Evans Data Corp (EDC) has released the results of its 2004 Linux Developer Survey. Although not specific to embedded developers, the report includes fascinating observations about Linux developer preferences that likely apply to embedded development as well.

Standards better in theory than practice

The EDC survey suggests that 83 percent of Linux developers feel it is important or very important to standardize parts of GNU/Linux outside the kernel. Yet, 77 percent admit they have never heard of, or are unfamiliar with, the Linux Standards Base (LSB), a fairly comprehensive effort to do just that, at least for console-based, server-side applications.

The LSB specification underpins the Embedded Linux Consortium's Platform Specification, which since launching in February, 2003, has languished.

Linux geek tools not so retro

“Linux developers do not live up (or down, depending on your perspective) to the image of geeks who spend all their time typing cryptic commands,” says EDC Analyst Erik Orgell. Only 20 percent of respondents say they use a CLI (command-line interface) exclusively; 45 percent prefer graphical IDEs (integrated development environments), while 28 percent mix IDE and CLI tools.

Debugger opportunity

Orgell believes an opportunity exists for a debugger that can improve upon the GNU debugger (gdb). Some 91 percent of developers feel debuggers are critical, important, or somewhat important. Meanwhile, a scant 20 percent rate Linux debuggers as “excellent.”

This result reverberates with similar finding from EDC's embedded specific study from last year.

More details about EDC's surveys are available from EDC.

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