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Linux Kernel 2.4 Or 2.6 In Embedded System?

Posted by kdawson on from the comfort-on-the-trailing-edge dept.

snikulin writes "My 6-year-old embedded software happily runs on kernel v2.4 on an XScale CPU. The software gets a bunch (tens of megabytes) of data from an FPGA over a PCI-X bus and pushes it out over GigE to data-processing equipment. The tool chain is based on the somewhat outdated gcc v2.95. Now, for certain technical reasons we want to jump from the ARM-based custom board to an Atom-based COM Express module. This implies that I'll need to re-create a Linux RAM disk from scratch along with the tool chain. The functionality of the software will be essentially the same. My question: is it worth it to jump to kernel 2.6, or better to stick with the old and proven 2.4? What will I gain and what will I lose if I stay at 2.4 (besides the modern gcc compiler and the other related dev tools)?"

4 of 178 comments (clear)

  1. Re:If you are olready doing 90% of the work... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    the higher number.

  2. I misread the opening sentence of the article, as by ErkDemon · · Score: 4, Funny
    "My 6-year-old's embedded software happily runs on kernel v2.4 on an XScale CPU. ..."

    I thought, aaaah, he's built a robust linux PC for his kid. But isn't insisting that his kiddy's first PC has a bang-up-to-date GCC compiler a little extreme?

    Then I re-read it. Oops. Makes much more sense now. Not as cute, though.

    --
    Eric Baird
  3. I'd split the difference by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... and go with the 2.5 kernel.

  4. God speaks ForTran IV by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    And the Hebrew translation of the bible does it injustice.