Linaro Linux-on-ARM effort sets sights on network gear The non-profit Linaro software engineering effort , established two summers ago to whip the Linux kernel and add-ons to create the Linux platform for mobile devices, is setting its sights on myriad networking devices. The proliferation of and tinkering with ARM processor designs is what makes for powerful technology, just like …
Did anyone else get the distinct impression that whole piece was something of a backhanded hatchet attack at ARM Holdings?
Began with a deeply spurious dig at the architecture:
the diversity of the ARM chip ecosystem makes creating an operating system that spans them all a big pain in the ass – much tougher than for a relatively homogeneous x86 chip racket.
Next came an "inadvertent"(?) omission:
And thus Linaro was created in June 2010 by Freescale Semiconductor, Samsung, ST-Ericsson, Texas Instruments, and believe it or not IBM
Followed by an explanation of how rudimentary, almost patent-trollish, ARM's "basic" contribution is and how dynamic and pivotal the Linaro project is:
Linaro sort of resembles ARM Holdings, the company that designs the basic ARM feature set and licenses it for modification and integration into myriad devices. ARM is the starting point of ARM processor and system-on-chip designs, and Linaro wants to be the focal point of where all of the key parts of the Linux kernel and related stack are tweaked and tuned to run across ARM architectures.
...all nicely setting us up for the punchline...
The difference is that ARM charges money to license its chip technology and Linaro just pays to have programmers work on open source code that is given back to the community.
OOHHHhhhh! Evil ARM. Sitting back and scamming all those licence fees for your "basic" IP while leaving five other companies to "pay" to do all the complicated software development... which they then donate to the public good!
...except that ARM was that "inadvertent"(?) omission from the list of founders and, of course, contributes immense amounts to Linaro and directly into Linux.
All very odd. I'd previously got the impression the author was optimistic about the ARMish uprising and the return of a bit of healthy competition to the server racket... so what's going on? An honest mistake, perhaps compounded by a touch of trying too hard not to appear screaming girlie? A change of heart? Just another hapless commentard scudding off into the vortex of conspiricy-nuttery? Anyone?
No conspiracy here: it's just a poor comparison. Companies are happy to pay ARM's relatively low fees for chip designs just like they are apparently happy to provide developers for a better basis for their own Linux. "The give back to the community" is the usual sop to fools like our own dear Eadon.
The ARM ecosystem is so varied that one size definitely does not fit all (whether to have networking in the kernel or userland is a good example) but there are plenty of common problems. Linaro performs a similar function as any good industry body where it makes sense to pool resources but none of the companies are in it for the philanthropy, it is purely "enlightened self-interest" in an area where the benefits of co-operation are greater than risks of competition.
I was merely trying to describe what is. I actually admire both ARM and Linaro. You are reading tone that is not there.
To have made that more clear, had I not been rushed, I could have added this:
"This stands in stark contrast to the totalitarian hardware model of Intel, where you get what they make and like it, and Microsoft, where you get what they make and sometimes don't like it."
Now THAT would have been a snarky comment. No snarks intended at either ARM or Linaro. One makes money, one distributes money. Both are collectives and I think good ecosystem players.
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