Chapter 1. Introducing Embedded Linux

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IN THIS CHAPTER

• Why Linux, Why Now?

• What Is an Embedded System?

• What Does Real-Time Mean?

• Implications of Open Source

• Additional Reading

So you want to use Linux in your next embedded system design? Great! You're not alone: Thousands of developers worldwide are doing the same thing. Like you, they want to take advantage of countless hours of code creation to make their products reliable, feature packed, robust, and quick to market. Embedded Linux using Linux as an operating system in embedded devices is now commonplace. In 1999 not many developers considered Linux an option for embedded designs. Today, however, Linux is well poised to become the market leader for embedded operating systems.

In a couple years, it's likely that a fair percentage of the billions of processors produced every year will run Linux. The massive Internet adoption of Linux, combined with technology advances and price reductions in hardware (CPUs) and memory (both flash and RAM), finally make embedding Linux a viable option. Since 1999 use of embedded Linux has gone from zero adoption to taking second place, in terms of market share, behind Wind River.¹ Experts estimate that embedded Linux will take over the number-one market share position by the end of 2002¹. This is very interesting, considering that Linux actually started as student project so many years ago. Linux can become number one, through the adoption of embedded Linux for designs that become products.

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