Embedded linux status

Here is an outline for a presentation on the status of embedded Linux:

This is essentially User:Tim Bird's private collection of interesting notes about the status of embedded Linux. It tends to get updated right before a Linux conference.

 NEWS: Tim Bird's Status of Embedded Linux BOF (PDF) (September 2010) presentation from LinuxCon Japan 2010 is now available.

Process for adding information
Anyone can add information to this page. I used to maintain the information at the Technology Watch List, but the table format there is a bit constrictive. (It would be nice if MediaWiki had a table editor!!)

Since I have to form this stuff into a "State of Embedded Linux" presentation several times a year, keeping the information in wiki outline format is convenient for me. It's easier to put directly into a presentation.

Please place information in bullet form, with a link to a supporting article, in the appropriate sub-section below.

Page History
I'll let MediaWiki store historical versions of this page. If you want to see what the hot issues were from a last year or a few years ago, please see look at the page history. (Although, updates of this page have historically been a bit spotty).

Presentation History
Here's my presentation history:
 * LinuxCon Japan 2010 Status of Embedded Linux BOF (PDF) (September 2010)
 * [[Media:Status-of-embedded-Linux-2010-04-ELC.pdf|ELC 2010 Status of Embedded Linux talk (PDF)]] (April 2010)
 * [[Media:State-of-embedded-linux-oct-2009.pdf|Japan Linux Symposium 2009 Status of Embedded Linux talk (PDF)]] (October 2009)
 * [[Media:Embedded-Linux-Status-OLS2009.pdf|OLS 2009 Embedded Linux Status talk (PDF)]] (July 2009)
 * [[Media:Embedded-Linux-BOF-OLS2008.ppt|OLS 2008 Embedded Linux BOF slides (PPT)]] (July 2008)
 * [[Media:Status-of-embedded-Linux-ELC2008.ppt|ELC 2008 Status of Embedded Linux talk (PPT)]] (April 2008)
 * [[Media:ELCE-BOF_State_of_Embedded_linux.pdf|ELC Europe 2007 - Status of Embedded Linux BOF slides (PDF)]] (October 2007)
 * [[Media:Embedded_Linux_BOF_OLS_2007.pdf|OLS 2007 Embedded Linux BOF slides (PDF)]] (July 2007)
 * [[Media:OLS2006-Embedded-BOF-2.ppt|OLS 2006 Embedded Linux BOF slides (PPT)]] (July 2005)
 * OLS 2005 Status of Embedded Linux BOF [need presentation]

Uncategorized info
This is where I put stuff I haven't had time to analyze or sort into the appropriate category:

April 2011

 * http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/OIN-announces-new-members/?kc=LNXDEVNL042011 - OIN grows 28%
 * Intel working on supporting Android 3.0, according to Paul Ottellini
 * Android in focus at Intel - http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-20055868-64.html
 * Mobile patent lawsuit cheatsheet - http://technologizer.com/2011/04/19/mobile-lawsuits/
 * Linus fed up with ARM sub-architecture chaos
 * Linaro organizing group to help resolve issues (possibly hire sub-arch coordinator)
 * information about the longterm release (2.6.35)
 * how are we deciding the next one
 * information about CELF LTS kernel??

Other

 * CONFIG_PM being eliminated - improved PM configuration
 * ftrace using -mfentry (feb 9, 2011 lkml, steve rostedt)

April 2010

 * HP buys Palm - now owns Webos
 * Japanese companies (with LIMO) announce new mobile stack - http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Consortium-from-NTT-DoCoMo-Renesas-Fujitsu-NEC-Panasonic-and-Sharp/?kc=LNXDEVNL042810

Previous to April 2010

 * SystemTap 1.0 now includes support for cross-compilation.
 * Patches for dynamic printks
 * writing to /dev/kmsg to generate a printk (not new, but I just discovered it)
 * LZO kernel compression is in 2.6.33
 * Arjan van de Ven's timer-slack code - http://lwn.net/Articles/369361/

Bootup Time

 * pre-linking
 * XIP
 * (see filesystem work)
 * KFT
 * embedded bootchart

File Systems

 * YAFFS2
 * Mainline effort by Charles Manning
 * LogFS
 * Joern disappeared again
 * Squashfs
 * Now supports LZMA2 in mainline
 * CELF funding SquashFS on MTD work
 * Arnd Bergmann's work on optimizing Linux FS for cheap flash media
 * See ELC presentation and Linaro page
 * Tim Bird's treadahead work
 * See ABS presentation

Graphics

 * OpenGL ES
 * whither fbdev?
 * 2D - Android doesn't have a native 2D API (or it's changing?)
 * Need to research this

Multimedia

 * GStreamer - held first ever GStreamer conference in October (co-located with ELC Europe)
 * Khronos is working on their stuff

infrared remote control support

 * LIRC kernel drivers were mainlined as of 2.6.26
 * IR: add lirc support to ir-core LWN.net LKML reference
 * LIRC web site: http://www.lirc.org/
 * LIRC FAQ: http://www.lirc.org/faq.html

Toolchains

 * Linaro publishing toolchains - one directly for Android use

Distributions

 * OpenEmbedded
 * Embedded Debian
 * PokyLinux
 * Ubuntu Mobile

Distribution tools

 * Yocto Project

Meego

 * Meego - what's up now that Nokia bailed?

Android

 * Android 3.0 (Honeycomb)
 * Android 3.0 SDK released (???)
 * Tablets?
 * phone activations? (350,000 per day, as of April 8, 2011)
 * GoogleTV?
 * Dalvik ported to Meego - myriad Group AG announced Myriad Alien Dalvik, for running Android apps on other Linux platforms
 * See http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Myriad-Group-Myriad-Alien-Dalvik/?kc=LNXDEVNL020911
 * IcedRobot implementation of Android (using OpenJDK)

Industry organizations or projects

 * LiMo - anything happening?
 * CELF => CEWG under Linux Foundation
 * CELF projects
 * Linux Foundation
 * Lots of stuff going on in embedded:
 * Yocto
 * Meego
 * CE Working Group
 * Linaro - 1 year in
 * see David Rusling's presentation from ELC

Embedded Linux usage

 * Maybe as high as 32% market share in MIDs
 * http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/ABI-netbook-study/?kc=LNXDEVNL110409