the cost of free linux

23 sept 2009 @ Imtech ICT/TSMost open-source is ‘free’. Not free as in ‘a free lunch’, but the freedom to

study and change it. This makes it possible to fix bugs, when needed. A R&D department does not depend on the original supplier; they can improve the product always. Either by own engineers, or with 3rd parties.

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Mijn missie:Software Beter Maken

Product, Proces, Imago

(C) ALbert MietusThe cost of ‘free’

Linux.And other open-source

solutions

Tensegrity is a blend of ‘tensional’ and ‘integrity’, a synergy of balanced tension and compression. The poles in a tensegrity-tower seem to float in air.Although they might look confusing, these structures are really very simple. All you need is to be very methodical when building them. It is an architectural principle for sky-high building and an example for SW engineering!

23 sept 2009 @ Imtech

ICT/TS

Most open-source is ‘free’. Not free a

s in ‘a free lunch’, but the freedom t

o study and change it. This makes it p

ossible to fix bugs, when needed. A R&

D department does not depend on the or

iginal supplier; they can improve the

product always. Either by own engineer

s, or with 3rd parties.

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(C) ALbert Mietus

About ‘Albert’• Embedded R&D Architect• Columnist, Writer, Chairman; Trainer, ...• Open-source, Unix, SW-Development practices & processes

Consultant at PTS: SW engineer to architect; Knowledge worker;Creator of EQSL concept:

an embedded Linux generator.

R&D Architect JVH Gaming:Bridge between R&D and MT;“Tilting" R&D department;Increase efficiency (twice or triple!)‘Let go’, due recession

NOW, I’m available for you

Nice things Advice Training Research

Nice topics Open-Source Version Control Code-quality Designing ...

•To help YOU


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(C) ALbert Mietus

Agenda1. Introduction

Me Why look at SW-cost? Embedded, Linux, Open-source

2. Cases Anonymised and anecdotal

experience They typical go wrong Lesson to learn

3. (Cost) advantages of Linux4. Risks and other cost

GPL, Licences


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(C) ALbert Mietus

Why look at SW cost?History shows us!

» ‘things’ become cheaper• SW is major part of most ‘things’ • Where are the costs?

– Expensive: license, man-hours, tools

How to save costs?Use generic parts, not ‘custom made’

• Candidate: the traditional RTOSGo with the (big) flow:

• Desktop/Server computers:– Cheap HW– Lots of (development) tools– Lots of know-how/manpower/...

Linux is free. End of discussion?No, development is not freeNo, look to total cost: HW+SW+DEV+...


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(C) ALbert Mietus

Very simple model [multiplication]

• BOM + SW-Licence(fee) [V*S]

• Development Hardware, etc [V]

Software•Shared libraries, etc. [1]

•Project specific [P]

Testing [V+L+P]

• Operations (“Reproduction”) [V*S]

» Here HW and SW differ!• Sales, etc -

Total cost for a product with V variations, each will sell S copies. The software is developed in P projects (P≥V), however a part is shared in L libraries. Test everything.


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(C) ALbert Mietus

What is embedded?Traditional

Small: no memory, no cpu speed, no gpu

Embedded AND Real-Time

Now, Lately, Future Small: mainly physical Powerful; often: “pc-alike” Kind of Real-Time

• Example: Cell-phonesApple's iPhone

• Wifi/Bluetooth, GBytes storage, ssh/ssl networking

Nokia 770 Internet Tablet Linux, WLan, GUI, ...

• Are they Embedded? Real-Time?


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(C) ALbert Mietus

Open-Source?Linux is

open-source But, not all open-source is Linux

» “X”, Apache, Eclipse, Firefox, ...

Linux is1. Mainly a kernel; technical hart

of OS2. Distributed with many other OS SW

» Mandrake, RedHat/Fedora, Ubuntu, ...

Linux is suited for Desktop/Server PC’s Mainframe computers Embedded systems

» EQSL, MontaVista, WindRiverLinux, ...



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(C) ALbert Mietus

some casesWhat we can learn from

othersAn example where everythinggoes completely and totally

wrong is much morehumoristicthan any

other

IntroCasesCost

AdvRisks


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(C) ALbert Mietus

Small is costlyTraditionally, each ‘feature’ adds costs

For Linux: ‘everything’ is free. Stripping Linux is a lot of workStripping Linux is a lot of work

Manager: “We only need a small Linux ...”

» He thinks it saves costDeveloper:

Dives into Linux: enthusiastic for months

Typical result:Working system or frustrationRAM/Disk/CPU ‘unused’

» A bigger, cheaper Linux would also fit


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(C) ALbert Mietus

HW increate SW-costs dramatically

• Existing telecom product wanted to switch to Linux as OS. I did a study Once, the HW could be designed in 2

options; for there current RTOS it didn't matter ...

» They selected the ‘wrong’ one .

Linux doesn't like batch interrupts • Processing 600Kbyte/sec is easy• Processing 80 bytes at 2kHz, for 4

channels:(too) hard

Multiple no-cost HW solutions exist (buffering, rewire) NOT an option

This was a showstopper, they didn’t expect

(see next sheet)


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(C) ALbert Mietus

Lesson (HW details)HW-engineer:

“But it really doesn’t matter. All you have to do ...”

I: “ ... is pay to change it in Linux”

• Technical, everything is possible

• Select the HW that is supported» Free Advice

Reality: You can add it, if you really

need it• flash file system, RT-scheduler, ...


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(C) ALbert Mietus

HW versus SW development• 55 Linux controlled radios are

needed:industrial PC with compact-flash as disk.Already done:

• Calculations showed: only 64Mbyte flash needed• Ordered and build the HW (with CF-disk)• They liked Linux-distro ‘XYZ’

Fact & Estimates:• ‘XYZ’-base needs about 80M; a few weeks to strip it.

» Also: all "nice options" are gone

• Extra cost pro 128M CF-card: €15 (back then)

SummarySaved less then 1K€ (55*15) on hardware,At the cost of:

• weeks of development and a late delivery• a consultant (me:-)

» Guess the cheaper alternative


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(C) ALbert Mietus

Busy with the box• ‘R&D’ works on embedded Linux’ They use a familiar pattern:

•Look for all possible solutions•Try to find the best one•Select ‘Busybox’ as component

– This collection of small tools is used frequently

Lesson: Use standard solutions initially!

Modify only when:•Really needed•Have know-how & experience


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(C) ALbert Mietus

Hardware or application?• Goal: Conference system on Linux

Traditional approach• HW (first), drivers/OS, application (last)• Expensive:

– Porting Linux to “own” hardware; write drivers

Wrong way around!• Start with difficult parts• Those parts, the end-user does not pay for

Linux has ‘hardware abstraction’ So, application does not see hardware!

Lesson:Porting application to (desktop) Linux first!

If it doesn’t work at all, saves a lot of time



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(C) ALbert Mietus

Cost advantages of Linux and open-source

Open-source/Linux in technical/embedded systems

is not ‘gratis’.

However, there are cost advantages, even beyond the

trivial.

IntroCasesCost

AdvRisks


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(C) ALbert Mietus

Advantages of Linux• Huge numbers of develop- and test-tools,resources, know-how and code is availableThis can speed up development; saving costs• Only an advantage when one needs and uses them!

» Don’t use the argument and do else-way!

• One can start development really earlyStart developing on “an old Linux PC”

• Use an embedded-aware Linux when possibleSaves a lot of handling cost

• How often do engineers walk to the HW/lab now?

Some ‘features’ speedup the workE.g. a web-server to set parameters

• Configure instead of recompile!‘Mount’ debugers/src-code in the dev-lab

» Very convenient for developers


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(C) ALbert Mietus

Case: Linux saves cost•RTOS licence not in BOM

(“forgotten”) Facts:

•Adding it, doubles the price» Margin becomes negative

•Product family near end of live (for years)

Approach1) Negotiations with supplier2) Start study/port to Linux

Results: Linux seems ‘too big’... , but ...

Don’t tell the supplier Other open-source solutions are possible

Licence fee drops dramatically ‘Problem is solved’



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(C) ALbert Mietus

Other Costs & Risks

As this is about costs and saving them;

there are a few lost bitswhich needs mentioning

IntroCasesCost

AdvRisks


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(C) ALbert Mietus

GNU Public Licence Now, it becomes really complicated

• The GPL is hard to read (for lawyers)• Using Linux: you have to comply

You may:•Use Linux, change Linux, add to Linux•Distribute Linux

You must:•Distribute your changes to your customers

Remember:•Not all open-source is Linux•There are many “open-source licences”


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(C) ALbert Mietus

Other LicencesSome of the well known licences

http://www.opensource.org/licenses

GPL, GLPL» Gnu software, Linux, ...

“Keep source available for everybody”

BSD (4- and 3-lines version), MIT» FreeBSD, *BSD, academic code ...

“Use it as long as you don’t blame us”

• Lessons ‘Never’ mix non-disclosures with GPL

– You can’t win on two sides

Never listen to ‘techies’– You have to convince a court. Ask a lawyer.

» Don’t explain bits & bytes


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(C) ALbert Mietus

Other open-souceOpen-source != Linux

» Linux is open-source, but there is more

Open-source has advantages, ... But there are alternatives to LinuxEcos, *BSD [other operating systems]

http:sourceforge.net [1532 ‘embedded projects’]

PC style hardware && Linux to risky?•Consider Open/Net/FreeBSD

» Open Unix/Linux without GPL!

Most open-source tools/applicationsrun on many operation system, incl Linux


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(C) ALbert Mietus

Conclusion & Questions1. Linux/Open-source is not

‘gratis’2. Look to the total cost!

HW, BOM, incl. Licence! Development cost

– Project, shared parts, etc– Man-hours

Advantages (negative cost)– Free extra features, time-2-market, ...

3. Beware of all open-source licences

How to add-up the legal cost?

4. Ask ‘the right questions’...... to the right people

Any questions?



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(C) ALbert Mietus

Ik heb een missie:Software Beter Maken,vooral in Nederland.

For more info:Albert AT SoftwareBeterMaken DOT nlGSM: +31(0)6 16 531 258http://SoftwareBeterMaken.nl

the cost of free linux

Technology

small linux

sw cost

linux x

stripping linux

linux technical

embedded linux generator

cost hw solutions

cost advantages of linux