Embedded Pointers

Living in Linux

With the economic downturn and the imminent demise of Windows Vista, more folks are looking seriously at Linux as a development platform for embedded systems. However, most of us live in a Micro$oft-centric world. We have Exchange servers, Outlook email, Word documents, Powerpoint presentations and a management infrastructure that only understands MS Windows. How can the developer who wants more tools and a more stable development environment survive in the typical corporate world?

Over the next several weeks, I'll be outlining the process of tooling up in Linux while not losing any of the key connections to your management infrastructure. This ranges from the hardware needed to run Linux, to the infrastructure connections to devices like printers and wireless, to the software needed to keep you in contact with the rest of your peers. I'll be outlining several alternatives along the way as well. So, if one approach isn't to your liking, you can try one of the others.

Before we get started, let me tell you the good and bad of Linux. The good is that there is never only one way to do anything in Linux. In almost 10 years of working with Linux, I've never encountered a roadblock so severe that there simply wasn't a way around it. Now the bad part: there is never only one way to do anything in Linux. There are usually at least 6 different ways to do the same thing in Linux. This means that you'll have to pick one approach and go with it until either you get things working, or you find that the technique won't work for you and you have to choose a different route.

That being said, I can assure you that you can live quite comfortably in Linux and still have complete connectivity with your peers. You can even skin the UI in Linux to make it look like Windows XP, Vista, or even OS/X. So, you won't lose the look and feel that you've become comfortable with and the IT wonks can't waltz by your desk and tell that you're not using the official O/S.

So, stay tuned to this channel as I outline what it takes to do embedded development in Linux...

posted by PTR-Mike @ 4:54 PM