Linux.com: Kernel 2.4 Ascends the Palmtop (and Other Handhelds)

“Palm-tops and embedded devices are an ever expanding market. As
with any hardware a geek might be interested in, Linux has been
ported to many of these. Several Linux start-ups are primarily
focused on this market, as well. Kernel 2.4 brings some new
features to this class of device. Linux already has run on a Palm
Pilot, soon, with this technology, it may be networking your
toaster with your fridge to your cell phone!”

“Support for typical embedded and palm-top chips, and
support for the flash memory devices and additional file-systems
which make development simpler are all new with 2.4. The two
primary file-systems making embedded devices happier are cramfs,
and ramfs which both allow filesystems to be created within
RAM. 2.4 also adds USB support and continues to use a wide
range of IrDA (infrared data transmission) ports.”

“Most of these new changes exist within the Memory Technology
Device (MTD) Subsystem. The MTD project homepage says, “we’re
working on a generic Linux subsystem for memory devices, especially
Flash devices. The aim of the system is to make it simple to
provide a driver for new hardware, by providing a generic interface
between the hardware drivers and the upper layers of the
system.”

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