Open source starlet Cygnus Solutions Inc has released a new version of eCos, its embedded Cygnus operating system. The company also says it will work with Alpha Processor Inc (API) to adapt its GNUPro development tools for the Alpha Linux market. Version 1.2.1 of eCos is a real-time operating system for digital cameras, PDAs, set-top boxes, peripherals, ATM switches and so forth. New features include runtime enhancements and better portability, usability and testing, the company says.
A Linux-based eCos simulator lets users run apps natively under Linux for faster download and execution. The company has also added a graphical memory layout editor to its configuration tool and a device driver model infrastructure to ease the task of porting from platform to platform. eCos and the open source model continue to take hold, said senior VP Tom Barton. Within six months of launching eCos as an open-source RTOS, it has been ported to eight microprocessors.
Meanwhile the availability of Cygnus’ GNUPro Toolkit for Linux on the Alpha platform has significant implications for high performance Linux computing, the company claims. This is an area where Linux has traditionally been perceived as weaker than rivals like Solaris. GNUPro Toolkit for Linux is already available for Red Hat and SuSE on x86, priced at $79. The company promises to deliver the optimizations for API Alpha in the third quarter of 1999.
