Lineo’s Embedix SDK (Software Development Kit) is a collection of tools designed for developing embedded Linux applications. The tools work on most Linux distributions, and the SDK comes with a copy of Caldera OpenLinux 2.3. OpenLinux includes the GNU compiler collection (GCC), but many developers will want to take advantage of the included Metrowerks CodeWarrior, an X Windows-based graphical development environment. Unfortunately, CodeWarrior comes with only online documentation; we’d prefer printed documentation.
The centerpiece of the SDK is the Embedix Target Wizard. This tool takes the disparate components of an embedded environment (including the operating system and application), strips out unneeded information, and generates a compact binary that can be downloaded onto an embedded system. The Target Wizard is project-oriented, so it’s easy to copy projects and make adjustments to test different configurations. It also takes care of many annoying chores, including checking dependencies for missing components. Development is typically done using C, C++, or assembler, although any available compiler can be used if it can generate code for the target processor. The Wizard can currently target the x86 and PowerPC processors.
Split Architecture
Linux is the target operating system, but Linux by itself lacks the real-time support needed by time-critical applications. Lineo’s Embedix Realtime, a hard real-time RTOS, is included with the SDK and uses the RTAI (real-time application interface) to provide RT support for RT applications. This approach allows conventional Linux applications to run by making the traditional Linux APIs available also. This…
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