I first heard about Embedded Linux last summer at an embedded Internet workshop. I was standing near the Embedded Linux Consortium's exhibit area, when John Lombardo introduced himself to me and asked if I had any suggestions for small off-the-shelf x86 systems that could be used as the basis of a Linux-based home router appliance he was developing. (more…)

It's the applications, stupid!

Synopsis: This article argues that the shift towards web services has reduced the attractiveness of the current generation of Open Source web products. The only solution is for Open Source to adopt a web services architecture, and fast. (more…)

Embedded Linux in the Physical World

The use of embedded Linux is growing in the industrial automation industry, making the control and monitoring of machinery no longer the exclusive domain of proprietary systems. Also driving this growth is the need to gather information, often on the fly, from an ever increasing number of Ethernet- and Internet-aware devices. (more…)

Welcome to LinuxDevices.com's Embedded Linux Quick Reference Guide!

Although the term “Embedded Linux” is only a couple of years old, Embedded Linux has already established itself as one of the most important technologies to enter the embedded computing market. Well established embedded software players have had to reposition their products — and even, in some cases, their entire corporate… (more…)

E-book publishers might think of jailed Russian cryptanalyst Dimitry Sklyarov as their worst enemy… until they see his slide show. (more…)

Welcome to LinuxDevices.com's Embedded Linux Distributions Quick Reference Guide! (more…)

“Netbooks” are small, low-cost, power-efficient mini-notebook computers, often based on low-power Intel processors, such as the Atom. Since Asus achieved the first mainstream netbook success with its Linux-based Eee PC, netbooks have gone on to become one of the best-selling categories in all of computing. Most of these netbooks are also available in Windows XP versions, and other Windows-based netbooks may be found in the Windows Netbook Showcase at our sister site, WindowsForDevices. For a list of Linux-compatible netbooks, read on!
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The evolution of embedded computers

You don't have to go too many years back to recall a time when designing and building embedded systems was a relatively uncomplicated matter. Not that the process was easy — there simply weren't many choices to make. Combine a few inputs and outputs with some time critical components and, voila, you had an embedded system. (more…)

Total Impact recently introduced a tiny Power-PC based Linux system, called the “briQ”, that has the same dimensions as a standard 5.25-inch CD-ROM drive. With its built-in Ethernet LAN interface and front-mounted 2 x 24 character display and control pushbuttons, the briQ implements a completely self-contained Linux… (more…)

In this interview with Lineo's chief operating officer, Matt Harris, LinuxDevices.com founder Rick Lehrbaum asks Harris to explain Lineo's Open Source philosophy, clarify Lineo's Embedded Linux licensing policies, and comment on Lineo's contributions to Open Source. (more…)

Meet Isamu, the humanoid robot

Isamu stands 53 inches tall, weighs 121 pounds, and walks at over one mile per hour. Not only that, Isamu climbs up and down stairs, carries 4-pound objects in its hand-like grippers, and even recognizes human faces via its dual-camera stereo vision system. (more…)

This handy little online “Flash” presentation from K Computing provides an extremely well presented, easy-to-follow, step-by-step mini-tutorial on BusyBox– the Swiss Army Knife of Embedded Linux. (more…)

Predicting the future is a mug's game at the best of times.

The Internet landscape is littered with the carcasses of strange little start-up companies who thought they could predict the future. But then again, the kind of future they foresaw presupposed limitless supplies of cash from angel investors who never really bothered to check whether there was a reasonable business plan behind the ideas. (more…)

If the shoe fits . . .

The vast array of disparate hardware and software architectures present throughout the embedded market begs for a common language and platform with which to develop applications. It was to address this issue that Sun initially developed the Java technology platform. (more…)

Foreword: Matthew Harris' last case as a practicing lawyer was as lead technical litigator in the Caldera antitrust case against Microsoft which ended up with Microsoft making a large payment to Caldera. (more…)