OLPC taps 2.6.19 kernel for first Linux laptop build

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Nov. 07, 2006

The One Laptop Per Child project has decided to utilize a Linux 2.6.19 OLPC kernel with a Red Hat Fedora Core 6 "run-time environment" for the first build of its giveaway portable notebook computer, the Cambridge, Mass.-based project's president for software and content said Sunday.

OLPC executive Walter Bender announced the decision via his weekly progress report.

The OLPC project aims to distribute -- free of charge -- millions of Linux-based laptop computers, complete with their own power sources, to needy children around the world.

"For B1 we plan to use a Linux 2.6.19 OLPC kernel with a Red Hat Fedora Core 6 runtime environment; this is lower risk than combining our own work with Fedora changes that might affect us that would not be of benefit," Bender wrote.

The software team also has made a lot of progress, Bender wrote. The B1 build will include basic support for:

Chat
Web browser
Demo sketching program
Etoys
TamTam (for creating sounds)
Musical memory game
Xbook PDF reader

"We are starting to see activity builds of Abiword (a popular document editor and our probable route to supporting Microsoft document types), and an RSS reader called PenguinTV," Bender said.

Lastly, Bender reported that the CAFE (Camera and Flash Enabler) FPGA chip is now fully functional, with all three of the device subsystems "working flawlessly."

"The camera, SD card slot, and NAND Flash controllers have not only been tested, they are fully integrated into the OLPC Linux kernel, with complete device drivers also working perfectly," Bender added.

"Performance on the crucial NAND Flash controller -- the laptop's primary storage device -- is already much faster than that of the Geode, and will double again when the CAFE ASIC arrives. Many thanks to the great work by the CAFE team at Marvell -- as well as the software team, who pulled off the necessary device drivers in record time," according to Bender.

The OLPC project is well into its second year. Last month, the New York Times reported that Libya became the fifth country to express serious interest in the inexpensive student laptop -- the others being Nigeria, Brazil, Argentina, and Thailand. Brazil expressed some early interest in the project.

More about the OLPC Project

For lots of background on the OLPC's Linux-based low-cost laptop project -- including features, specs, and a timeline of announcements -- be sure to visit our comprehensive OLPC special report:

Hot Topic: The "One Laptop Per Child" project

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