Intel將Moblin社區(qū)控制權轉交給Linux基金會
本周二，非營利機構Linux基金會宣布，他們將擔負起Moblin社區(qū)的管理工作，而這之前，Moblin社區(qū)一直是由Intel在管理和掌握的，這個社區(qū)也是Intel一手帶大的。在這次接管中，Linux基金會將會獲得如下的權限，比如可以接觸到Moblin的源碼。
Linux基金會主席zemlin在采訪中提到，Moblin是來自Intel公司的，Intel是一個不缺乏資源和優(yōu)秀天才的地方，而且他們也很看重Moblin，他們把它看作一個戰(zhàn)略平臺，結合Atom芯片，用來和Arm處理器平臺。將Moblin置身于Linux基金會的管理之下，才能得到更多的支持和更多開發(fā)者的青睞。Moblin現(xiàn)在被使用在汽車電子、移動上網(wǎng)設備等輕型終端上，也許將來的某天，它也會出現(xiàn)在手機，甚至冰箱和電梯上。
我們并不能很好的預測出下一個***創(chuàng)新性的事物的發(fā)生，但是可以肯定的是，將你的***想法的念頭和大家一起分享，他才能獲得極大的成功。
Moblin項目在Intel公司中占據(jù)很高的地位，因為Intel一直都被微軟等操作系統(tǒng)公司所惡心，不得不跟隨他們的腳步。在移動電子設備領域，Intel再也不想做追隨者，他們創(chuàng)立了Moblin，他們?yōu)榇送度肓舜罅康娜肆ξ锪Γ热鐝募t帽挖來了Linux業(yè)界著名的Alan Cox。
同樣，競爭無處不在，來自Google的Android和Ubuntu MID版本也在不斷的蠶食Moblin的社區(qū)，Intel為此也痛苦不已，所以才有了這次和Linux基金會的合作。在6月即將舉辦的臺北Computex展會上，Intel將帶來Moblin***的成果，聯(lián)合Genivi聯(lián)盟中的寶馬、通用等汽車廠商，展出***的車載移動控制設備，其中基礎系統(tǒng)就是Moblin。
雖然這次Moblin項目的管理權限已經(jīng)到了Linux基金會手中，但是項目控制實際上還是在Intel自己手中，因為Moblin社區(qū)中的主力開發(fā)人員都是Intel所雇傭的，也許隨著越來越多的開源開發(fā)人員加入中其中，這種狀況會慢慢得到好轉。
On Thursday, the nonprofit Linux Foundation plans to announce that it will take over the “stewardship” of the Moblin project from Intel. In this case, stewardship means access to the code of Moblin, which is an open-source operating system based on Linux. It was designed to run computers in products as diverse as netbooks and cars. Essentially, Intel has loosened its grip on the project a bit and put the central control of Moblin in neutral hands.
“This is a departure for Intel,” said Jim Zemlin, the executive director of the Linux Foundation. “This is a company that has the resources and internal staff to create innovative technology on their own. They obviously see Moblin as a strategic platform.”
Mr. Zemlin is thinking that broad interest in Moblin could help spur the sales of Intel’s Atom processors, which the company has aimed at netbooks for now and all types of small devices including phones, cars, refrigerators and elevators in the future.
“It’s so hard to figure out when the next big thing will happen,” Mr. Zemlin said. “By opening it up to many people as possible, you increase your odds of participating in whatever turns out to be big.”
Intel has historically stayed out of operating systems, preferring not to step on the toes of partners, like Microsoft. With Moblin, however, Intel created a slick, flexible operating system as a base that others can modify for various uses. By doing so, Intel can push along the software at its own pace rather than relying on Microsoft’s timetable and also ensure that it has something available for its own chips at a time when companies are tweaking Linux on mobile devices for rival ARM-based products.
The Moblin project has received top priority at Intel, and the company has poached some of the elite Linux talent. Alan Cox, for example, is one of the main Linux developers and used to work at Red Hat before moving to Intel.
While Google’s Android and Canonical’s Ubuntu receive far more attention, Moblin should have a strong showing at the Computex trade show this June in Taipei.
The Genivi Alliance, which includes car makers BMW and GM, is expected to show off a new Moblin-based software dashboard at the show, and a variety of netbook makers should have Moblin-based devices as well.
Intel will maintain strong control over the software since it employs the top Moblin developers. But that could change over time as outside developers show interest in the software.
“As people earn their stripes, it will open up,” Mr. Zemlin said.
The Linux Foundation is supported by companies like Hewlett-Packard, Oracle, Google, Dell, Adobe and I.B.M.
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