A message from LinuxDevices.com founder, Rick Lehrbaum, on the occasion of the second birthday of LinuxDevices.com . . . (more…)

It came from route66 . . .

Several years ago, I started a database-driven car MP3 player project called route66. It was featured in MaximumPC magazine and earlier this year as the cover story in Maximum Linux Magazine, as it uses Linux and other open-source packages. (more…)

Foreword: In this whitepaper, Hewlett-Packard Labs researcher Wesley Chan introduces the embedded Linux community to the innovative R&D activities taking place within HP's “Cooltown” program. Chan defines the initiative's philosophy and goals, describes several key open source software and hardware components that have been developed, and explains how developers and companies can join in… (more…)

Introduction

Developing embedded systems with Linux can sometimes be a slow and painful task, especially for a beginner. The major Linux distributions want to fill up your hard drive with software you won't need on a small embeddable system, and the small freely downloadable “Linux-on-a-floppy” type distro's seem to be customized for specific applications like network routers. (more…)

Foreword: This article is the second in LinuxDevices.com's new series of reviews, by software developer Jerry Epplin, of Embedded Linux toolkits. In order to gain insight into the use of each toolkit from the developer's perspective, Epplin builds Embedded Linux OS images for three different x86-based EBX form-factor single board computers using each toolkit. (more…)

Wildseed Ltd. (formerly GITWiT) is currently developing a Linux-based wireless handset which combines communications and entertainment within a uniquely customizable two-part design. The Kirkland, WA based company plans to initially aim the device at the lucrative teen market, by offering a colorful phone with cool teen-oriented capabilities. (more…)

This whitepaper by Greg Haerr (CEO of Century Software and founder of the Microwindows and ViewML projects) provides an introduction to the use of Linux as an embedded operating system. Haerr reviews the benefits of Linux to embedded applications, explains the basics of graphical windowing system technologies, and provides a technical and architectural overview of both Microwindows (a windowing system… (more…)

W3C, the World Wide Web Consortium, recently released a Patent Policy Framework draft which provides for two forms of patent licensing that may be mandated by web standards: either RF for Royalty-Free, and RAND which stands for Reasonable… (more…)

Looking for a low-cost way to get started with embedded Linux? Or a fun weekend project? In this detailed how-to article, Bill Gatliff explains everything you need to do to install Linux on a Sega Dreamscast gaming console. Even the necessary Linux kernel, bootloader, and utility kernel patches are included and available for download. (more…)

The PowerPlay III PDA is manufactured in Taiwan and sold online by Empower Technologies, a vendor of Embedded Linux for intelligent appliances. The device is claimed to be Palm IIIxe compatible, from a hardware perspective. But unlike Palm's PDAs, the PowerPlay III runs Empower Technologies' Linux DA O/S… (more…)

The FIC AquaPAD is a compact, hand-held webpad intended for use in the home or in public areas. It offers the functions of Internet browsing, email, downloading MP3s, playing games, and multimedia audio/video, plus it includes a full suite of PIM apps (Calendar, Calculator, Note, Alarm Clock,… (more…)

Microsoft's anti-GPL offensive this summer has sparked renewed speculation about whether the GPL is “enforceable.” This particular example of “FUD” (fear, uncertainty and doubt) is always a little amusing to me. I'm the only lawyer on earth who can say this, I suppose, but it makes me wonder what everyone's wondering about: Enforcing the (more…)

Foreword: This article introduces LinuxDevices.com's new series of reviews, by software developer Jerry Epplin, of the most prominent Embedded Linux toolkits. In this kickoff to the series, Epplin provides some background on the Embedded Linux toolkit market, considers the relative advantages of commercial vs. (more…)

Foreword: This article is the first in LinuxDevices.com's new series of reviews, by software developer Jerry Epplin, of Embedded Linux toolkits. In order to gain insight into the use of each toolkit from the developer's perspective, Epplin builds Embedded Linux OS images for three different x86-based… (more…)

Can Linux be a real-time operating system?

Real-time is a term that characterizes a particular application. Hard real-time means an application fails catastrophically if deadline requirements are not met. Soft real-time means an application suffers degradation in quality, but not catastrophic failure, if deadline requirements are not met. (more…)