Linux is the default environment for most software developers and is the most popular choice for embedded solutions. However, one of Linux’s greatest strengths, and to some extent its biggest challenge, is that it comes in so many flavors and varieties—each well suited to a particular use case.

While everyone recognizes the strength of enterprise Linux distributions for general-purpose IT use cases, they are generally not suitable for embedded uses. In response, many organizations attempt to fork an existing community distribution and create their own customized roll-your-own (RYO) embedded Linux.

Commercial embedded Linux is the primary alternative to RYO. It offers a clear return on investment with a lower total cost of ownership, and reduced technical, business, and legal risks. The ability of the commercial embedded Linux vendor to supply training, services, maintenance, and support greatly increases productivity and also reduces the overhead of maintaining your own, unique embedded Linux distribution.