Moblin: 6 key things to know

Moblin, short for mobile Linux, is a free open-source operating system originally developed by Intel for its low-power Atom processor and designed to run on devices, including netbooks.

Moblin is a collection of open-source projects, including the Linux kernel, and made available in the Linux Standard Base (LSB) RPM packaging format. The beta of the Moblin 2.0 operating system was released earlier this month, and supports netbooks and nettops. But the target is much broader, including personal devices, television, and in-vehicle automotive computing. 

“With versions 2.1 and 2.2 we are looking at embedded systems,” says Guy Lunardi, director of client pre-loads at Novell. The hope is that the project, now under the direction of the Linux Foundation, can begin to define Linux on the client, a place where the OS has yet to find its bearings. Here are six things you should know about Moblin.

Why is the core important?

The central piece of the Moblin architecture is a common layer called Moblin Core, which provides services such as third-party cellular stacks, VoIP, presence, synchronization, media services and telephony APIs. Core also includes UI services anchored by Intel’s open-source Clutter 3D interface project. Core is built on a Linux kernel and a set of device drivers. In the end, it provides a consistent development environment that allows applications to run on Moblin no matter what form it takes on a device.

What about application support?

Moblin runs almost any Linux application, which means that most applications today such as Skype and Open Office along with others run on Moblin, according to Jim Zemlin, Linux Foundation CEO. Moblin’s attractiveness to developers, who can build applications for the platform that run wherever Moblin shows up, could be the feature that powers acceptance. The flexibility gives developers a wide-audience and could stimulate an explosion of applications that attract end-users to Moblin-based devices. In addition, Google Android applications run on the platform.

What’s slick about the Moblin interface?

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