Montavista now supports x86, ARM 5 and 6 and MIPS as market-specific embedded Linux.

Released in May, version 6 of the embedded Linux operating system now has Versatile ARM 1176 and 926 (ARM versions 5 and 6), the Freescale MPCs 8377, 8349 and 8572, Intel x86 platforms with Pentium and Xeon processors, a number of MIPS and the developer board Xilinx ML 507 on its list of platform-specific distros. On the list of compatible boards however, the new combinations of Linux 6 and the new platforms do not appear. According to the MontaVista 6 FAQs, queries about availability and costs will be answered by the sales department.

MontaVista Linux 6 (MVL6) was released in May. With the new version, the company has adjusted its release policy of aiming embedded Linux in various versions towards individual hardware platforms. These MSDs (Market Specific Distribution) were until now available for Intel Atom, the ARM-based OMAP platform from Texas Instruments and some Power PC and ARM processors from Freescale.

Update: When asked exactly how the software can be obtained, MontaVista explained that separate licenses for MontaVista Linux 6 and SDK can be purchased by emailing the local sales department. Once the transaction is complete, a code will be sent allowing access to “MontaVista Zone” where the relevant downloads are available.

MontaVista Linux distributions, with tools for 1 or 2 developers, start at US$17,000, depending on the processor the customer is using. The more
developers using the software, the higher the price.

Montavista now supports x86, ARM 5 and 6 and MIPS as market-specific embedded Linux.