Ukrainian Linux Kernel Developers group

Building an embedded Linux distribution can be a daunting task. From the Board Support Package (BSP) to Kernel configuration, root file system setup and the selection many additional software package there are many choices to make and taking the wrong turn can easily lead to a dead end and many hours of wasted time.

The Yocto Project greatly simplifies this process with a set of proven tools and recipes allowing you to build you own custom Linux distribution tailored to your requirements.

During The Linux Foundation's Embedded Linux Conference at the Hotel Sofitel San Francisco Bay in Redwood Shores from February 15 through 17, you have the unique opportunity to build your competence in embedded Linux and the Yocto Project.

On the day before the conference, February 14, the first-ever Yocto Project Developer Day you will have the opportunity to meet the Yocto Project's supporting organizations and many experts who will be presenting sessions and labs.

Stay a little longer and right after the conference on Saturday/Sunday February 18/19, you can deepen your Yocto Project knowledge with a 2-day crash course offered by The Linux Foundation.

Join me for two days of hands-on learning fun, building Linux system images to boot in an emulator and on a Beagleboard. First you will get an introduction into the Yocto Project and OpenEmbedded and how they relate. Then we will dive into the Poky Build Process, the core of the Yocto Project, and the Bitbake build orchestrator. You will learn about metadata layers, recipes and classes and how to use them to customize your distribution built by the Yocto Project.

What will you need? You know your way around on a Linux system and are not afraid of a commnad shell. You can use any of the standard text editors such as vi or emacs. You understand the basics of compiling and linking programs and constructing Makefile.

What to bring? Tag along your laptop with Ubuntu 10.04 LTS 32-bit installed on it. Or alternatively, have VirtualBox 4.1.8 installed on your system. We can provide you with an appliance ready to be imported in VirtualBox.

I am looking forward to seeing you soon in Redwood Shores!

Use of Linux in the mobile/embedded space is exploding, and we find many companies are adopting the open source Yocto project to build custom embedded Linux systems. The project is hosting a free day of training on Yocto on Feb 14th as part of the Embedded Linux Conference. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn Yocto if you're a beginner or get more advanced if you are already familiar with the tool. Find out more about Yocto Developer Day.

Yocto includes the BitBake build tool, a large set of customizable build metadata, the EGLIBC library, Eclipse-based graphical user interfaces for both the build system and an accompanying Application Development Toolkit that is automatically generated, and several other tools that bring some order to the occasional chaos of developing systems with embedded Linux - and indeed, embedded systems in general. The Yocto Project supports multiple Intel architectures, multiple ARM architectures, MIPS, and PowerPC with standard BSPs and QEMU-based emulators. The build system that is customizable end-to-end but still easy to use. The project is supported by major embedded hardware vendors, embedded Linux operating system vendors, the OpenEmbedded Project, and many other organizations, with a governance structure based on the open source tenets of transparency and meritocracy. It's one of the Linux Foundation Labs projects I am most excited about. Seating is limited for this free training, so early registration is highly encouraged. The ELC schedule is out and this Yocto training, combined with the conference and Android Builders Summit held concurrently, should make for a fabulous week of embedded Linux. 

For those of you who want a bit more embedded Linux, we are also hosting two in-depth training courses on the weekend following the conference:

LF410 Embedded Linux Development: A Crash Course (View Course Overview)

Saturday, February 18th - Sunday, February 19th
9:00am - 5:00pm (Pacific Time)
 

LF404 Building Embedded Linux with Yocto: Crash Course (View Course Overview)
Saturday, February 18th - Sunday, February 19th
9:00am - 5:00pm (Pacific Time)

You can find out more about these embedded Linux classes. These courses are hands on and intense. Let me know if you have any questions. See you at the Hotel Sofitel! 

Toyota, Google, Facebook, New York Stock Exchange, Burlington Coat Factory, Amazon.

These names represent just a handful of the thousands of large companies using Linux today. As early adopters of Linux (some having used the OS well over a decade) with some of the most technically advanced challenges to overcome in their business environments, companies such as these can give us important insight as to how Linux is being used and where it's growing.

That is why we started surveying large companies using Linux in 2010 and why today's new report, "Linux Adoption Trends 2012: A Survey of Enterprise End Users," sheds light on what we can expect from enterprises, both large and small, that are using Linux. We hope this research can help inform the industry, our members and us as we prioritize our work for a New Year.

In order to intimately understand the adoption trends among this elite level of companies, we filtered the responses to our survey to collect just the data from companies with more than $500m+ in annual revenues or 500+ employees. You will find a variety of new data points in this year's report, but here's three that I think are interesting and/or surprising.

Linux is growing, even as spending forecasts remain bleak

Companies using Linux are bucking the forecast trends of reduced spending on IT. Eight out of ten respondents said they've added more Linux servers in the last 12 months and will add more in the next 12 months. Eight out of ten are also planning more Linux deployments over the next five years, while only 21.7% said they would be adding more Windows in the next five years.

"Big Data" might be a buzzword, but it's a real concern

The rising level of data is not lost on large companies. In fact, it's a concern for more than 75% of our respondents. With the number of collection points spreading and more elements of our personal and professional interactions being digitized, the term "Big Data" is becoming part of our regular vocabulary. We were very interested to learn that more than two-thirds (or 71.8%) are planning to add more Linux in the next 12 months to support it. Given Linux's incumbent position in high-performance computing (HPC), maybe this shouldn't come as a surprise.

Overall concerns/issues with Linux dropping

While management perception remains at the top of the list of concerns among even large enterprise users, we found that few people see much impeding Linux's ongoing success. In fact we saw a 40% drop in people who thought technical issues would hold back the platform. Ten percent fewer this year say there are no issues at all impeding the success of Linux.

The 2012 Enterprise End User survey surfaces a very positive story for Linux among enterprises that use the operating system most. As our report says, "Once enterprises deploy Linux, they stick with Linux and plan to add more Linux, because the platform provides sustainable benefits that include a broad feature set, security, cost-savings and flexibility."

One last note: This report is not intended to be an assessment of the overall penetration of Linux in the market, or is it a cross-platform study. This "Linux Adoption Trends 2012: A Survey of Enterprise End User" report reflects the usage trends of enterprise users most familiar with Linux, surfacing important data that can inform important work.

Last week I attended the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. A few years ago CES was not on my calendar as a “must-attend” show. While there has been Linux in play in consumer devices for many years, only in the last few years has Linux become a fundamental building block of virtually all major consumer electronics segments, from mobile phones to televisions to stereo equipment to automobiles. CES is now an event I simply can’t miss.

This year I was struck by the shifting nature of software ecosystems. On one hand you had Steve Ballmer and Steven Elop repeating over and over how Microsoft and Nokia will be the "third ecosystem" to Apple and Android’s already successful ones. I find it ironic that what Ballmer means when he says he wants  “to build the strong third ecosystem in the smartphone market” is that Microsoft and Nokia really want to be well, Microsoft and Nokia again. Except this time in third place. We all know that the rise and hold of Microsoft’s desktop domination was driven not by technology superiority but by the “ecosystem,” the availability of applications and peripherals supporting that operating system (OS), and only that OS. Microsoft and Nokia would like to return to that world with their mobile platforms. As Elop said, “We believe the industry has shifted form a battle of devices to a war of ecosystems.”

But are they too late? Will ecosystems really matter as much in the world of HTML5?

Let’s be honest. HTML5 is really just another way to say “the Internet,” and when it comes to breaking "ecosystem" lock in there have been fewer better mechanisms than the Internet. With HTML5, developers can target multiple platforms with their applications, making silo’ed app stores less important than they are today. Imagine a world where developers can use new tools to publish their apps to the Android, Apple, Amazon and “whatever else” store with one click. No 30 percent revenue share if they don’t want it. No proprietary programming interfaces. That is the promise of the Internet.

AT&T has made a huge bet on HTML5. Even Apple promotes HTML5 and touts that every Apple mobile device, every new Mac, every new version of Safari, will support it. As they say, "These web standards are open, reliable, highly secure, and efficient. Standards aren't add-ons to the web. They are the web."

A new developer survey out this week shows three quarters of developers are planning HTML5 projects. And, why wouldn't they? The promise of "write once, run everywhere" has always been incredibly alluring for any developer who wants the widest possible market for her or her apps.

I believe that HTML5 will be begin to be very important in 2012 and will make great strides in leveling the playing field away from the largest two mobile ecosystems. I also think it will help Android, since Android on other devices, like TVs, are also prone to application ecosystem fragmentation. As Wired Magazine says in their discussion of ecosystem wars in the (Android) television market, “This trepidation around rallying around a common platform is troublesome for consumers, who ultimately just want to use apps that work.”

HTML5 could deliver that experience and fuel a truly open mobile world where ecosystems won’t matter quite so much. Of course the hardware vendors must support and enable those standards, and to do that they must see it as in their best interest. They must embrace HTML5 as a way to enhance their platform and reduce the costs of building and supporting a software ecosystem. While some see closed app stores as a way to differentiate and generate revenue in a tight margin business, I personally feel that the wisdom of the Internet, along with vendor opportunities for revenues (such as in-app transactions) will win. Only time will tell.

{lfnews}The Linux Foundation today announced its 2012 Linux events and onsite training schedule. Some highlights include a triple-header in San Diego in August: LinuxCon North America, Linux Plumbers Conference and Linux Kernel Summit. Someone better warn San Diego natives that we're taking over their city this summer. We're also really excited to host three events in Barcelona: LinuxCon Europe, Embedded Linux Conference Europe and KVM Forum. Viva Linux!

You can check out today's news release for details on these and other events or check out this slideshow we whipped together with some cool images and photos from past events. Shows us what's in store this year.

I thought it would be easier to do a round of stable kernel releases in
the middle of the larger kernel merge window, to prevent the next round
from being so big (given that there are a lot of patches usually
applying during the -rc1 merge window cycle).

So, I've now done:

• Linux 2.6.32.54-rc1 release
• Linux 3.0.17-rc1 release
• Linux 3.1.9-rc1 release
• Linux 3.2.1-rc1 release

Please go test and let me know if there are any problems with any of
these kernels. If I've missed any patches that you feel should be in
them, also please let me know.

Note, this is most likely going to be the LAST 3.1.y kernel
release, so please move off to the 3.2 kernel at this point in time.
Maintaining so many different kernel branches all at once is not
trivial, and I want to minimize it if at all possible.

As 3.2 is now out, here's a note as to the current status of the
different stable/longterm kernel trees.

First off, please everyone remember to mark any patch that you want to
have applied to the stable kernel trees with a simple:

Cc: stable

marking in the Signed-off-by: area. Once the patch hits Linus's tree, I
will automatically be notified of it and it will be applied if possible.
If it does not applied, you will be notified of that.

Note that the address is stable@vger.kernel.org, not the older address
that used to be used before October of 2011.

At this time, all stable and longterm kernel trees are being maintained
in one big git tree, located at:

git.kernel.org:/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux-stable.git

There are different branches for every different major kernel version.

Here's the different active kernel versions that I am maintaining at the moment:

• 3.2.y - this will be maintained until 3.3 comes out
• 3.1.y - there will be only one, maybe two, more releases of this tree
• 3.0.y - this is the new "longterm" kernel release, it will be
  maintained for 2 years at the minimum by me.
• 2.6.32.y - this is the previous "longterm" kernel release. It is
  approaching it's end-of-life, and I think I only have
  another month or so doing releases of this. After I am
  finished with it, it might be picked up by someone else, but
  I'm not going to promise anything.

All other longterm kernels are being maintained in various forms
(usually quite sporadically, if at all), by other people, and I can not
speak for their lifetime at all, that is up to those individuals.

If anyone has any questions about any of this, please
let me know.

We’ve scheduled several training classes to help you ring in the New Year.

Immediately on the horizon is our LF331 Developing Linux Device Drivers class on January 16-20, 2012. LF331 introduces programmers to the Linux kernel and the different device drivers used in the Linux kernel space, while hands-on exercises and demos provide the necessary tools to learn how to develop device drivers for Linux. Register by 5pm PT on January 11th and get an early start on the New Year!

If your interest is in embedded development, then February is your month. The 2012 Embedded Linux Conference takes place February 15-17, 2012 in Redwood Shores, CA. If you’re going, you can round out the conference with a crash course in Embedded Linux Development or Building Embedded with Yocto. Both 2-day courses step through all phases of embedded development on an embedded target device and you can take this hands-on practice directly to your own projects.

Please subscribe to our training newsletter (sign up from the homepage of our training site) or our Twitter feed for exclusive discounts.

Derald Woods is a 13-year engineering veteran who today works in software development, designing and supporting electronic vehicle controls for heavy equipment and trucks. Lately, his time is being used to work on an ARM9-based embedded Linux solution that involves NTSC/PAL video CSI input, V4L2 overlay, and graphics provided by an SDL implementation.

This work lead him to The Linux Foundation's "Embedded Linux: A Crash Course" to dig in deeper and build upon his existing knowledge in this area.

"I have had embedded Linux training from other sources, but this was an opportunity to ask questions and discuss some approaches that I have taken in the process of maintaining my own embedded Linux environment. It was good that the other class participants were also experienced Linux developers. We were able to pinpoint our specific needs and pull from the instructor's background. The instructor was a seasoned and experienced professional who actually has helped to deliver real solutions. He was able to sense the needs of the class and tailor the time spent toward those needs."

Vendor-neutral Training Offers Intimate Level of Expertise

In addition to the instructor's depth of knowledge, Derald said that the Linux training offered an opportunity to learn from other developers and engineers who deal with problems similar to his own. He says the biggest reason he chose this course from The Linux Foundation is because of the organization's neutral position and alignment with the Linux development community.

"I wanted to be sure that the information received was from a group that has some exposure to Linux at an intimate level."

Combining Training with Event Attendance Has Its Benefits

Derald was able to maximize his Linux training investment by taking "Embedded Linux: A Crash Course" while attending LinuxCon North America in Vancouver, B.C.

"The combination of the Embedded Linux training and the LinuxCon event provided a unique opportunity to get a full open source experience. I am usually the only person in the room who has gone beyond the high-level interactions with Linux code. At LinuxCon North America, everyone was like me to some degree. That was very refreshing."

As for the learning experiences in the LinuxCon sessions, Derald says that the sessions were very good. "They gave me some perspective on how open source projects are managed," he added. "Being in the same room with kernel maintainers was an interesting experience. Once you realize that they are actually 'human' beings and not 'mystical' beings, the big picture starts to unfold. They need our help with testing, validation, and occasionally a good idea."

Linux Foundation Training Translates into On-the-Job Expertise, Career Maturity
Derald is already using his new knowledge on the job.

"I have started using 'crosstool-ng' to generate the embedded Linux toolchain. This should allow me to have more fine-grained control of the compilation artifacts of the entire software stack. It forces me to consider more factors that impact overall software performance. I am learning more about how things really work."

He added, "If you are delivering an embedded Linux solution, you really need to continue learning. Even if you already perceive that you are good at what you do with Linux, training keeps you honest and engaged."

The Linux training Derald received from The Linux Foundation will add to his ongoing evolution as a software engineer and Linux enthusiast. He says that his career as as software engineer and Linux will always be completely intertwined. His technical interest in the Linux operating system started as a hobby but he soon found his knowledge helpful at work. That knowledge grew into an area of core competence for Derald in his job, and today it's his primary career focus. "Embedded Linux: A Crash Course" adds another level of understanding for his journey forward.

For more information, please visit The Linux Foundation's Linux Training website.
 

We are always considering different ways to serve the Linux community. We use a variety of social networks to share information about Linux that we hope is useful. We would like to learn from you how we can be even more useful to our followers on LinkedIn in 2012 and are running an informal poll on the site today and tomorrow to understand what types of information (Linux training, Linux jobs, etc.,) you would like to see from us on that network. Please take one minute to click your preferences: Linux Foundation LinkedIn poll.

It has been a pleasure celebrating 20 years of Linux with you throughout the year. We're looking forward to even deeper collaboration with you in 2012. Have a safe and Happy New Year!

Over the past year, we've been working on a number of projects to help those who want to more closely participate in the Linux community, but don't know where to start. 

First, there's the Linux Foundation Training program. We've continued to add courses as new needs arise, and have had the opportunity to give on-site training to many companies over the past year. While much of our content is on improving technical skills (e.g. "Developing Linux Device Drivers," "Embedded Linux Development," "Advanced Linux Performance Tuning"), we have also added courses on being more effective when working with open communities. "How to Participate with the Linux Community" is a roadmap of sorts for developers and managers who are comfortable with the technology, but need some guidance in understanding the Linux kernel community processes. (A related guide on participating with the Linux community is also available.)

In addition, our newest course is "A Practical Guide to Open Source Development," which is intended for traditional development organizations that are preparing to consume or contribute to open source. This course goes beyond Linux kernel development, and addresses the ways in which organizations can get greater value from the open source process. In addition to best practices, it also discusses the process of launching new open source projects, how to open source proprietary code, and how to adopt principles of open source to speed up any sort of software development, open or closed. For more information, see the outline of the course.

We've also been working on a series of papers along the same lines. "Understanding the Open Source Development Model" is an introduction to the process of open source development. While it applies to Linux development, it's also useful for understanding how other communities function, as well. This paper is a good place to start for any company that is planning to get involved as a consumer or contributor to an open source project.

The second paper in the series, "Establishing an Open Source Software Strategy: Key Considerations and Tactical Recommendations," focuses on the different ways companies participate in open source development, and can be used as a guide when creating or updating a corporate development strategy. It discusses three ways in which companies participate in open development - consumers, contributors, and leaders - and provides guidance on actions that can help maximize your own effectiveness.

A third paper in the series, to be published early next year, focuses on the process of upstreaming.

As with all of our training and papers, we are happy to talk to your company in more detail or customize offerings. Becoming a member of the Linux Foundation connects you even more closely with these resources and their authors, and also helps supports these free resources for all.

Also, keep an eye out for these courses to be offered around major Linux Foundation events in 2012. We will have a schedule announced soon.