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    SubjectRe: what's next for the linux kernel?
    http://www.eet.com/in_focus/embedded_systems/OEG20021213S0029

    It was decided at the beginning that we would design
    a system-on-chip (SoC) platform, which yields the
    best unit price when manufactured in high volume. The
    usual approach would be to license all the technology
    from third party suppliers, [...] [but] we didn't
    want to deal with huge NRE and royalty fees. Also,
    we would not get the necessary know-how that is often
    a determining factor when designing a new product in
    today's ever decreasing time-to-market.

    So, we decided to follow the Linux open source
    philosophy and build our first platform on open
    source technology. We took several open source IPs
    from OpenCores [http://www.opencores.org] and integrate
    them into an underlying hardware SoC platform optimized
    for running Linux.

    [...]

    ... As the main processor we chose OpenRISC 1200
    [http://www.opencores.org/pnews.cgi/list/or1k?no_loop=yes],
    a 32-bit RISC processor that comes with a stable GNU
    Toolchain and a port of small footprint Microcontroller
    Linux, the uClinux.

    The next critical part of the whole project was to set up a
    scheme on how to connect all the IPs in a modular way so that
    we could configure the platform for different embedded
    applications. [...]

    We found out that a central configurable block
    interconnecting the processor and peripheral IPs did
    the trick. [...] we created a tool that automatically
    generated this central block [...] and automatically
    configures Linux kernel and device drivers for that
    particular application.

    As embedded developers often find out, it is difficult
    to start writing and testing software, if hardware
    designers are still designing the hardware. It is
    necessary to parallel these two tasks in order to meet
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    today's critical time-to-market schedules. In addition,
    each group can provide some test cases to the other
    as we found out.

    these people designed the _entire_ embedded system - from free software
    licensed components.

    the processor design.

    the software toolchain.

    the kernel running on the free software licensed processor design.


    it CAN be done. it HAS been done.

    convincing yourselves that you "must have hardware before you will get
    off your fat asses" is _so_ self-disempowering. STOP IT.

    you - the linux kernel designers - are an extremely powerful
    group who quite literally could hold the technical world to
    ransom if you so chose (albeit for a very brief amount of time until
    someone considered your actions to be the equivalent of a
    "bus-running-over" event).

    god help the world when you decide to actually say "thank you
    for your hardware. next time, consult us on what should be
    in it _before_ you finalise its design".

    l.

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