“The deal is interesting in one respect: It formalizes Red
Hat’s desire to use Red Hat Linux as a base platform for embedded
Linux development. Officially, the company has yet to come out with
a separate embedded version of its popular Red Hat enterprise
distribution, preferring to guard its own real-time embedded
operating system EL/IX, acquired during last fall’s merger with
Cygnus Systems.”
“Given the kernel’s free software license, however, Ericsson
developers merely took it upon themselves to use the kernel to
develop a cheap prototype device. Ericsson unveiled that prototype
at the German trade show CeBit in February, using the Opera browser
as a Web interface.”
“For the moment, Red Hat is holding off on creating a standard
version of Red Hat Linux specifically for the embedded Linux
market. By offering service and support, however, the company would
allow outside vendors to customize the existing Red Hat kernel.
Both Ericsson and Red Hat plan to create a central developer
website in the hopes of creating a development community around the
Ericsson product line.”