSDEM 2025 schedule focusing on embedded systems topics, and while the event is usually non-controversial, I was startled by a tweet by FOSDEM organizers who issued a “statement on planned protests during the upcoming FOSDEM 2025”. I eventually found out that it was related to a post by Drew DeVault who did not appreciate having a billionaire talk during the open-source-focused event. The talk is planned in the Janson venue which is the biggest at the event with a capacity of up to 1,500 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on LG opens the ThinQ API for Smart Home devices

LG opens the ThinQ API for Smart Home devices

LG ThinQ API

LG Electronics (LG) has fully opened its ThingQ API for its Smart Home platform to enable developers to integrate their solutions with compatible LG appliances. The release covers both the API for individual users and corporate users. The ThinQ API for individual users supports the control and monitoring of AI appliances registered in the LG ThinQ app. It allows users to create customized Smart Home applications, for example, the popular Home Assistant home automation framework can already connect and control 26 types of LG AI appliances including refrigerators, water heaters, and washing machines. I can see the community has been working on LG ThinQ integration well before the release of the full release of the API, but maybe LG saw this and completly released the API to ease the work of developers. There are four main ThingQ APIs for individuals: Device API – Used to request ThinQ device information and […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on Matter 1.4 specification improves multi-admin and energy management, adds new devices like solar panels, batteries, and water heaters

Matter 1.4 specification improves multi-admin and energy management, adds new devices like solar panels, batteries, and water heaters

Matter 1.4

We covered the Matter 1.3 specification in May 2024, but the Connectivity Standards Alliance is wasting no time and the Matter 1.4 specification is already out with features and improvements such as “Enhanced Multi-Admin”, Matter certifiable Home Routers and Access Points, energy management enhancements, and several new device types such as solar power equipment and batteries. Matter has been deployed in millions of Smart Home products in just a few years and aims to enable interoperability between devices from multiple vendors. Paisit reviewed a few Matter products from SONOFF including the MINIR4M Smart Switch, SONOFF Zigbee Bridge Ultra, and SwitchMan M5 Matter wall switch, and while Matter interoperability is working since devices can be controlled from Matter-compatible apps (e.g. Apple Home), users do lose some features found in the “native” app such as eWelink in the case of SONOFF devices. Matter 1.4 key improvements and new features: Home Routers and […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Android 15 runs on Linaro development boards based on Qualcomm and HiSilicon chips

Android 15 runs on Linaro development boards based on Qualcomm and HiSilicon chips

Android 15 Hikey960 development board

Android 15 source code was just pushed to AOSP last week, and Linaro has already ported it to four reference development boards based on Qualcomm and HiSilicon/Huawei chips namely Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 devboard (SM8550-HDK), Qualcomm Robotics Board RB5, Qualcomm Dragonboard 845c (DB845c, aka RB3) and HiSilicon Hikey960. Recent Google Pixel phones can already get Android 15 beta, but that makes the aforementioned development boards some of the first hardware platforms running Android 15 which could be useful to app developers and people wanting to customize Android 15 OS for their target product(s). Android 15 worked on the same day as the release to AOSP thanks to a collaboration between Linaro and Google to make sure reference boards get support as soon as possible, and in this case, we had a “0-day boot” as Linaro puts it. This collaboration started in 2022 with Qualcomm Robotics RB3 and RB5 platforms getting […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on Arduino CLI 1.0 released – Let’s try it with the Raspberry Pi Pico 2

Arduino CLI 1.0 released – Let’s try it with the Raspberry Pi Pico 2

Arduino CLI Raspberry Pi Pico 2

Arduino has just announced the release of the Arduino CLI version 1.0.0, the first stable release for which users and developers can be confident the software API won’t change over time, or at least with minimal changes that will not impact the workflow of applications based on it. We first looked at the Arduino CLI when it was still at the alpha stage way back in 2018. Arduino CLI version 1.0.0 was actually quietly released about two months ago, but Arduino only announced it now and the utility is now at version 1.0.4 with several bug fixes. Arduino CLI 1.0 release The goal of the API is to easily program the boards from the command line without having to use the Arduino IDE, and the CLI can be integrated into your own script to automatize various processes. Arduino explains there are three ways to integrate and utilize the capabilities of […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Android 15 source code pushed to AOSP

Android 15 source code pushed to AOSP

Android 15 AOSP

Android 15 will only become available on supported Pixel devices in the coming weeks, and on other phones in the next couple of months, but Google has already pushed Android 15 source code to AOSP (the Android Open-Source Project). We already documented some of the main changes in Android 15 when the first developer preview was released in February 2024. These included improvements related to privacy and security, the addition of the partial screen-sharing feature, camera and audio improvements, and some performance optimizations. You should be able to retrieve the Android 15 source code from AOSP with the following commands:

Android 15 is based on Linux 6.6 LTS, so Android 15 SDKs from silicon vendors will likely be offered with Linux 6.6, although I can see Linux 6.1 is also an option. It’s also possible to browse Android 15 source code without downloading several GB of data to your […]

UP 7000 x86 SBC