In this article on IBM's developerWorks website, freelance writer Judy DeMocker explains why it seems that Linux may win over the embedded market. She takes a look at the conveniences of the open source license and what it means for embedded Linux, at maintaining embedded systems (and their device drivers) with Linux, and being able to offer single-platform support. DeMocker writes . . .

“Embedded Linux has come a long way since IBM first showcased its Linux wristwatch at PC Expo last summer. Since then more than a dozen distributions of the reduced-footprint OS have appeared, and nearly half of embedded developers are eyeing Linux for upcoming projects, according to a survey of Embedded Systems Programming readers last year. Today more embedded devices use Linux than Nucleus or VRTX, and it's gaining ground on Embedded Windows and pSOS. A dozen Linux devices are on the streets, from TiVO's set-top box to Agenda Computing's VR3 PDA. Now, the Embedded Linux Consortium (ELC) wants to get all the embedded efforts pointed in the same direction with a reference platform specification, due midyear. If that effort succeeds, embedded Linux has a good shot at dominating embedded development in the years to come, say Linux advocates.”

“Now, there are lots of great things about proprietary embedded software; Wind River's VxWorks and homegrown systems rule that space today for good reasons. A closed platform that doesn't break from version to version keeps your third-party software developers happy, and it keeps familiar development tools relevant and useful. Add to that the long-standing relationships commercial RTOS vendors have with the hardware manufacturers to optimize software for each new processor platform. But the
overwhelming advantage is with the Open Source OS, for three simple reasons . . . “

Read full story

 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.