I’m having to use SystemC for a project involving simulation of Network-On-Chip applications. Turned out that it didn’t quite compile cleanly on my GNU/Linux machine:

sc_process_int.cpp: In member function
  'virtual void sc_core::sc_thread_process::prepare_for_simulation()':
sc_process_int.cpp:441: error:
  'sc_thread_cor_fn' was not declared in this scope
sc_process_int.cpp: In member function
  'virtual void sc_core::sc_cthread_process::prepare_for_simulation()':
sc_process_int.cpp:630: error:
  'sc_cthread_cor_fn' was not declared in this scope

My friend pointed me to a patch for this, which I later modified slightly. Turns out that GCC4 is a bit more stricter about friend functions than its old counterpart.

That problem solved, I went on to compiling SystemC on the Mac. My Macbook Pro has an Intel processor so it shouldn’t have been much trouble. Needless to say, configure couldn’t even detect the build type:

checking build system type...
  configure: error: cannot guess build type; you must specify one

And after specifying one explicitely:

$ ./configure --build=i386-pc-macosx
configure: error: "sorry...architecture not supported"

Not a problem. After adding a case…esac block to configure.in (setting the CXXFLAGS etc. to the the same as the case for linux), we were up and running

In summary, here’s what you have to do after grabbing the SystemC sources (requires registration and acceptance of license):

$ tar xvzf systemc-2.1.v1.tgz
$ cd systemc-2.1.v1
$ wget 
http://www.kix.in/misc/patch_systemc-2.1.v1-gcc4-osx
$ patch -p0<patch_systemc-2.1.v1-gcc4-osx
$ autoconf
$ mkdir objdir
$ cd objdir
$ ../configure --build=i386-pc-macosx
$ make
$ make install
$ make check

Those of you trying to compile SystemC on GNU/Linux with GCC4 do the same; but leave out the `build’ argument to the configure statement.

ZOMG. Parallels‘ latest build brings along with it some nifty features. Which ultimately leads your desktop to look something like this:

No, that’s not some fabricated image made in GIMP. It’s for real; you can now run all the big 3 OSes side by side, just as if they’ve known each other for years

Here’s how you do it:

• Get yourself a powerful Intel Mac with 2Gigs of RAM (okay you may not really need this, but it’s always a good idea)
• Buy a copy of the latest Parallels Desktop. More than worth it!
• Install your favourite Linux Distro and Windows on two Parallels VM’s
• Or, if you already have BootCamp and want to use the native Windows already installed, Parallels allows you to boot from that too! I already had a native Windows running on Boot Camp, and I was up and running in no time with the useful guide you can find here
• Fire up the Linux VM, start the X server bundled with OS X. SSH to your Linux VM with X forwarding enabled, and start your favourite desktop: I chose XFCE, but Gnome/KDE will run equally well
• Fire up your Windows VM and enable the “Coherence” mode
• Start using Windows/OS X/Linux applications side by side, all within the comfort of your OS X desktop
• If you’re really insane create virtual machines for FreeBSD and Solaris too…

This has got to be the most coolest thing I’ve ever done with a computer

(In the screenshot: Windows Start menu just below the Apple menu; XFCE-Terminal on Linux; Safari on OS X; IE on Windows; XFCE-Panel (on Linux) just to the right of the OS X Dock. Windows applications even have their own Dock items; All Linux apps will be shown as only one X app though)

The batteries of my Macbook Pro suddenly swelled up today. I haven’t a clue in the world as to why it had to happen all of a sudden today but it did.

Maybe because I gave a hand at programming on the Mac for the first time today. We now have an installer for PHP-GTK. Intel Mac users only. Was also having a look at Metisse; sounds great. Anyone for a HCI research project?

LinuxAsia 2007, has Microsoft chipping in some funds and becoming the event’s “interoperability partner”. Excerpt from a recent article titled “MS takes linux world by storm” in the Economic Times:

When asked about its participation in Linux Asia, Microsoft said that the company will try to educate clients and communicate about its new stance towards open source. Mr Radhesh Balakrishnan, director, platform strategy, Microsoft, told ET, “Open source software is turning commercial and commercial software is becoming more open to open source. We believe that interoperability between the two is the way to the future. People have created a myth in the minds of clients that the world can work only either on open source. Rather than being carried over by rhetoric, clients should rather look at lowering TCO (total cost of ownership). According to a Frost & Sullivan study, Windows offers 15.9% lower TCO than Linux on the server side.”

Sigh, don’t we all love the TCO studies funded by Microsoft. Couple of people from there are also giving talks at LinuxAsia on stuff like “Exciting Technology Trends for Developers”. Wonder what the audience feels about that. I think a stall for adverstising “Wow with Vista” is on the cards too. Gee, what fun!

A friend of mine was recently called by the folks at Redmond for an internship; and he’s got “I HATE M$” all over his resume! Looks like Microsoft now wants a piece of the FOSS cake too. Way to go Ballmer, I just can’t wait for the Windows 95 source code to be released :-p