Intel's Mobile Linux Initiative Misses Vendor Mark?

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Intel (Quote) is pushing its mobile Linux development efforts
with Moblin.org, a new resource site for open source projects focused on the development of Linux
for Intel-based devices.

The site has already posted an initial list of projects that it
will undertake, including key components such as the kernel,
browser, power management framework and a user interface framework.

So far
the site lists Ubuntu’s Mobile and Embedded Edition and Red Flag’s MIDINUX
Linux distributions as participants. This leaves out what is arguably the world’s most deployed embedded Linux distribution: MontaVista Linux.

“MontaVista has been aware of this initiative by Intel for some time and has
met with Intel a number of times to discuss the project,” Jim Ready, CTO and
founder of MontaVista, told internetnews.com. “As the devices Intel
is making become competitive in the market, we will respond to our customers’
demand for support by porting MontaVista Mobilinux to these devices.”

MontaVista’s Mobilinux is a version of its MontaVista Linux embedded
offering that is specifically tailored for the needs of mobile devices.
Ready said he doesn’t consider Moblin as competing with MontaVista.

According to Ready, MontaVista is very supportive of efforts that improve
Linux and make it suitable for as many devices as possible. He went on to
note that MontaVista, along with the support of its semiconductor partners (Texas Instrument and Intel) and customers (NEC, Panasonic and Motorola), have delivered production quality MontaVista Linux for mobile devices that have shipped in more than 30 million devices.

That said, there is a fundamental difference between what Intel is doing with
Moblin and what MontaVista does.

“MontaVista is in the business of delivering a production-quality,
technologically advanced, fully supported Linux distribution
(MontaVista Mobilinux), which is responsive to customers’ time-to-market
requirements,” Ready explained.

“The Intel effort, while interesting and
useful, does none of these. Nor is it designed to. Like many open source
projects it will produce prototype software of varying utility and quality
on unpredictable schedules, as it should. It’s up to companies, such as
MontaVista and the device makers themselves, to decide if they want to invest
in the effort to make useable real products out of the technology.”

Ready also pointed out that what Intel is now doing with Mobile Linux is
similar to how Intel a few years back was able to help drive Carrier Grade Linux.

That effort matured with vendors now providing Carrier Grade Linux solutions, including Montavista, into the marketplace.

This article was first published on InternetNews.com. To read the full article, click here.