Merge pull request RIOT-OS#152 from OlegHahm/release_note

added the release notes for 2013.08

Author: OlegHahm

release-2013.08.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+RIOT-2013.08 - Release Notes
+============================
+RIOT is a real-time multi-threading operating system that supports a range of
+devices that are typically found in the Internet of Things: from 16-bit
+microcontrollers to light-weight 32-bit processors.
+
+RIOT is based on the following design principles: energy-efficiency, real-time
+capabilities, small memory footprint, modularity, and uniform API access,
+independent of the underlying hardware (this API offers partial POSIX
+compliance).
+
+RIOT leverages a robust micro-kernel architecture based on the FeuerWare kernel
+originally developed in 2008 targeting Wireless Sensor Networks, and further
+developed in µkleos. As such, RIOT is the direct heir of FeuerWare and µkleos.
+
+To lower the hurdles for new developers, all coding in RIOT can be done in
+standard C (or C++) with standard tools like gcc and gdb, which also
+facilitates application development and adaptation of existing Linux libraries.
+Last but not least: the native port allows to run RIOT as-is on Linux and
+MacOS. Multiple instances of RIOT running on a single machine can also be
+interconnected via a simple virtual Ethernet bridge, which facilitates
+networked application development.
+
+Features
+========
+Kernel
+------
+- Microkernel with a powerful messaging system
+- Multi-Threading with low overhead
+- an energy-efficient, real-time capable scheduler
+- small memory footprint
+
+Userspace
+---------
+- 6LoWPAN according to RFC 4944, RFC 6282, and RFC 6775
+- TCP and UDP
+- RPL according to RFC 6550 and RFC 6719
+- High resolution and long-term timers
+- POSIX IO and BSD socket API
+- Bloom filter
+- SHA256
+
+Hardware Support
+----------------
+- various ARM and MSP430 MCUs
+    * ARM7 NXP LPC2387
+    * TI MSP430F1612
+    * TI CC430F6137
+    * ARM7 Freescale MC13224v (preliminary)
+    * ARM Cortex-M4 STM32f407vgt6 (preliminary)
+    * ARM Cortex-M3 STM32f103rey6 (preliminary)
+- radio drivers 
+    * TI CC1100 and CC1101
+    * TI CC2420
+    * Atmel AT86RF231
+- sensor drivers
+    * Sensirion SHT11
+    * Linear Technology LT4150
+
+Known Issues
+============
+#21: Deal with stdin in bordermultiplex.c 
+    Not all supported platforms provide a stdin in the current release.
+    However, the implementation of the 6LoWPAN border router won't work
+    without stdin.
+#45: bit field order in the fcf may be wrong
+    The CC2420 FIFO expects the IEEE802.15.4 FCF field in reversed bit order.
+    This might break the implementation for other, upcoming radio
+    transceivers.
+#83: Wrong byte order in sixlowpan
+    The 6LoWPAN stack might still contain some variables using the wrong byte
+    order.
+#132: segfault in vtimer update shortterm
+    The vtimer is known to be buggy on all platforms and causes segmentation
+    faults on the native port.
+
+For more issues please check the RIOT issue tracker:
+https://github.com/RIOT-OS/RIOT/issues
+
+More information
+================
+http://www.riot-os.org
+
+Mailing lists
+-------------
+* RIOT OS kernel developers list
+ * devel@riot-os.org (http://lists.riot-os.org/mailman/listinfo/devel)
+* RIOT OS users list
+ * users@riot-os.org (http://lists.riot-os.org/mailman/listinfo/users)
+* RIOT commits
+ * commits@riot-os.org (http://lists.riot-os.org/mailman/listinfo/commits)
+* Github notifications
+ * notifications@riot-os.org  (http://lists.riot-os.org/mailman/listinfo/notifications)
+
+License
+=======
+* All sources and binaries that have been developed at Freie Universität Berlin are
+  licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License version 2 as published by the
+  Free Software Foundation.
+* Some external sources, especially files developed by SICS are published under
+  a separate license.
+  
+All code files contain licensing information.