FOSS: The major players in Linux and free- and open-source software

David M Williams
Monday, 01 October 2007 19:25

Business IT - Open Source

OpenMoko have made a distribution (“OpenMoko distribution”, natch) bundling their software platform, which itself is built on top of the Linux kernel, the GNU C library, X-Windows and the GTK+ toolkit among other well-known, robust and established FOSS code. As device drivers are required, OpenMoko have committed to release all code through SVN version control (and stating a preference that the code actually be embedded into the Linux kernel and other source applications.)

Hardware wise, the Neo 1973 continues its course of openness; chips have been selected based on having complete documentation publicly available such as the ARM-based Samsung S3C2410 SOC processor. A GPRS-capable quad-band GSM modem is standard, along with Bluetooth, USB, a 640x480 LCD display and GPS support. Memory weighs in at 128Mb RAM and 64Mb NAND Flash with an SDIO-capable microSD card. A 512Mb card is included, but obviously can be easily replaced.

OpenMoko really is remarkable, in terms of both the product itself as well as the philosophy of the company who freely give away all the keys to allow anyone to get the most out of the phone as can possibly be done.

XenSource and rPath
Virtualisation is becoming a big deal. Sure, it’s cool on the desktop – you can try out different Linux distros, and you can run Windows, MacOS and Linux all at the one time in separate windows. We’ve covered this before. But where virtualisation really will take off is in server environments.

There’s no shortage of server-side utility: virtual servers can run essential legacy apps even when there maintaining a separate physical server can’t be justified. Additionally, virtual servers can run a host of partitioned server environments on a single set of hardware. This decreases hardware costs, maintenance issues and even has a positive benefit on disaster recovery – bringing a dead server online is no harder than restoring a virtual hard drive onto a new, working system.

XenSource is a powerful and high-performance virtual server environment. By itself, it is important as is due to the facilities it offers and its native Linux support. However, it is fairly evident that virtualisation is becoming a more important emerging technology as we approach 2008.

Server manufacturers have been looking at providing firmware embedded virtualisation hypervisors rather than have their customers rely on software solutions that run on top of an installed OS. Speculators believe that a FOSS option is appealing due to its vendor neutrality, and consequently that XenSource is well-placed to capitalise on the coming demand if they can develop an inexpensive hypervisor that is able to easily be embedded within firmware.

This, too, then opens the way for another company which is sure to make a future mark; rPath have come about to solve the problem of converting software applications into appliances.