When you look at the History of Operating Systems, you will see that that an OS that meant serious business was UNIX. It was the anvil for the creation of the C Language and AWK. Now we have Linux, the evolved Unix like OS, which is comfortable and versatile for Networking and Clustering.
Related Reading
- uClinux - Embedded Linux Microcontroller
- Embedded Linux Platform Specification
- Embedded Linux applications - IBM
- Timesys Embedded Linux
Gadgets and Appliances are become increasingly complex. More memory and CPU power for small devices are commonplace. Linux is one OS that can be muntzed to the smallest size. This helps developers make something like a super-firmware. Just what you need for that device, can be the OS.
Touchscreens for Home Appliances, wireless networking and web enabled consumer electronics make Linux an excellent escalation from "Firmware". For tiny systems a firmware is the OS. For complex devices today, Linux is user configured firmware.

Leopardboard DM355
- High-performance Digital Media System on Chip
- ARM926EJ-S core
- Video Processing Subsystem (VPSS)