Operating systemAn operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware and software resources, and provides common services for computer programs. Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also include accounting software for cost allocation of processor time, mass storage, peripherals, and other resources.
Linux distributionA Linux distribution, often abbreviated as distro, is an operating system that includes the Linux kernel for its kernel functions. Although the term does not imply product distribution per se, a distro, if distributed on its own, is often obtained via a website intended specifically for the purpose.Linux Router ProjectThe Linux Router Project (LRP) is a now defunct networking-centric micro Linux distribution. The released versions of LRP were small enough to fit on a single 1.44MB floppy disk, and made building and maintaining routers, access servers, thin servers, thin clients, network appliances, and typically embedded systems next to trivial.
ΜClinuxμClinux is a variation of the Linux kernel, previously maintained as a fork, that targets microcontrollers without a memory management unit (MMU). It was integrated into the mainline kernel as of 2.5.46 (2002) in the form of a NOMMU option. After the mainline merge, the μClinux project continued to develop patches and tools for microcontrollers.
Linux range of useAs of 2015, over four hundred Linux distributions are actively developed, with about a dozen distributions being most popular for general-purpose use.
Embedded systemAn embedded system is a specialized computer system—a combination of a computer processor, computer memory, and input/outputperipheral devices—that has a dedicated function within a larger mechanical or electronic system. It is embedded as part of a complete device, often including electrical or electronic hardware and mechanical parts. Embedded systems control many devices in common use.
PREEMPT RTPREEMPT_RT is a feature of the Linux kernel which implements both hard and soft real-time computing capabilities. It was formerly maintained as a set of out-of-tree patches. On September 20, 2024, PREEMPT_RT was fully merged and enabled in mainline Linux on the supported architectures x86, x86_64, RISC-V and ARM64. This made kernel v6.12 the first release to include baked-in real-time capability.
Memory management unitA memory management unit (MMU), sometimes called paged memory management unit (PMMU), is a computer hardware unit that examines all references to memory, and translates the memory addresses being referenced, known as virtual memory addresses, into physical addresses in main memory. In modern systems, programs generally have addresses that access the theoretical maximum memory of the computer architecture, 32 or 64 bits.
LinuxFamily of Unix-like operating systems that use the Linux kernelOperating systemLinux ( ) is a family of free and open-source softwareUnix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, which was first released on 17 September 1991 by Linus Torvalds.
Proprietary softwareProprietary software is software that grants its creator, publisher, or other rightsholder or rightsholder partner a legal monopoly by modern copyright and intellectual property law to exclude the recipient from freely sharing the software or modifying it, and—in some cases, as is the case with some patent-encumbered and EULA-bound software—from making use of the software on their own, thereby restricting their freedoms.
Edge computingEdge computing is a distributed computing model that brings computation and data storage closer to the sources of data. More broadly, it refers to any design that pushes computation physically closer to a user, so as to reduce the latency compared to when an application runs on a centralized data center. The term began being used in the 1990s to describe content delivery networks—these were used to deliver website and video content from servers located near users.
MicroprocessorA microprocessor is a computer processor for which the data processing logic and control is included on a single integrated circuit (IC), or a small number of ICs. The microprocessor contains the arithmetic, logic, and control circuitry required to perform the functions of a computer's central processing unit (CPU). The microprocessor is capable of interpreting and executing machine code and performing arithmetic operations.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.