The inadvertent Linux user

gallery

Very few devices rely exclusively on open source components, but there is a wide ecosystem, consisting of developer communities and open source companies who provide stripped down kernels and support.

Intel and ARM both contribute extensively to the development of the embedded kernel. Sun provides a Linux based Java software development kit (SDK), and Trolltech provides the QTopia framework that is deployed on more than 30 smart phones.

ACCESS/PalmSource has moved the popular Palm OS platform onto the Linux kernel. "PalmSource is committed to Linux because we believe it provides the best foundation on which to build our middleware, user experience and applications," said PalmSource lead scientist, John Ostrem. "The benefits for PalmSource from Linux include enabling us to concentrate our resources on the differentiating parts of our technology, faster time to market, and support for a broader range of hardware." In short, Linux supports a wider range of processors in the embedded market than any other OS.

Similarly Michel Goossens, the vice president of sales and marketing for Red Hat JBoss in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), says that JBoss, the open source Java application server, has had rapid uptake among the telcos, because they need to develop new applications every day. "We play well with the Ericssons, the Nokias and Siemens of the world," he said, suggesting that they need to differentiate their products on an ongoing basis by creating in-house applications for a specialised market. "They have to move quickly [and the flexibility of JBoss, and the fact that the software is available with no-cost licences] is irresistible to such enterprises," he added.

Feature rich, user friendly

A Linux based smartphone or personal digital assistant (PDA) can be expected to be as friendly and fully-featured as any other, and in some cases more so. The Nokia n800 Internet Tablet, for instance, is based on Debian GNU/Linux, and includes many third party applications, from Skype to Opera.

Many of the applications are fostered by the Nokia sponsored maemo.org open source developer community, which boasts the participation of thousands of developers and whose declared aim is "to make maemo open, accessible and useful to all developers wanting to squeeze the possibilities of the mobile desktop and the internet," and claims the participation of thousands of developers. Maemo provides a vast range of additional office, communication and entertainment applications, and the Nokia n800 can function as a full-blown pocket sized PC, complete with features such as VNC which gives the ability to view any desktop environment on the network. The Nokia n800 is more obviously Linux based than other devices of its type, and may signal the way forward. The Evolution email client slots seamlessly into a Microsoft network, and web services are fully supported.

In essence, the fact that a PDA or smartphone is running Linux should be of little consequence for the enterprise user. The applications, connectivity and interoperability of such clients are limited only by the manufacturers' specifications.

The factors that inhibit rapid uptake of Linux on the desktop, the monolithic presence of Windows, the lack of support from OEMs and the much travelled myth of the difficulty of Linux installation, exacerbated by the absence of proprietary drivers for some devices, do not exist in the embedded space, where the user is often unaware that he or she has become an inadvertent Linux user.

Email to a friend

Print this page