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Jyoji Usami, President, Videomail Japan, Inc.

Embedded Linux Resource Download Library

Click to view White papers about embedded Linux development, devices, and applications.
White papers
The New Linux Supply Chain – Dan Cauchy, V.P. of Marketing, MontaVista Software
Linux has become the operating system of choice for new embedded systems development in a broader range of applications than ever before, ranging from Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) to In-Vehicle-Infotainment (IVI), to GPS, to Mobile smartphones and more. The approach to embedded Linux development is changing and there are three potential paths.

view Dan Cauchy page       Read white paper

From Embedded Market Forecasters: Choosing Between Commercial and Roll Your Own (RYO) Embedded Linux OSes: Long Term ROI Considerations – Jerry Krasner, Ph.D., MBA, Vice President, Embedded Market Forecasters and American Technology International
In this paper Embedded Market Forecasters (EMF) is taking a look at the ROI between commercial Linux and "roll your own (RYO)" Linux developments. It's a natural assumption that RYO Linux development is the most cost effective option because there are no subscriptions or support costs. You simply download the code and begin development, but is this really true? Are these Linux developments really "free". (12 pages)

view Jerry Krasner, Ph.D., MBA page       Read white paper

From Linux Foundation: Linux Kernel Development - How Fast it is Going, Who is Doing It, What They are Doing...
This white paper from the Linux Foundation looks at how the kernel development process works, focusing on kernel history as represented by the 2.6.11 through 2.6.35 releases. This is the 2010 version of this paper, which was first published in April, 2008, and covered development through the 2.6.24 kernel. Since 2005, over 6100 individual developers from over 600 different companies have contributed to the kernel. The Linux kernel, thus, has become a common resource developed on a massive scale. The paper shows both individual and corporate contributors to the development process.

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From Embedded Market Forecasters: Embedded Linux - 2009: Addendum to EMF 2007 Total Cost of Development Paper – Jerry Krasner, Ph.D., MBA, Vice President, Embedded Market Forecasters and American Technology International
In December 2007 EMF published a paper entitled "Embedded Linux, Total Cost of Development Analyzed: An Evaluation of the Costs Associated with Embedded Linux Development as Compared with Commercial RTOSes and Non-Commercial Linux"...The basis of the 2007 analysis was the extensive survey data that EMF compiles year-over-year from embedded developers. The findings and analysis were based on factual data. This is an update including 2009 data. (7 pages)

view Jerry Krasner, Ph.D., MBA page       Read white paper

GPLv3 and MontaVista Linux – Jason Wacha, Vice President of Corporate Affairs and General Counsel, MontaVista Software; Director and Founder of Open Bar
Summarizes the effect of GPL 3 open source licensing on MontaVista Linux and on embedded Linux in general. (2 pages)

view Jason Wacha page       Read white paper


Please select the free White papers you wish to read
Beyond Virtualization - The MontaVista Approach to Multi-core SoC Resource Allocation and Control
MontaVista Linux Carrier Grade Edition (CGE) provides a Linux-based programming environment that can scale from high-performance 'bare metal' dedicated spaces, to an RTOS-like multi-threaded run-time, up to a fully virtualized Linux SMP process model. Application developers can now deploy a single operating system, Linux, across all of the cores on a multi-core processor and avoid the complications of multiple run-times (e.g., Linux, an RTOS and a hypervisor). This paper outlines that approach to deliver a highly configurable, scalable, and virtualized Linux environment that includes a very low overhead run-time capability that can match bare-machine and/or RTOS level performance in Linux.

MontaVista Linux Carrier Grade Edition – Carrier Grade Edition Team, MontaVista Software
This technical paper for technical managers, software developers, and systems engineers introduces MontaVista Linux Carrier Grade Edition, and describes what it is, how it was created, and how it provides a foundation for developing and deploying carrier grade applications such as those in communications networks. (28 pages)

Change your OS, Not your Code!
This joint white paper with Mapusoft discusses how to migrate an application from an existing RTOS to MontaVista Linux. OS Changer helps developers reduce the amount of re-work necessary during the transition to MontaVista Linux by recognizing your old RTOS API calls in the application and automatically handling the work to make them run with MontaVista Linux. It manages all aspects of the porting process, from differing function names to the parameter types. All of this is done without affecting the performance of your application.

Booting MontaVista Linux 6 on the Beagle Board
Texas Instruments' Beagle Board, featuring an OMAP3530 processor (ARM Cortex A8), is an inexpensive yet powerful development platform that can serve as a basis for developing more deeply embedded OMAP3530 projects. With its onboard DSP, high-speed USB, DVI-D, and expansion capabilities, it can also serve as a base single-board computer in its own right. It is a perfect showcase for the wide flexibility provided by MontaVista Linux 6.
This white paper provides step-by-step instructions on how to bring MontaVista Linux 6 up on the Beagle Board using the Beagle Board Market Specific Distribution (MSD), the MontaVista Integration Platform (MVIP), and, of course, the Beagle Board itself.

Streamlining the Embedded Linux Development Process: Using MontaVista Linux 6 to get the most out of open source software and improve development efficiencies
The Linux operating system has become the dominant choice for new development projects over any other embedded OS for many different reasons. This paper will outline the challenges of embedded Linux development and the obstacles that can push software engineers off the path of rapidly delivering embedded products to market. It will then provide an overview of MontaVista Linux 6 and show examples of how MontaVista Linux 6 helps to streamline the embedded Linux development process, delivering a faster time to market.

Migrating Legacy RTOS Device Drivers to Embedded Linux – William Weinberg, Analyst and Consultant, Linux Pundit.com
With the accelerating pace of application development and ever more compressed product life cycles, the ability to re-use and migrate legacy software to new platforms is paramount. This White Paper examines the particulars of legacy RTOS device interfaces and provides heuristics, resources and concrete examples of migrating this critical code to modern Linux-based embedded platforms. The White Paper reviews the architecture and conventions of drivers built for VxWorks and other legacy RTOSes, and gives developers straightforward guidelines for mapping code and constructs onto Linux 2.6. It examines options for kernel and user space implementations, highlights licensing implications, and presents migration and debugging tools and techniques. (17 pages)

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Migrating legacy VxWorks applications to Linux – William Weinberg, Analyst and Consultant, Linux Pundit.com
This technical white paper helps embedded developers understand the VxWorks-to-Linux transition process and how to assess the challenges and risks involved. It tells how to map legacy VxWorks-based architectures onto Linux, gives options for migrated application execution, discusses VxWorks API and IPC translation, and tells of application-specific migration challenges and solutions. (32 pages)

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MontaVista Mobilinux Dynamic Power Management Programmer's Guide – Ian daSilva
Includes how-to instructions and sample code for using embedded Linux to implement dynamic power management. Includes coverage of CPUfreq, implementing a custom governor, implementing a power-aware Linux driver, reducing engergy consumption of the CPU and of devices, reducing energy consumption during suspend, and sample code for a frequency regulation algorithm and other functions. Includes comments about Freescale i.MX31 and TI OMAP2430 implementation.

Real-time technology for embedded Linux: The MontaVista advantage – William Weinberg, Analyst and Consultant, Linux Pundit.com
This paper provides an understanding of the requirements for real-time capabilities in Linux-based embedded systems. It examines multiple paths to achieving real-time responsiveness with Linux, and details key native Linux technologies and their evolution. Finally, it presents empirically-derived performance benchmarks for popular and widely-deployed CPUs. (26 pages)

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Moving legacy applications to Linux: RTOS migration revisited – William Weinberg, Analyst and Consultant, Linux Pundit.com
Whether you plan a move to embedded Linux or are just considering the investment needed to convert existing applications to embedded Linux and possible paybacks, this paper will help you understand the transition process, assess the challenges and risks, and appreciate the benefits you can realize from such a move. The paper addresses how to map legacy architectures onto Linux, options for migrated application execution, API and IPC translation, enhanced reliability realized from migration, the migration process itself, and application-specific migration challenges and solutions. (24 pages)

view William Weinberg page      

Real programmers do use IDEs: The case for integrated development with embedded Linux – William Weinberg, Analyst and Consultant, Linux Pundit.com
This paper examines the evolution of embedded cross development, and why IDEs (integrated development environments) have remained "tomorrow's technology" for embedded developers. It also highlights recent trends in tool design and in the integration of the development process, especially as those trends apply to different types of embedded development and to various phases of the development process. It includes specific examples of how MontaVista DevRocket provides benefits to embedded Linux developers. (19 pages)

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AdvancedTCA-based open architecture router platform for next-generation IP networks: Adding flexible services efficiently – Intel Corporation
For telecommunications equipment manufacturers and service providers, this paper explains why scalability and time-to-market are critical considerations in adding new services and features because early delivery can differentiate a new offering in a competitive environment. Explains how MontaVista Software, IPInfusion, and Intel Modular Communications teamed to deliver a server edge router based on ATCA standards to improve time-to-market and increase service flexibility. (8 pages)


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