Intel Hands over Moblin to Linux Foundation
Hardware maker Intel has handed over hosting of the Moblin open source platform to the Linux Foundation with a hoped for larger external participation.
Moblin stands for Mobile Linux, an open source project to develop Linux-based platforms optimized for such devices as netbooks, mobile phones and auto infotainment systems. Intel initiated the project two years ago and is now transferring responsibility to the Linux Foundation. The mobile platform certainly found a perfect match in Intel's processor technology, but had trouble being adopted by many projects and embedded providers, such as Montavista and the LiMo Foundation.
Rammohan Peddibhotla, Open Source Business Director at Intel, described the hosting transfer decision of the project to Linux Magazine Online: "Intel believes that a vendor neutral third-party host, such as the Linux Foundation, will prime Moblin to become the most advanced and open mobile Linux platform. Intel believes that open source projects need to be owned and fostered by the community." Also hoped for is a growth in participating developers. Peddibhotla: "Development of Moblin will continue to be managed as always by the established norms of other open source projects wherein contributions are included based on the technical merit regardless of the origin of the contribution."
The strategic advantage that the free platform has for Intel shows in the list of Linux developers already participating in the project, among them Alan Cox and the former technical head of SUSE, Dirk Hohndel. Peddibhotla feels that this should continue to be the case.
End of January Intel demonstrated Moblin2 with an especially eye-catching netbook startup time. In February Intel then added LG to its partners and founded a development center in Taiwan together with government and industry to accelerate growth opportunities for mobile device makers. Yet another alliance could give the mobile platform additional stimulus: together with BMW, Peugeot, GM, embedded provider Wind River and others, Intel at last month's CeBIT Open Source conference announced the GENEVI infotainment alliance. The next few months should start showing some results in that regard that are at least partly based on Moblin.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you've found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
The GNU Project Celebrates Its 40th Birthday
September 27 marks the 40th anniversary of the GNU Project, and it was celebrated with a hacker meeting in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland.
-
Linux Kernel Reducing Long-Term Support
LTS support for the Linux kernel is about to undergo some serious changes that will have a considerable impact on the future.
-
Fedora 39 Beta Now Available for Testing
For fans and users of Fedora Linux, the first beta of release 39 is now available, which is a minor upgrade but does include GNOME 45.
-
Fedora Linux 40 to Drop X11 for KDE Plasma
When Fedora 40 arrives in 2024, there will be a few big changes coming, especially for the KDE Plasma option.
-
Real-Time Ubuntu Available in AWS Marketplace
Anyone looking for a Linux distribution for real-time processing could do a whole lot worse than Real-Time Ubuntu.
-
KSMBD Finally Reaches a Stable State
For those who've been looking forward to the first release of KSMBD, after two years it's no longer considered experimental.
-
Nitrux 3.0.0 Has Been Released
The latest version of Nitrux brings plenty of innovation and fresh apps to the table.
-
Linux From Scratch 12.0 Now Available
If you're looking to roll your own Linux distribution, the latest version of Linux From Scratch is now available with plenty of updates.
-
Linux Kernel 6.5 Has Been Released
The newest Linux kernel, version 6.5, now includes initial support for two very exciting features.
-
UbuntuDDE 23.04 Now Available
A new version of the UbuntuDDE remix has finally arrived with all the updates from the Deepin desktop and everything that comes with the Ubuntu 23.04 base.