Embedded Linux refers to the use of the Linux operating system in embedded systems such as cell phones, PDAs, media player handsets, and other consumer electronics devices.

In the past an embedded development was mostly performed using proprietary code written in assembler. Developers had to write all of the hardware drivers and interfaces from scratch.

It appeared that the Linux kernel, combined with a small set of other free software utilities, could be fit into the confines of the limited hardware space of an embedded device. A typical installation of embedded Linux takes about 2 megabytes.

Some other embedded OSs are VxWorks, QNX, LynxOS, Windows CE, Windows NT Embedded, Palm OS.

Embedded Linux has these advantages compared to other embedded OSes:

• Open source
• Small footprint (around 2MB for a minimal installation)
• No royalty costs
• Mature and stable (over ten years of age and used in many devices)
• Well supported

Embedded Linux Consortium

In San Francisco, California on July 15, 2003 the Embedded Linux Consortium (ELC http://www.embedded-linux.org/ ), which includes IBM, Intel, LynuxWorks, Motorola, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Siemens and Sony, announced a new phase of standardization activity to prepare specifications that will help product developers manage power consumption, design user interfaces and achieve real time performance for embedded Linux applications. The standards are to create a globally accepted platform offering test suites and branding to enhance the marketability of conforming products. In 2002, the ELC introduced the Embedded Linux Consortium Platform Specification (ELCPS). The target for the first draft of the ELCPS API was May 2004.

List of mobile telephones running Linux

• E28 E2800
• Motorola A760, A768, A780, E680, A1200
• Panasonic P901i
• NEC N901ic
• Samsung SCH-i519
• Telepong
• Wildseed
• Linux on or with mobile (cellular) phones
• Road S101
• Linux Smartphone Quick Reference Guide

List of small single board computers running Linux

• Gumstix - Based on the Intel XScale processors (200MHz and 400MHz).
• ECB AT91 - Based on the ARM9 (180MHz).
• Omniflash - Based on ARM9 (200MHz).

See also

• Smartphone
• µCLinux
• Real-time operating system
• RTLinux
• LynuxWorks
• MontaVista
• BusyBox
• Mobilinux
• WiLiBox
• DejaGnu
• T2_SDE
• Maemo
• GPE_Palmtop_Environment

General external links

• http://www.uclinux.org/ Linux on CPU without MMU
• http://www.ucdot.org/ Embedded Linux Developer Forum
• Building Embedded Linux Systems, Karim Yaghmour, @ O'Reilly
• Cross Linux From Scratch

Projects external links

• http://www.maemo.org/ Linux for Nokia 770 Internet Tablet
• Embedded Debian

Other external links

• Embedded Linux Debug Tools
• Embedded Linux @ dmoz.org
• linux @ embedded.com
• Embedded Linux System Design and Development, P. Raghavan, Amol Lad & Sriram Neelakandan, Auerbach Publications
• Embedded Linux Interfacing: Hardware, Software and Interfacing, Craig Hollabaugh, Addison/Wesley
• BlueCat embedded Linux from LynuxWorks
• the CE Linux Forum has posted its CE Linux Forum Specification online, to help Linux on embedded systems boot faster and use less power.
• @ linuxdevices.com
• http://www.handhelds.org/
• Free embedded Linux training materials and presentations from Free Electrons
• Embedded Linux tools from TimeSys
• T2 is not just a common Linux distribution - it is a flexible open source System
• http://www.blackfin.uclinux.org/ Open Source hardware and software projects for Analog Devices' Blackfin Processor
• Mungkie Associates embedded linux GUI
• Debugging Embedded LINUX With a JTAG Debugger. Embedded Toolsmiths (Proprietary software)
• Embedded Planet Embedded Linux Training

Embedded Linux | Linux Empotrado | Embedded Linux