LinuxDevices.com: A developer's review of MontaVista's Hard Hat Linux SDK

"Unlike Embedix, which has a strong (and successful) emphasis on user friendliness, Hard Hat Linux can be expected to appeal to current Linux users requiring features specific to embedded systems. Its configuration and development model follows the GNU model closely. GCC, GDB, and DDD are used for program compilation and debugging. SysVinit is used for system initialization.

In general, the Hard Hat environment should seem familiar to current Linux users. But in its top-level layout, Hard Hat Linux more closely resembles the structure of traditional real-time operating systems (RTOSes) than that of Linux. RTOS vendors generally deliver a core product which consists of the operating system and a set of development tools. In addition to this, a "board support package" (BSP) must be purchased, which provides drivers and configuration information for each supported single board computer (SBC) platform. Typically, the RTOS vendor will produce some BSPs for the most commonly used SBCs; vendors of less well-known SBCs are expected to produce and sell BSPs for their own boards. Developers of custom hardware can often start with the BSP that most closely resembles their design and customize it."

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