What is it?
The initial surge of Linux
in the server market has settled down in recent years. But in
embedded applications, particularly mobile devices, the open source
operating system is soaring.
Global connectivity analysts
ABI
Research forecast that by 2013, Linux will take 23% of the
smartphone market and will be the second most prevalent solution
behind Symbian. According to ABI, "Linux solutions will be far more
cost-effective than incumbent solutions, even when silicon
requirements are taken into account, given that a fuller
application layer will be included in the standard package and that
the burden of customisation falls mostly on the independent
software vendor."
ABI also says Linux solutions will be an important building
block in enabling an application domain that embraces Web-based
applications and blended Web/native applications.
Motorola,
NEC and others are backing Linux and Java on the smartphone. Nokia,
which dominates the
Symbian Foundation,
is downplaying Linux, but recently took over
Trolltech, whose
best-known products are the industry-leading Linux application
development framework, Qt, and Qtopia, an application platform for
consumer electronics and mobile devices running embedded Linux.
Then there's
OpenMoko, an
initiative to develop not only a Linux-based open source mobile
phone operating system, but also the open source hardware to run it
on. The first OpenMoko phone, the prototype Neo 1973 - now in
production as the FreeRunner - comes with a software developer's
kit and a screwdriver. OpenMoko has released its CAD files under
the Creative Commons license for developers and engineers to
use.
Where did it originate?
Motorola launched the first Linux mobile phone in 2003, running
MontaVista Hard Hat, the first industrial strength real-time
operating system implementation of Linux.
What is it for?
Embedded Linux is stripped down to the essentials needed for
security, memory management, process management, network stack and
drivers, with additional power management, fast start-up and
real-time performance, and other modifications needed for a
responsive but resource-limited device.
What makes it special?
Embedded Linux's advantages include not only its low cost and
unrestricted distribution, but also its modularity, and the small
size of the kernel, combined with free software utilities and
lightweight versions of libraries.
How difficult is it to master?
It's probably easier for embedded developers to learn Linux than
Linux developers to gain the disciplines of working with
constrained resources, where the bugs and downtime typical of
desktop software are unacceptable.
Where is it used?
A plethora of products and of competing (and overlapping)
alliances has led to fragmentation of effort. But the work seems to
be consolidating at last around a few dominant initiatives. The
Linux Phone Standards Forum (LIPS) has just announced that it is to
"fold in" its activities and membership with the
LiMo Foundation.
Founded by Motorola, NEC, NTT Docomo, Orange, Panasonic, Samsung
and Vodafone, LiMo now has Ericsson, Verizon,
MontaVista and Trolltech among
its members.
Meanwhile, more than 30 mobile industry partners are helping
Google develop the
Android stack, which is based on Linux. Others still are
involved with the Intel-sponsored
Moblin.
What is coming up?
In September MontaVista is holding a live "webinar"
demonstrating its DevRocket IDE in Embedded Linux development.
Rates of pay
C/C++ developers with Embedded Linux £30-45K.
Training
Mobile/Embedded Linux editions are available from:
Ubuntu,
RedHat
, Gentoo, and
other Linux distributions.