Mentor Embedded Linux

Open source, customizable with support

Build next-generation Linux-based products using advanced, development tools and comprehensive customization, backed by top-quality support and maintenance.

Mentor Embedded Linux Software IP

An intelligent starting point for creating your own product platform using System Builder

Mentor Embedded Linux comes with a ready-to-use root filesystem, including a Linux kernel, for each reference board supported by the product. This reference distribution contains all of the required components for preparing your own unique product platform to meet your product’s requirements.

Expand, Enhance, and Customize using System Builder

System Builder can be used to customize this reference platform as needed to create your own unique product platform. Using System Builder developers can:

  • Review the original source code and patches applied to create Mentor Embedded Linux
  • Add or remove packages from the reference root file system images
  • Rebuild all of the source code that contributes to reference configuration
  • Add software from outside Mentor Embedded Linux by pulling recipes from the OpenEmbedded project

Customize filesytem contents faster using control knobs

Mentor Embedded Linux includes a minimal filesystem starting point that can be used as the baseline for adding just what your product platform requires to be successful. To aid developers as they add to this baseline filesystem “control knobs” are available as a shortcut to selecting the appropriate packages to include in the filesystem. While developers are still responsible for ensuring the corresponding kernel drivers are available filesystem control knobs save time and reduce guesswork when adding features to a design.

Available control knobs include:

  • audio: Adds required sound support utilitiez
  • bluetooth: Adds Bluetooth support utilizing the BlueZ project
  • host-diskdrive: Adds utilities for managing disks and managing the integrity of disk filesystems
  • framebuffer: Adds support utilities for the Linux framebuffer devices
  • host-usb: Adds utilities to manage USB devices and work with filesystems commonly found on USB mass storage devices.
  • mtd: Adds the Linux Memory Technology Devices utilities
  • pci: Adds basic utilities for querying PCI devices
  • touchscreen: Adds touchscreen calibration utilities
  • wifi: Adds necessary tools for connecting to wireless networks
  • print-server: Adds utilities for serving printers to remote devices via the Samba file and print services daemon
  • nas: Adds utilities for connecting to remote filesystems using either Samba or NFS
  • native-development: Basic required tools for on device software development
  • router: Adds utilities for providing routing, firewall, and NTP services
  • x11-minimal: Adds basic X11 environment