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TRON + Linux = "T-Linux"

An anonymous reader writes "The T-Engine Forum and MontaVista Software announced today that they are collaborating to combine the long-dominant Japanese embedded operating system, TRON ("The Real-time Operating system Nucleus"), with embedded Linux, in the hopes of creating a standardized software architecture for embedded devices that takes advantage of open source software and the benefits of Linux."

143 comments

  1. Kernel Panic: Light Bike On Fire by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny
    1. Re:Kernel Panic: Light Bike On Fire by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I know what a T-Girl is... so does that mean T-Linux will be the transexual's choice of linux distributions? I guess we'd need a Gay-Linux then too... er wait... I guess thats already implied.

      Attention users: Bagdad will be down for routine preventive maintenance in 24 hours.

    2. Re:Kernel Panic: Light Bike On Fire by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Of course!

      Linux dosen't get errors or even blue screens!
      it gets a cutsie little "kernel panic" instead.

      Which is erm .. exactly the same thing as a bsod.

    3. Re:Kernel Panic: Light Bike On Fire by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  2. Sounds great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But can it do everything the QNX demo disk can do?

    1. Re:Sounds great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      About what are you rambling?

    2. Re:Sounds great by Lazarus2k2001 · · Score: 1

      He is talking about QNX, a real time operating system from europe.

      --
      "Holy instant noodle"
    3. Re:Sounds great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually QNX is from Canada. These guys are just down the block...

  3. Light Cycles. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Aslong as we can use those light cycles I will be glad to use it.

  4. I can feel by dknight · · Score: 1

    the MCP jokes coming already.

    1. Re:I can feel by mcpkaaos · · Score: 2, Funny

      easy killer.

      --
      mcp:kaaos

      --
      It goes from God, to Jerry, to me.
    2. Re:I can feel by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Anyone ever notice that the first level of certification for MS is to become a Microsoft Certified Professional? MCP. Hmmmmmm...

  5. question by lingqi · · Score: 4, Insightful
    takes advantage of open source software and the benefits of Linux.

    not trolling, but a genuine question: advantage of open source I can understand - what benefit does linux bring to the embedded world, if they already have the core OS?

    --

    My life in the land of the rising sun.

    1. Re:question by Evil+Adrian · · Score: 4, Funny

      A cute penguin logo!

      --
      evil adrian
    2. Re:question by ergo98 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Marketing. I'm surprized they don't talk about how they're also Bluetooth+XML enabling it.

    3. Re:question by interstellar_donkey · · Score: 0, Troll

      I thought the same thing, and I can only come up with two answers.

      1. Ease of development of applications on the embedded products (of course, if they are embedded, why would they need... oh, never mind)

      2. Branding. Let's face it. Linux in and of itself has become a buzzword. What sounds better, 'Buy this new toaster that runs a new and efficent OS to handle everything your toast could need', or 'Buy this toaster... it's powered by Linux!'

      --
      The Internet is generally stupid
    4. Re:question by frankthechicken · · Score: 2, Funny

      Embedded fanaticism?

      A fanatical penguin?

      An embedded penguin fantacism?

      Short answer I don't know apart from what has been said below, branding and marketing. It gives them a solid base to draw support from, by using a well known and trusted name.

    5. Re:question by cybermace5 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Plenty.

      Embedded devices are becoming increasingly powerful, and are expected to do more. Have you ever looked into the capabilities of new high-end stereo receivers? It's almost exponential from year to year.

      A lot of functions normally requiring a full computer are being moved into embedded devices. It makes it a lot easier to port in an application, if it uses an OS you're already familiar with.

      Linux adds another layer of compatibility over the base OS. For optimal speed, yes, you'd want to tweak every line for the target hardware. But the hardware cycle is so fast, that sometimes it's nice to let someone else specialize in the performance tweaks. Lets you concentrate on functionality.

      There's already a million ways that this is being done, but an open and high-quality (yet to be seen) alternative is always welcome.

      --
      ...
    6. Re:question by The+Clockwork+Troll · · Score: 1
      Embedded devices are becoming increasingly powerful, and are expected to do more. Have you ever looked into the capabilities of new high-end stereo receivers? It's almost exponential from year to year.
      Indeed, which makes it all the more ironic that the highest-end receivers are judged primarily on how cleanly they can get amplify a simple stereo audio signal (which typically means bypassing all that electronic wizardry).
      --

      There are no karma whores, only moderation johns
    7. Re:question by t0ny · · Score: 1

      Its all about the Ben Franklins: money! They dont have to pay a license fee for Linux, thus more profit.

      --

      Manipulate the moderator system! Mod someone as "overrated" today.

    8. Re:question by zbik · · Score: 5, Informative

      TRON is more of an OS specificication than an OS; many vendors implement the TRON API in their RTOS, and many applications (in Japan) are developed for it. This project could be cool because it would enable companies to adopt Linux while maintaining compatibility with their legacy embedded apps -- provided this does not become a proprietary MontaVista technology. The benefit of Linux is the massive amount of hardware it will run on, and the all the development tools & libraries available.


      Redhat's eCos already supports uITRON (Micro Industrial TRON, the most popular flavor) through a compatibility layer.

    9. Re:question by lingqi · · Score: 1

      Yeah but that doesn't change the fact that they already have the core OS. Moving that to OSS, fine; but what does linux has to do with it? I am not arguing against the need for an OS for the progressively complex embedded systems, but the relationship (advantages, no less) thereof (especially in this case) with linux?

      --

      My life in the land of the rising sun.

    10. Re:question by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      "not trolling, but a genuine question: advantage of open source I can understand - what benefit does linux bring to the embedded world, if they already have the core OS?"

      Free advertising on Slashdot.

    11. Re:question by NanoGator · · Score: 2, Funny

      "Free advertising on Slashdot."/i.

      Ha! Somebody should print the source code and write an article about how they installed Linux on a ream of paper...

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    12. Re:question by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 1

      "Ha! Somebody should print the source code and write an article about how they installed Linux on a ream of paper..."

      hehehe

      Of course, we'd get hundreds of stale 'page fault' jokes to the tune of "if it were the Windows source code..."

    13. Re:question by torpor · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Oh man, the sky is the limit ... development in the OSS realm is *easier*, because you can compare notes with other professionals who have - quite often - explored territories you've only begun to chart.

      Focus shifts, then, on feature and performance, and the ol' not-sure-if-I-am-doing-this-right-because-I-don't- fully-understand-the-only-docs-I-can-find janx spirit becomes less and less evident ... of course, there is plenty of that janx in linux land, but I believe you're referring to OSS specifically from an 'edge' developers perspective here, not user. Guys on the edge deal with janx.

      As someone who has followed the TRON project since its earliest inception, this is really great news to me. TRON was - in the early 80's a conceptual framework for a computing on a massive scale.

      Essentially, all devices in the TRON class - no matter their hardware design - would be able to communicate freely with each other, exchange information, and share load.

      So, your fridges processor (or storage space) could be used as overflow if your microwave oven decides it needs just a little extra power to do what you're telling it to ... all the way up to your personal communications system (conceptually, at the time, just-another-appliance).

      I, personally, have been waiting for years to see what comes of TRON and the OSS movement - having had one foot firmly planted in both boats - and so for this sort of event to occur is very motivational indeed...

      --
      ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
    14. Re:question by nevets · · Score: 1

      Development. It is much easier to develop on an embedded device if it is running the same OS as your desktop. On the desktop, you only need to simulate the device drivers, but the software can be tested natively.

      Also having a single OS that is supported quite well has its advantages too. Linux does offer a reusability and a standard api, where as other embedded OSs need to be almost completely designed for a different device (vxWorks).

      --
      Steven Rostedt
      -- Nevermind
    15. Re:question by Wolfrider · · Score: 1

      How about a Beowulf Cluster of embedded fanatical penguins carrying rocket launchers and posters of Natalie Portman covered in hot grits??

      --
      .
      == WolfriderV6 == I'm willing to admit that *I just might* be wrong... Are you??
  6. Smell my bok choy by Gizzmonic · · Score: 0

    So, removable optical media containing this operating system would be called...?

    --
    (-1, Raw and Uncut is the only way to read)
    1. Re:Smell my bok choy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ah A Disk Of TRON! That was a Pretty good Arcade game also.

    2. Re:Smell my bok choy by stratjakt · · Score: 0, Troll

      >> So, removable optical media containing this operating system would be called...?

      Worthless tripe?

      --
      I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
  7. DARN!! by Xandar01 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I was really hoping this had something to do with lightcycles and recognizers.

    --
    Life moves pretty fast; if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. -FB
    1. Re:DARN!! by paulcammish · · Score: 1
      I was really hoping this had something to do with lightcycles and recognizers.

      To quote the Bit:

      YeS... YeS... YeS, YeS, YeS, YeS, YeS, YeS, YeS, YeS, YeS... Noooo!

  8. MCP! by Traicovn · · Score: 5, Funny

    Personally, I think that if we have a 'tron' linux that somewhere they better make something named 'MCP'. Maybe root should be replaced with the loggin MCP.... heheheh...

    --

    [Something witty and intelligent should have appeared here.]
    {Traicovn}
    1. Re:MCP! by Xpilot · · Score: 1

      Personally, I think that if we have a 'tron' linux that somewhere they better make something named 'MCP'

      Microsoft Control Program?

      --
      "Backups are for wimps. Real men upload their data to an FTP site and have everyone else mirror it." -- Linus Torvalds
    2. Re:MCP! by frankthechicken · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Mutated Cute Penguin?

    3. Re:MCP! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      NOOOOOOOO

      Microsoft Certified Professionals!!!!

      that will ruin everything!

    4. Re:MCP! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      that's just scary. -- or maybe realistic

      drm time...

    5. Re:MCP! by sharkey · · Score: 1
      Microsoft Control Program?

      MCP: Microsoft Crashing Program

      --

      --
      "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
    6. Re:MCP! by doctor_oktagon · · Score: 1

      Unisys mainframes created long before Tron, but still in use today powering banks and airline booking systems have an MCP component of the basic OS (not sure if it was OS/1100 or the A-Series from the Sperry machines).

      They are batch-controlled systems and you submit jobs to the MCP for processing.

      I *loved* it when I saw it!

    7. Re:MCP! by uberdave · · Score: 1

      Master Control Program, actually. "I want him in the games until he dies playing."

  9. bad slashdot math by larry+bagina · · Score: 1, Funny

    I'm pretty sure Tron + Linux = "Li'l nuts"

    --
    Do you even lift?

    These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

    1. Re:bad slashdot math by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nultronix?

      Tronlunix?

      Lutronnix?

      Pfffft.....

  10. acronyms by shird · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Seriously, what is it with people completely bending the rules of acronyms just to make something sound cute/cool. "The Real-time Operating system Nucleus" should be called "TROSN"

    --
    I.O.U One Sig.
    1. Re:acronyms by Evil+Adrian · · Score: 3, Funny

      Totally. Rock on, lexical lad! ;-)

      --
      evil adrian
    2. Re:acronyms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think it's the "Turd Ubiquitous Realtime DOS" (aka TURD)

    3. Re:acronyms by Xandar01 · · Score: 1

      I agree. They were trying real hard to come up with something that would fit. Maybe they should have tried:

      The Really Obscure Nucleus
      Tiny Real-time Operational Neural-net
      Techno Real Op Net
      This Retarded Opportunistic Name

      --
      Life moves pretty fast; if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. -FB
    4. Re:acronyms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ooh, or maybe they liked the movie and wanted to pay homage to it somehow.

    5. Re:acronyms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      That's GNU/TURD asshole!

      hee hee, neutered asshole.

    6. Re:acronyms by silvaran · · Score: 4, Funny

      "The Real-time Operating system Nucleus" should be called "TROSN"

      Bless you.

    7. Re:acronyms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ooh homage! you're drunk!

    8. Re:acronyms by VinniTheGeek · · Score: 1

      Just call it Trogdor and get it over with LET THE BURNINATION COMMENCE! http://www.homestarrunner.com

  11. Let me get this straight... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    The worst terrorist attack in recorded history occurred in September 2001, followed by a WAR against Islam in Afghanistan and now we're about to be involved in ANOTHER war against Islam in Iraq, and you people have the gall to be discussing TRON's role in embedded Linux???? My *god*, people, GET SOME PRIORITIES!

    The bodies of the thousands of innocent civilians who died (and will die) in these unprecedented events could give a good god damn about obscure science fiction, your childish Lego models, your nerf toy guns and whining about the lack of a "fun" workplace, your Everquest/Diablo/D&D fixation, the latest Cowboy Bebop rerun, or any of the other ways you are "getting on with your life" (here's a hint: watching Cowboy Bebop in your jammies and eating a bowl of Shreddies is *not* "getting on with your life"). The souls of the victims are watching in horror as you people squander your finite, precious time on this earth playing video games!

    You people disgust me!

    1. Re:Let me get this straight... by d0ggi3 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      so let me get this straight, you're bitching at people for reading this thread while you read it yourself? you must be american... what are you doing with your time thats so damn special?

    2. Re:Let me get this straight... by JCholewa · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      > > The worst terrorist attack in recorded history occurred in September 2001

      > I'm wondering, what's the worse

      "Worst"

      > thing you imply happened before recorded history? A few hundred
      > wolves terrorizing a big herd of sheeps a few million years ago?
      > Or are you counting the dino-killing asteroid as a terrorist attack?

      Cain slaying Abel. A terrorist attack singlehandedly killing off a quarter of the world's population.

      -JC
      (joyously plagiarizing Jeremy Pascal)

    3. Re:Let me get this straight... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      {parent comment}The worst terrorist attack in recorded history occurred in September 2001

      {someone elses reply}I'm wondering, what's the worse thing you imply happened before recorded history


      And who dare say the World Trade Center is the worst atrocity in recorded history?

      How about the Trojan Horse? The greeks send this "gift" to the trojans...and when the men, women, and children of Troy fall asleep, the Greek soldiers hidden inside go on a mass killing spree!

      I mean, really, that is pretty much exactly what happened.

      Terrorism is just another word for war. And far far worse things have happened in this world than September 11 2001.

    4. Re:Let me get this straight... by patrixmyth · · Score: 1

      No, No, not even close...
      Mullah Noah, and that whole Great Flood thing...
      Come on... even assuming a world population of only, say 10,000 that would mean an extinction on the scale of 99.99% at least, and that's just the humans, nevermind the animals.

      (I always wondered though, did they have to load up 2 dolphins, as well, or was it just the land animals that had to pay for man's evil?)

      --
      "Don't you know you're going to shock the monkey?"- Peter Gabriel
    5. Re:Let me get this straight... by Icephreak1 · · Score: 1

      Ain't my war. I'm Canadian. Blame me.

    6. Re:Let me get this straight... by Lispy · · Score: 1

      This is soooooo lame. Forgive me, but I have about 70 years on this planet. I didn't START this war, i didn't attack any NCY-buildings and I def don't intend to. My personal believe is that the slashdot crowd (and Opensource folk in general) are open minded and world-aware people with a FOCUS on Computers and Electronics. So why don't you just let us do what we live for and continue with whatever meaningful you have been doing. I BET every Slashdotter has an opinion about the current situation but they don't discuss it on Slashdot since it's just not the right place. FYI I'm german and I get flamed pretty often, lately, so I come here to relax...

      take care and get well soon,
      Lispy

  12. umm.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Isn't open-source software one of the benefits of linux?

  13. TRON Linux Announced by joenobody · · Score: 3, Funny

    Japan - TRON Linux was announced and promptly sued into a smoking crater in the ground by Disney today. Disney representatives stated they were merely protecting their valuable intellectual property and that Linux is only used by thieves, anyways. MSFT rose 4 points.

    --

  14. In other news by worst_name_ever · · Score: 2, Funny

    Linux kernel renamed "Master Control Program".

    --

    In Soviet Rush, today's Tom Sawyer gets high on you.
    1. Re:In other news by fiftyfly · · Score: 1
      In other news... Linux kernel renamed "Master Control Program".

      pffft - that's GNUMCP to you, punk ;)

      --
      "Sanity is not statistical", George Orwell, "1984"
  15. Your reward, loyal mindless slashbot, by MondoMor · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    is a picture of a twat. Good job picking up the obligatory predictable anti-MS joke, shithead.

  16. What a stretch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They just HAD to rip off the name from the movie. A testament to geek creativity.

    1. Re:What a stretch by Narchie+Troll · · Score: 1

      Yes, the Japanese are known for their fanatical devotion to watching non-animated American Disney movies in English.
      I bet EVERY geek over in Japan knows about the movie Tron, considering that all geeks are culturally exactly the same everywhere.

    2. Re:What a stretch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Precisely!

  17. Already been done by Spamhead · · Score: 0


    This is soooooo yesterday. Why are they trying to Duplicate effort?

    --
    Everybody Wang-Chung tonight!
  18. Zippy Blue Lights by Myriad · · Score: 1, Redundant
    TRON + Linux = "T-Linux"

    Damnit, when I saw the headline I was thinking I'd finally get some cool 3D interface with zippy blue lights and neat sound FX!

    I'm soooo disappointed. Now I don't even get a angry-spooky-face-in-a-spinning-thing when the kernel panics.

    Blockwars: a realtime, multiplayer game similar to Tetris.

    --
    "They do not preach that their god will rouse them, a little before the Nuts work loose." Kipling, 'The Sons of Martha'
    1. Re:Zippy Blue Lights by Mr.+Bad+Example · · Score: 1

      Damnit, when I saw the headline I was thinking I'd finally get some cool 3D interface with zippy blue lights and neat sound FX!

      Look on the bright side. This way you don't get sentenced to the Game Grid and discorporated by a laser when the kernel panics.

  19. Nooo!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Linux + TRON = L-TRON !!!

  20. Obligatory TRON quote: by euxneks · · Score: 1

    Do you realize how many outside systems I've gone into? How many programs I've appropriated?

    Just thought that was appropriate =)

    --
    in girum imus nocte et consumimur igni
  21. MCP Joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    My eyes have seen the glory of the dropping of the bombs,
    We are blowing up their children and we're butchering their moms,
    We're shooting up their daddies as we sing out victory song,
    Our bombs drop on your Mom!

    Gory Bloody Bombs Away, Roll! (Boom!)
    Gory Bloody Bombs Away, Roll! (Bang!)
    Gory Bloody Bombs Away, Roll! (Crash!)
    Our bombs drop on your Mom!

    Look up in the sky here comes a bomber over head
    We are dropping our explosives on your houses till you're dead
    Watch as all your pregnant women get abortion bombs instead!
    Our bombs drop on your Mom!

    Gory Bloody Bombs Away, Roll! (Bang!)
    Gory Bloody Bombs Away, Roll! (Boom!)
    Gory Bloody Bombs Away, Roll! (Ker-Pow!)
    Our bombs drop on your Mom!

    No more school for Junior now he's working in our shops
    Making Nikes for our children every day until he drops
    Your daughter entertains our tourists damn that girl is hot!
    Our bombs drop on your Mom!

    Gory Bloody Bombs Away, Roll!
    Gory Bloody Bombs Away, Roll!
    Gory Bloody Bombs Away, Roll!
    Our bombs drop on your Mom!

    ;; This buffer is for notes you don't want to save, and for Lisp evaluation.
    ;; If you want to create a file, visit that file with C-x C-f,
    ;; then enter the text in that file's own buffer.

  22. patent... by g4dget · · Score: 2
    One interesting hurdle along the path is likely to be finding a way to build a dual-kernel system that can add T-Kernel's real-time capabilities to Linux's rich set of sophisticated OS features without violating the RTLinux patent.

    I don't see that as necessary. The validity of the patent seems very much in question to many people. I can't think of anybody better to test the validity of the patent than a large association of Japanese real-time companies.

    1. Re:patent... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      everything must seem "obvious" to you when somebody else thinks of it first.

    2. Re:patent... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, somebody other than me did think of this first. It just wasn't the RTLinux guys.

    3. Re:patent... by phrantic · · Score: 1

      From what i can see (although the link to the link on the license in the aritcle is broken), it would appear that irrespective of whether the patent is valid or not, as long as you stick to the GPL you do not incur a license fee.

      I am not sure what license approach monta-vista use but i guess it is some flavour of the GPL.

      Getting back to the question of the validity of the patent itself, I have written individual tasks from real time RISC based applications (but I'm better now). What I would like to know is when does a "task" become complicated enough to be classed as a complete OS? Or what does a collection of code need to have to be classed as an (in)complete OS? I was charged with writing the communication task that talked to external devices, and spat the information to the "display" task. If you lump the comm and display task together is that an OS? Having not read the entire patent, I am not sure if there is a definition of what an OS is.

      --
      --My sig is bigger than your sig--
  23. I was by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    very fucked up when I saw Tron. Loved it.
    Checked it out sober. Hated it.

  24. Correction by The+OPTiCIAN · · Score: 1

    > TRON + Linux = "T-Linux"

    Surely it should be T-GNU/Linux.

    > creating a standardized software architecture
    > for embedded devices that takes (sic) advantage
    > of open source software and the benefits of
    > Linux (sic)

    Imagine a baerwolf cluster of those!

    --


    Believe with me, my saplings.
    1. Re:Correction by watzinaneihm · · Score: 1

      Or GNU/T/Linux.
      Certainly sounds better

      --
      .ACMD setaloiv siht gnidaeR
    2. Re:Correction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      WTF is a baerwolf ????

    3. Re:Correction by Surak · · Score: 1

      No, no, no ... that's T-GNU/TRON/GNU/Linux

      -- rms

  25. standardized software architecture??? by amalcon · · Score: 1

    "in the hopes of creating a standardized software architecture for embedded devices that takes advantage of open source software and the benefits of Linux."
    Um...I'm failing to see something here. What could possibly come out of this that's more standard than *nix? It seems that they are just trying to piggyback their core in on top of a current "standard..."

    And, just to beat the horse even further to death, !

    --
    -Amalcon
  26. Coalition of the Willing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Afghanistan, Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan.

    There are exactly three nations sending troops; US (250,000), Britain (40,000), and Australia (2,000). Blowing kisses from across the world doesn't make you part of a coalition; It makes you a cheerleader. I believe that was how our unelected president spent a good part of his time while at Yale; we know he wasn't hitting the books.

    These kisses are in return for cash - lots of our tax money will go to these kissing countries. Coalition of the Billing would be more appropriate.

    1. Re:Coalition of the Willing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And how many nations are sending troops to fight for Iraq? Flipping the bird from across the world doesn't make you part of the opposition; it makes you a poser.

    2. Re:Coalition of the Willing by Zider · · Score: 1

      And what exactly does this has to do with embedded systems?

  27. Trademark infringement w/ Mentor's Nucleus RTOS? by mkettler · · Score: 3, Interesting
    As much as I despise frivolous trademark infringement suits, this one seems to be strongly in favor the side of the trademark holder, were it to become an issue.

    Mentor, the makers of the real time operating system "Nucleus" (tm), would appear to have reasonable grounds for confusion with a product in the same market place "The Real Time Operating system Nucleus Linux" aka TRON-Linux.

    http://www.mentor.com/nucleus/

    Sure you can argue Nucleus is a general term, but I doubt that argument holds much weight when both names are used in the same market. Heck, these two are even in the same tiny corner of the computer word (realtime operating systems).

    Of course, IANAL, much less a trademark specialist. Anyone more educated on the topic care to comment?

    --
    -Matt
  28. I'll SUE! by de_boer_man · · Score: 4, Funny

    In related news a flurry of lawsuits were recently filed:

    The first was filed by Disney, because they OWN TRON.

    The second was filed by SCO, because they OWN Unix, and this whole TRON thing might somehow cut into their profits.

    The third was also filed by SCO. It was a billion dollar lawsuit against Disney. SCO also threatened to pull Disney's TRON license, which could prevent Disney from using bits, light cycles, or recognizers, or strange old men rotating in I/O towers at any future time.

    --
    .sig wanted. Inquire within.
  29. I'll be laughing when... by Tuxinatorium · · Score: 1

    ...Disney sues them for violating their "Tron" trademark. Come to think of it, one of these days I should get around to trademarking every possible 3- letter acronym that isn't already taken. I could extort gazillions of $$$ out of honest companies with that kind of IP-squatting.

  30. answer by djupedal · · Score: 2, Informative

    Silly question, perhaps...the news last month from Japan explained that the manufs. there are simply looking to be MS free. And since they've recognized that their own efforts have failed, while Linux is growing, they've bitten the bullet and moved on.

    Of course there are other reasons, but how much more of a reason should they need.

  31. Makes sense to me by mao+che+minh · · Score: 2, Interesting
    It makes perfect sense. How can you have a truly standard hardware architecture that software developers and hardware engineers can work with openly, if it isn't all open source from the ground up (so to speak)? If you are going to push for such a model, why not choose the most established (and the most popular and the most coporate backed) open source operating system? This insures maximum future interoperability.

    Besides, it's just a start. Once you have such a moidel in place, other open source OSs would be just as welcome. You just have to start as simply as possible. Right?

  32. Re:Unlikely by ewhac · · Score: 2, Informative

    I was reading about TRON in Byte Magazine in the mid-1980's. This almost certainly pre-dates anything Mentor has done, much less registered.

    Schwab

  33. but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    TRON's been around since the '80s

  34. Ahem! by marhar · · Score: 1

    Don't you mean GNU/T-Linux... and on RMS's birthday, for shame!

  35. TRON Code by LimeColoredSloth · · Score: 1

    What's cool about TRON is the TRON code character encoding format, which supports all Unicode characters and more. By switching between different character set planes (like ISO 2022 does), they do away with pesky Unicode surrogate pairs, which not even Windows 2000 supports.

  36. Re:Trademark infringement w/ Mentor's Nucleus RTOS by dvdeug · · Score: 1

    Mentor, the makers of the real time operating system "Nucleus" (tm), would appear to have reasonable grounds for confusion with a product in the same market place "The Real Time Operating system Nucleus Linux" aka TRON-Linux.

    TRON is a system that dates back at least to the early 80s. Nucleus - their website is obviously targeted for marketing droids - probably postdates it, making a trademark infringement suit pointless and possibly dangerous.

    Also, Nucleus has little grounds for a trademark infringement suit with TRON - the N could be changed, as the system is always called TRON.

  37. Re:Trademark infringement w/ Mentor's Nucleus RTOS by dvdeug · · Score: 1

    The TRON project was started in 1984*, meaning they've been using the name for 15 years. If Nucleus wanted to press a claim, they would lose and possibly be countersued for trademark infringement, or just have the trademark lost as a generic term.

    *
    http://tronweb.super-nova.co.jp/projecthistory.h tm l

  38. Re:Mobile device question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Heh. I have T-Mobile Wireless Internet access, and I get "T-Boned" in my car while I drive by my plen-T-girlfriend. I don't need T-Linux.

    --T-Phresche
  39. Wow, this reminds me of an old bet I won... by L0stb0Y · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This reminds me of the time I won $5 from a guy because he didn't believe me that "TRON" was short for "TRace ON"- (and the TROFF , well duh)~

    Was the same guy who didn't understand why I kept calling ! "bang" >:)

    --
    "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams."
  40. Personally I think the patent is bogus by msobkow · · Score: 2, Interesting

    All that I see RTLinux doing is acting as a microkernel that can switch between OS personalities. It just so happens that they lost their way and created a whole real-time OS instead of setting it up as a personality over the microkernel.

    The other way of looking at the RTLinux patent is that they've patented the idea of running a VM hosted OS under a real-time system. Again, that just doesn't make sense as an enforceable patent or you could start patenting any specific combination of host and guest systems.

    Maybe there is something buried in the patent that I didn't understand, but to me it just seems like patenting a specific case of the obvious. Then again, I thought (and still think) that patents like Amazon's one-click were asinine and unenforceable, yet no one's managed to knock the stupid thing down yet.

    --
    I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
  41. Re:Trademark infringement w/ Mentor's Nucleus RTOS by mkettler · · Score: 1

    Fair enough, I obviously didn't do my homework on the TRON half of TRON-Linux, and assumed it was a newer project.

    Thanks to all who provided answers and insight.

    --
    -Matt
  42. Not a chance by msobkow · · Score: 2, Informative

    "Nucleus" has been around for a rather long time, usually used to indicate the center or core of something (analagous to the nucleus of a cell.)

    Even more damning for any attempt by Mentor to enforce any copyright claims is the fact that terms like "nucleus" and "core" have been used in operating systems textbooks and papers since the seventies.

    TRON also only uses the word as part of an acronym, not as part of a trademark.

    The biggest issue would be (as others have pointed out) that TRON existed long before Mentor's Nucleus RTOS.

    --
    I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
  43. CPU's? by rf0 · · Score: 1

    Looking over the article is says that TRON supports SH, MR, ARM, and MIPS. These I can understand and am happy with the idea. Now I'm not trolling but would there be any benefit or using linux's x86 code and running embedded systems on Intel/AMD or are they to big/hot/complicated/etc to be of any use in embedded systems?

    Rus

    1. Re:CPU's? by bobthemonkey13 · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Um... According to the Linux Kernel Archives:
      Linux was first developed for 32-bit x86-based PCs (386 or higher). These days it also runs on (at least) the Compaq Alpha AXP, Sun SPARC and UltraSPARC, Motorola 68000, PowerPC, PowerPC64, ARM, Hitachi SuperH, IBM S/390, MIPS, HP PA-RISC, Intel IA-64, DEC VAX, AMD x86-64 and CRIS architectures.
      So, I'm guessing that they would use that existing kernel code on existing hardware rather than switching to x86. Desktop-oriented x86 chips by Intel and AMD are way too power-hungry and hot to be of any use in most embedded systems -- about the smallest thing you'd find one in would be a game console. Other x86-compatibles such as VIA's Eden might be a bit more practical, but still out of the range of what T-Linux seems to be targeted at. Really, the x86 architecture was never intended for this kind of use (and is horribly broken in general, and probably should be done away with altogether, but that's another rant).
  44. Oh My! by Icephreak1 · · Score: 1

    Blasphemy! How dare you take the good TRON's name in vain!

    - IP

  45. neato by ohzero · · Score: 1

    Maybe we can all wear neon clothes and roll around on geometric objects while we kernel tune.

    --
    -- http://www.criticalassets.com
  46. T-Linux? by anno1602 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Noooo! Deutsche Telekom, take your hands off Linux!

    For those who don't know them, about every product as a T prefixed: T-Mobile, T-Net, T-Systems, T-Online... and now T-LInux)

  47. t-linux??? by _ph1ux_ · · Score: 0, Troll

    TRONIX TRONIX TRONIX

    MAYBE!! trunix or trinix....

    but c'mon get creative!

  48. You sir need to take English classes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "worse" than the September 2001 terrorist attack
    not "worst" than.

    Not even close in that respect either.

  49. So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    ..If you read and believe in the Bible, that's quite wrong.

    Cain was not a terrorist. His goal was not terror, nor was it to overthrow a government, or liberate any supposedly oppressed people, yadda yadda. (Note: AFAICT, there was no government at that time.)

    Cain was a murderer, plain and simple. His goal was to off Abel. Which he did with great gusto.

    If you want a real Biblical terrorist, look at the rest of the Old Testament. God's probably the top-rated terrorist - the Great Flood and the Angel of Death and plagues in Egypt spring immediately to mind.

    I'm unsure as to whether the Israelites can be considered terrorists. Sure, they slaughtered men and took the heathen women that were foolishly living in 'their' 'holy land', but then, their actions are more reminiscent of military conquest.

    A brutal, bloody conquest, but a conquest none-the-less.

    And now for something completely different: If you pray to God, you're supporting terrorism!

  50. I'd rather they worked on BTRON by kahei · · Score: 1

    ...seeing as it's already the standard TRON for the desktop and actually has unique TRON-style features (i.e. the universal character set).

    Bolting TRON and Linux together does not seem to offer any particular advantages to the world as a whole, although it might be an advantage to TRON.

    Use BTRON today! Documentation probably Japanese only but still in many ways easier to read than GNU Info.

    --
    Whence? Hence. Whither? Thither.
  51. Re:whoops by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    strong, large, fast
    My dick, your arse.
  52. Acronyms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sounds like they were really scraping for a cool sounding acronym and threw out two non-article words and included an article word just to get an already established "techie" sounding name. I guess if they can't make it on their own, grab onto the tail of something that has and hold on tight. The words they put in there are stupid sounding anyway.

    I bet some of the guys were in the Navy and only speak in military acronyms.

  53. Re:So, it's not about oil, eh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That is "belonged" to the Iraqi people.

  54. They also announced a new ad slogan: by sammy+baby · · Score: 2, Funny

    "TRON - fighting for the users."

  55. Ooohh by Jack+Comics · · Score: 1

    I always wanted Bruce Boxleitner inside my machine ... but then with a certain Bruce Boxleitner character's penchant for nuclear weapons, does my machine become a weapon of mass destruction?

    --
    "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." - Oscar Wilde
  56. Virus Proof? by Fig,+formerly+A.C. · · Score: 1
    The T-Linux is only susceptible to the mutagenic T-Virus, product of the Umbrella corporation's CS division buried deep under Racoon City.

    Lame, I know, but it's a slow day at work.

    --
    Murphy was an optimist.
  57. Test post by dbarclay10 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Test post, please ignore.

    --

    Barclay family motto:
    Aut agere aut mori.
    (Either action or death.)
  58. Re:Trademark infringement w/ Mentor's Nucleus RTOS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Mentor Graphics knows that TRON exists, since it states in one of their pdf brochures that there is a product called "Nucleus IPLUS", which implements ITRON 4.0 Standard profile.

    Therefore, no need to expect any kind of lawsuit against TRON from Mentor Graphics.

  59. Unisys by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Unisys mainframes ... have an MCP component of the basic OS

    Yeah, but do they have GIF support in the kernel?