Transmeta touts Mobile Linux for Crusoe

Transmeta plans to launch a mobile version of Linux specifically for its Crusoe processor, according to reports.

The chip maker is believed to be preparing to release Mobile Linux to the open source community with full driver support for Crusoe-based devices. The software would also feature a utility that could tweak the settings of the LongRun power management system of Transmeta's Code Morphing software.

The software undertakes a number of functions that were previously handled by silicon, and the power management technology adjusts speed and voltage dynamically to optimise the chip to process any given application.

Transmeta has also rewritten the file system of Mobile Linux to make it more compact, and has added features such as error checking. The system is expected to have a more compact Bios, a Flash-based file system, improved power management and a smaller memory footprint than current Linux distributions.

During the recent LinuxWorld Expo, Dan Quinlan, a Linux developer at Transmeta, said the company was close to announcing an embedded Linux development toolkit. "We want to help developers build cool stuff and obviously we want to make sure Linux works well on Transmeta hardware," he said.

He added that the Crusoe chip is ideal for mobile devices, lightweight sub-notebooks and handhelds, and that the embedded systems market looked promising for the company.