Moblin

For the fictional Legend of Zelda race, see Moblin (The Legend of Zelda).
Moblin
Screenshot of Moblin 2.1
DeveloperThe Linux Foundation/Intel
OS familyUnix-like
Working stateDiscontinued (merged with MeeGo)
Source modelOpen source
Latest release2.1 / November 4, 2009; 14 years ago (2009-11-04)
Marketing targetMobile devices
Package managerRPM Package Manager
Kernel typeMonolithic (Linux)
UserlandGNU
LicenseVarious
Official websitemoblin.org
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Moblin, short for 'mobile Linux', is a discontinued open source operating system and application stack for Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), netbooks, nettops and embedded devices.[1]

Moblin was built around the Intel Atom processor. All builds of Moblin were designed to minimize boot times and power consumption, as Moblin was a netbook and MID-centric operating system. The netbook/desktop version of Moblin supported other chipsets based on the SSSE3 instruction set, such as the Core2 and some Celeron processors.

OEM support was scarce but hit an all-time high in 2009 when Acer replaced Linpus Linux with Moblin on their Acer Aspire One netbooks[2][3] and LG Electronics chose Moblin OS 2.1 for its mobile Internet device class smartphone the LG GW990.[4][5] Dell also once accepted orders for netbooks running Canonical's Ubuntu Moblin Remix.[6] Few commercial products existed around Moblin 2, most prominently a netbook from Foxconn[7] and a smartphone from InvenTech,[8] both announced at Computex 2009. Mandriva offered Moblin's v2 version to all Mandriva distribution and netbook owners.[9] At the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2010, MSI and Novell announced SUSE Moblin preloaded on the MSI U135 netbook. Following the release of Moblin version 2.1, this was the first original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to sell a fully supported Intel Atom processor-based netbook running Moblin-based technology to consumers. It was demonstrated at both the MSI and Intel booths at the show.[10] In addition, Samsung showed four netbooks preloaded with SUSE Moblin.

At the Mobile World Congress in February 2010, it was announced that the Moblin project would be merging with Maemo to create the MeeGo mobile software platform. Nokia stopped all MeeGo development after switching to Windows Phone in 2011 and Intel also discontinued work on it to join the Tizen project instead.

  1. ^ "Moblin for Netbooks and Nettops". Archived from the original on 2008-06-08.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference LinpusFoxconn was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Nystedt, Dan (June 3, 2009). "Acer Will Use Moblin Linux Across Its Products". Computerworld.
  4. ^ "Atom-powered LG GW990 rocks the smartphone world". GSM Arena. GSMArena. 8 January 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  5. ^ "LG Next-Generation Smartphone Stars in Intel CES Keynote" (Press release). LG Electronics. 7 January 2010. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  6. ^ Paul, Ryan (September 25, 2009). "Moblin 2 arriving via Dell with Ubuntu-Moblin remix netbook". Ars Technica.
  7. ^ Davies, Chris (May 29, 2009). "Foxconn SZ901 netbook with Linpus Lite Moblin V2". Slashgear.
  8. ^ "Inventec Mediaphone. Photo's, Video". June 3, 2009. Archived from the original on June 4, 2009.
  9. ^ "Mandriva Mini based on Moblin version 2 technology is now available". Mandriva (Press release). Archived from the original on October 1, 2009.
  10. ^ "MSI Ships First Netbook Powered by SUSE Moblin from Novell" (Press release). Novell. Archived from the original on January 13, 2010.