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."

Comments

Re:question

[cybermace5]

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.

Trademark infringement w/ Mentor's Nucleus RTOS?

[mkettler]

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?

Re:question

[torpor]

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...