Embedded Linux becoming 'disruptive force'

Brad Isaac · #1 02-22-2004, 02:34 PM

Hearing that there are groups of people experimenting with installing Linux on their Pocket PCs and some handhelds actually coming out with Linux already installed (i.e. Sharp Zaurus), has left me wondering at times if Linux is actually a competitive OS for the Pocket PC platform. From a personal perspective, I wonder if alarms actually work under Linux - my guess would be they do - but having never tried, I'd be interested to know. According to an IT Managers Journal article Linux is actually making serious inroads shaking up the embedded software industry.
"Embedded Linux is now considered one of the top three most-utilized operating systems in the embedded software industry," he said, "along with Wind River Vx and QNX, which are both wonderful in what they do. One of the big advantages EL has is that it supports most 32- and 64-bit embedded processors on single-board computers, while others do not."
Do you think embedded Linux on Pocket PCs could go anywhere? Or is it just a "fringe" product for geeks?

bkbroil · #2 02-22-2004, 02:37 PM

I think it is a "fringe product" for right now. I believe if one other manufacture of a major PPC offers a unit with Linux installed then more applications will be created for the OS. Until that happens it will stay on the fringe.

Brad Isaac · #3 02-22-2004, 02:52 PM

I'll tell you one "fringe" product I installed on my desktop computer just this week - it's that Mozilla Firefox browser.

Wow! what a difference. Yes, there are a few issues, like even some scripts on PPCA.com don't show up properly, but the Tabbed browsing, speed and custom options made me change it over to my "default" browser.

It is going to be difficult for Linux to make similar inroads because of like you say all the software is built for Windows/windows mobile. But if people start adopting it on a wider scale and it's easier to get and install - like Firefox was for me (took all of about 5 minutes - it's a 6 MB install) then Linux will see their day.

thomasho · #4 02-22-2004, 09:17 PM

The biggest problem w/ Embedded Linux is the compatability issue. Everyone can make their own version of the embedded Linux kernel, so application compatibility will be the biggest issue.

However, for vertical markets (like enterprise), as long as big companies like IBM support the end-to-end middlewares (both on servers and on embedded Linux), these devices still have a pretty good future. Since all these customers care is to get things done, they don't really care what the platform is.

bkbroil · #5 02-22-2004, 10:40 PM

All this linux talk caused me to start surfing around to look for linux information. I found the Familiar Project. The Familiar Project is composed of a group of loosely knit developers all contributing to creating the next generation of PDA OS. Currently, most of their development time is being put towards producing a stable, and full featured Linux distribution for the Compaq iPAQ series of handheld computers, as well as apps to run on top of the distribution.
With groups like this gaining momentum, it looks like linux may have a chance. I remember 5 years ago when people thought Open Source code was a "fad"...Looks like OpenOffice and StarOffice is proving that it wasn't a "fad"....
Brad -- With all the HUB BUB about alarms lately, I thought I would add a screen shot of one of the Familiar projects alarm applications. (I hope this one works better than the one with WM2003 and the 2215.

)

bkbroil · #6 02-23-2004, 11:02 AM

Amazon has the Sharp Zaurus SL-5600 PDA + Zaurus CE-AG06 Digital Camera Card for $275 w/ free shipping. Scroll down a little and click on "Buy both and save."
Lowest price list on Pricegrabber just for the Zaurus 5600 is $346.
Linux/Java-powered handheld computer with 64 MB ROM, 32 MB of RAM, and 400 MHz Intel processor
High-resolution color reflective TFT screen with support for over 65,000 colors
Integrated QWERTY keyboard that slides out from bottom of handheld
Listen to MP3 or watch MPEG video; includes stereo headphone jack

bkbroil · #7 02-23-2004, 11:52 AM

From an article on Cnet it appears embedded linux is starting to get alot more press. I guess we'll see how much Microsoft is willing to put into it's campaign against Linux. :?
Wind River, a major force in software embedded in devices such as cell phones or factory robots, has signed a deal with leading Linux seller Red Hat to jointly develop a version of the open-source software, the companies plan to announce Monday.
Under the deal, both companies' engineers will create Red Hat Embedded Linux, a variant of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Wind River will be the "premier" sales channel for the software and will support it in its development tools, according to the companies.
Linux isn't the only factor in the embedded market, either. Microsoft is gunning for the market as well, and embedded specialists such as Green Hills Software are campaigning against Linux.
The partnership between Red Hat and Wind River is the second major change in the Linux landscape this year. Novell--which like Wind River reversed a previous distaste for Linux--acquired the No. 2 SuSE Linux for $210 million in January.