[ Thanks to LinuxDevices.com for this link.
]
“QNX Software Systems (Ottawa, ONTARIO) has unveiled an
aggressive strategy to counter the growing presence of Linux in the
embedded market. The QNX strategy lies not in working against
Linux, but rather in hitching the company’s fortunes to the Linux
train — in a manner of speaking.”
“It’s interesting to note that QNX Software Systems was,
after all, one of the first and most successful companies to have
come up with a ‘UNIX-like’ RTOS capable of use in mission critical
embedded applications. Now, with Linux (not UNIX) rapidly
emerging as a highly popular embedded system operating system, the
company is scrambling to recast its popular QNX RTOS as
‘Linux-like.’ The new QNX initiative consists of several key
elements….”
“In defense of Linux, there’s a flaw in Bell’s logic centered
around the assertion that having source to the Linux kernel
automatically necessitates modifying it. Discarding that
unreasonable assumption, the ‘time-consuming-and-expensive-task of
modifying and maintaining kernel code’ cannot be considered a
legitimate disadvantage of using Linux.”
“Flawed, too, is the argument that companies who embed Linux and
other GPL components in their products will lose the ability to
protect their own proprietary intellectual property (IP). This
obviously specious argument is commonly used by proprietary OS
vendors as a ‘FUD’ (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) tactic in
attacking Linux. Though there are indeed restrictions that apply to
modified GPL software, a careful reading of the actual terms of the
GPL license (see article) should assuage fears relative to
protecting IP.”