The Linux Foundation Announces Yocto Project Steering Group and Release 1.0

First major release of common embedded Linux tools includes developer interface and build system improvements for developers

SAN FRANCISCO {Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit}, April 6, 2011 – The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux, today announced the availability of the Yocto Project Release 1.0, which includes major improvements to its developer interface and build system, providing developers with even greater consistency in the software and tools they’re using across multiple architectures for embedded Linux development.

The Linux Foundation today is also announcing the Yocto Project Steering Group, which includes representatives from Dell, Intel Corporation, Mentor Graphics, OpenEmbedded eV, Texas Instruments, Timesys and Wind River. The Steering Group provides leadership and direction for the project.

The Yocto Project is a Linux Foundation workgroup and was announced late last year to help develop open source, high-quality technology that helps companies make custom Linux-based systems for embedded products, regardless of hardware architecture. The collaborative project brings together the elements needed to make the normally difficult embedded Linux development process much easier.

The Yocto Project Release 1.0 is based on Linux kernel 2.6.37 and consists of the following new features:

• A new process for gathering, compiling and building from upstream source code, enabling higher build reliability and a better user interface experience.
• System toolchain bootstrapping and machine specific sysroot, allowing for a better incremental build experience.
• Faster builds and better performance with speed improvements to bitbake.
• Updated GCC toolchain (v4.5.1).
• A new Application Development Toolkit (ADT) installer and Application Development Guide have been introduced to improve the application development tool experience and documentation.
• Updates to the X Windows System, improving security for target devices.
• Up-to-date and integrated open source Linux commands, libraries and middleware.
• A layer that includes the latest release of the Linaro kernel and toolchain for ARM processors, resulting in increased hardware compatibility.

Yocto Project Release 1.0 also has Board Support Packages (BSP) that includes Atheros RouterStationPro, Freescale’s MPC8315E, Intel® Atom™ processors, and Texas Instrument’s OMAP, among others. To review Yocto Project Release 1.0, please visit the website at: http://www.yoctoproject.org.

“The Yocto Project is moving fast to address the increasing opportunities for Linux in the embedded computing market,” said Jim Zemlin, executive director at The Linux Foundation. “Yocto Project 1.0 represents strong work and focused collaboration since the project was introduced just six months ago. The Yocto Project tools will help ease and speed embedded Linux development.”

The Linux Foundation recently announced broad industry support for The Yocto Project as well as an alignment with OpenEmbedded: http://www.linuxfoundation.org/news-media/announcements/2011/03/yocto-project-aligns-technology-openembedded-and-gains-corporate-co.

Comments from the Yocto Project Steering Group
“Linux is paving the way for the future of computing and embedded computing is at the very core of that future,” said Steve Sakoman, former Apple executive and industry luminary. “The Linux Foundation and its members are accelerating this future with the Yocto Project by bringing together critical stakeholders on a common set of tools for embedded development. Yocto Project Release 1.0 is a perfect example of that collaboration at work.”

Dell
“Collaboration in the Yocto Project enables Dell to deliver innovative customer solutions more quickly,” said Mark Cathcart, Senior Distinguished Engineer and Director of System Engineering in the Dell Enterprise Products Group. “Yocto Project Release 1.0 is a reflection of how fast this project is moving to provide consistency in embedded Linux development.”

Intel Corporation
“The Yocto Project is accelerating the adoption of embedded solutions,” said Doug Fisher, vice president, Software and Services Group (SSG), and general manager of SSG’s Systems Software Division at Intel. “Linux is pervasive in embedded computing and the Yocto Project is enabling companies and developers to advance a whole new generation of embedded Linux devices.”

Mentor Graphics
“The Yocto Project represents a massive collaboration among the embedded Linux community’s most important stakeholders,” said Glenn Perry, general manager, Mentor Graphics Embedded Software Division. “Our active investment of technical resources and participation in the Yocto Project will deliver a common technology that will help unify the Linux user community.”

OpenEmbedded eV
“The open source Yocto Project brings together the elements needed to make the embedded Linux development process easier,” said Philip Balister, Vice Chairman, OpenEmbedded Board. “We’re happy to be working with the Yocto Project and believe it can advance Linux development efforts for embedded systems and devices.”

Texas Instruments
“OpenEmbedded is a very popular choice among BeagleBoard.org community software developers and is utilized within TI to design many of our own software development kits,” said Jason Kridner, Chief Software Technologist, Texas Instruments ARM Microprocessor Business. “The Yocto Project will take ease-of-design to the next level. The alignment with OpenEmbedded will drastically increase open source collaboration efforts and make it easier than ever to promote Linux in embedded systems as well as deliver a positive and improved end developer experience.”

Timesys
“The Yocto project’s goal to help companies build custom Linux-based products with greater ease aligns completely with Timesys’s mission to reduce the complexity and risk associated with embedded Linux product development,” said Atul Bansal, CEO Timesys Corporation.

Wind River
“Wind River sees tremendous potential in the Yocto Project. By establishing a shared build infrastructure, the Yocto Project can provide developers with a significant head start on their embedded Linux projects and help to curb issues such as fragmentation and duplication,” said Scot Morrison, Senior Vice President of Products at Wind River.

The Yocto Project participants are meeting this week at The Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit and next week at the Embedded Linux Conference. For more information on these events, please visit the Linux Foundation conferences site. For more information about the Yocto Project, please visit: http://www.yoctoproject.org.

About The Linux Foundation
The Linux Foundation is a nonprofit consortium dedicated to fostering the growth of Linux. Founded in 2000, the organization sponsors the work of Linux creator Linus Torvalds and promotes, protects and advances the Linux operating system by marshaling the resources of its members and the open source development community. The Linux Foundation provides a neutral forum for collaboration and education by hosting Linux conferences, including LinuxCon, and generating original Linux research and content that advances the understanding of the Linux platform. Its web properties, including Linux.com,reach approximately two million people per month. The organization also provides extensive Linux training opportunities that feature the Linux kernel community’s leading experts as instructors. Follow The Linux Foundation on Twitter.

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Trademarks: The Linux Foundation, Linux Standard Base, MeeGo and Yocto Project are trademarks of The Linux Foundation. Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds.