libbyclark's blog

When embedded projects call for for a real-time operating system, Linux developers often turn to PREEMPT-RT, the real-time kernel patch, to get it done.

“The PREEMPT_RT patch (aka the -rt patch or RT patch) makes Linux into a real-time system,” said Steven Rostedt, a Linux kernel developer at Red Hat and maintainer of the stable version of the real-time Linux kernel patch.

The automotive industry is undergoing a major technological shift and Jaguar Land Rover is at the forefront. The UK-based JLR has embraced Linux as the operating system underlying its next generation In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) systems. The company has also taken a leadership role in advocating for open source development within the automotive industry.

Embedded Linux is hard to define, but at least we know now that Linux pros say Android is not embedded Linux.  (See part 1 in this series, Android vs. Embedded Linux and this week’s Q&A with Mentor Graphics’ John Cherry.) That doesn’t mean, however, that Android isn’t useful in some embedded projects.

As we discovered last week, Linux pros don’t think Android is the new embedded Linux. Android does, however, have a lot of great uses in embedded projects and many features that even hard core embedded Linux developers can envy.

Is Android the new embedded Linux? Of course not, said Karim Yaghmour, OperSys founder, during the panel discussion on this topic at the Android Builders Summit last month in San Francisco.  It was a question meant to spur discussion, he said, that’s all.

Though Mandriva has been a popular Linux desktop distribution for many years, the company early last year found itself in a tough spot financially. Since then, Mandriva has undergone some major changes, adopting a new enterprise focus and creating an independent nonprofit foundation to carry on the Mandriva open source community work.

Embedded developer Bjarne Rosengren has never been to the Southern United States. But he’s got a better idea of the fun that lies ahead at LinuxCon in New Orleans this September – and the chance to go -- thanks to Tux.

The Linux Foundation’s Facebook page surpassed 100,000 fans this month and to celebrate we awarded one of our most loyal fans with a $100 gift certificate to the Linux.com store and a free pass to LinuxCon North America in New Orleans or LinuxCon Europe in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The job market for Linux professionals this year is even better than it was in 2012. Ninety-three percent of hiring managers surveyed said they plan to hire at least one Linux pro in the next six months -- up from 89 percent last year, according to the 2013 Linux Jobs Report released last week by Dice and The Linux Foundation.

The Linux Foundation asked its Twitter followers to weigh in on the rumor that Microsoft might port Office to Linux. Responses ranged from enthusiastic to skeptical to opposed, to just plain hilarious. Here's a collection of some of their tweets.