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Army to try Red Hat embedded Linux

Red Hat wins a foothold in the U.S. Army in a deal that might eventually spread a Linux-based diagnostic device into several thousand military vehicles.

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Stephen Shankland principal writer
Stephen Shankland has been a reporter at CNET since 1998 and writes about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.
Expertise processors, semiconductors, web browsers, quantum computing, supercomputers, AI, 3D printing, drones, computer science, physics, programming, materials science, USB, UWB, Android, digital photography, science Credentials
  • I've been covering the technology industry for 24 years and was a science writer for five years before that. I've got deep expertise in microprocessors, digital photography, computer hardware and software, internet standards, web technology, and other dee
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Stephen Shankland
Red Hat has won a foothold in the U.S. Army in a deal that might eventually spread a Linux-based diagnostic device into several thousand military vehicles.

Rymic Systems has chosen a small "embedded" version of Linux for use in prototype Internet devices that will diagnose vehicle performance and predict if failure might be imminent, the company said.

The prototypes will be tested in Fort Riley, Kan., said Pat Stevens, deputy product manager of the U.S. Army diagnostic involvement program. Eventually, the device could be used in 3,000 to 50,000 trucks and fighting vehicles, he said in a statement.

Red Hat got its start selling Linux for use in servers, the comparatively powerful computers that support networks. But the company also is pushing into embedded devices--specialized equipment with computing capabilities. Embedded devices include factory robots, pagers, routers and airplane radar systems.

Red Hat is competing not only with a number of Linux start-ups, but also with traditional embedded software companies such as Wind River Systems. Another competitor, LynuxWorks, has years of experience in the embedded realm and is adding Linux to its product line.