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Microsoft built its own custom Linux kernel for its new IoT service

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Re: Microsoft built its own custom Linux kernel for its new IoT service

#41

Post by tyingq »

castle-bravo wrote: post #10

Am I paraphrasing this correctly: > Microsoft-branded ARM microcontrollers running an embedded linux distribution. Microsoft rolls out security updates over Azure to reduce the risk of the device becoming part of a botnet. It sounds great.

It does. But, it's also pretty surreal for those of us that worked through the anti-linux Microsoft of the 90's. Windows subsystem for Linux, and initiatives like this are a real confirmation that MS finally "gets it". Right tool for the right job. Good for them.

It's also a big swing for me in that I trust MS more than Google now to do the right thing. I'd have thought that impossible a couple of decades ago.

Re: Microsoft built its own custom Linux kernel for its new IoT service

#42

Post by kbenson »

joezydeco wrote: post #35

After seeing this I think the Amazon AWS/FreeRTOS combo is looking like the better architecture for a node solution. FreeRTOS can run on lowly M3s at 120Mhz, like the LPC2478. A 500MHz A7 part is way too much silicon for an IoT node. How much external SDRAM and Flash are connected to that MediaTek core?

> After seeing this I think the Amazon AWS/FreeRTOS combo is looking like the better architecture for a node solution. FreeRTOS can run on lowly M3s at 120Mhz, like the LPC2478

Is that supposed to imply linux can't? Or that linux plus a GNU subsystem can't? I've personally run it on a lot lower end hardware than that seems to be.

Re: Microsoft built its own custom Linux kernel for its new IoT service

#43

Post by minor3rd »

tyingq wrote: post #41
castle-bravo wrote: post #10

Am I paraphrasing this correctly: > Microsoft-branded ARM microcontrollers running an embedded linux distribution. Microsoft rolls out security updates over Azure to reduce the risk of the device becoming part of a botnet. It sounds great.

It does. But, it's also pretty surreal for those of us that worked through the anti-linux Microsoft of the 90's. Windows subsystem for Linux, and initiatives like this are a real confirmation that MS finally "gets it". Right tool for the right job. Good for them. It's also a big swing for me in that I trust MS more than Google now to do the right thing. I'd have thought that impossible a couple of decades ago.

> I'd have thought that impossible a couple of decades ago.

Me too. Good thing Google exists now :)

Re: Microsoft built its own custom Linux kernel for its new IoT service

#44

Post by paxys »

tyingq wrote: post #41
castle-bravo wrote: post #10

Am I paraphrasing this correctly: > Microsoft-branded ARM microcontrollers running an embedded linux distribution. Microsoft rolls out security updates over Azure to reduce the risk of the device becoming part of a botnet. It sounds great.

It does. But, it's also pretty surreal for those of us that worked through the anti-linux Microsoft of the 90's. Windows subsystem for Linux, and initiatives like this are a real confirmation that MS finally "gets it". Right tool for the right job. Good for them. It's also a big swing for me in that I trust MS more than Google now to do the right thing. I'd have thought that impossible a couple of decades ago.

Generally agree with you, but those of us who knew Microsoft in the 90s are also cautious about the company getting too cozy with the Linux ecosystem, or any competing technology in general.

Re: Microsoft built its own custom Linux kernel for its new IoT service

#45

Post by jlgaddis »

bpye wrote: post #13

The videos seem to show an MT3620 device, seems to be made by MediaTek [1]. Looks like they are targeting a Cortex-A7 + Cortex-M4 chip. First time I've seen an A series core in this type of chip. It looks like a developer gets to program the A7 and 2xM4F cores whilst the WiFi radio and Microsoft's "secure" Pluton thing run on a Andes N9 and Cortex M4 core respectively. I assume it is those cores which will be auto-up…

> The videos seem to show an MT3620 device, seems to be made by MediaTek [1].

Indeed. The article agrees with you and even goes as far as linking to the same URL that you did. :-)

Re: Microsoft built its own custom Linux kernel for its new IoT service

#46

Post by dingo_bat »

ekianjo wrote: post #16
pfarnsworth wrote: post #6

Microsoft has a lot of great engineers that have no religious bias against Linux. This was strictly a Bill Gates/Steve Ballmer thing. The smartest thing Nadella did was get rid of the Windows religion aspect to their work and let their engineers do the best thing, and not be afraid of Linux.

where is the office suite for Linux then?

It's known as office 365. And it is superior to any other office suite available for Linux.

Re: Microsoft built its own custom Linux kernel for its new IoT service

#47

Post by mandeepj »

jesseryoung wrote: post #9

Am I missing something here? The custom linux kernel part isn't interesting at all - in fact, Microsoft has pretty much admitted they can't scale down Windows. What's interesting to me here is Microsoft is building an IoT solution that allows manufacturers to delegate security to Microsoft instead of having to roll their own.

> in fact, Microsoft has pretty much admitted they can't scale down Windows.

Really? Did you check out Windows Nano Server - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/...

Re: Microsoft built its own custom Linux kernel for its new IoT service

#48

Post by HoppyHaus »

russellbeattie wrote: post #29
yndoendo wrote: post #4

Still cannot understand the IoT mentality. It is actually the CoT Communication of Things. Internet shouldn't be required to turn your lights on or off nor be the device communication backbone in an industrial enviornment. Internet should always be the last resort for communicating because of the distance.

Totally with you. Maybe I'm a pessimist or a luddite or something, but I really don't think IoT devices should be connected directly to the Internet. Most are just too simple, underpowered or cheaply made to adequately defend themselves from attacks. IoT gadgets should always talk to a more powerful/secure hub of some sort, which then is exposed to the Internet. Seriously, my WiFi lightbulb switch just has no busines…

Absolutely. I love small devices I can modify and the such, but when I do it, it's some assurance that i have a bit of security-by-obscurity, as well as an open-source background that usually comes with the random-modification scene. But when a commercial entity wants my lights to connect to the internet, chances are they are less-modifiable than a few hacked-together circuits.

Re: Microsoft built its own custom Linux kernel for its new IoT service

#49

Post by lsh »

tyingq wrote: post #41
castle-bravo wrote: post #10

Am I paraphrasing this correctly: > Microsoft-branded ARM microcontrollers running an embedded linux distribution. Microsoft rolls out security updates over Azure to reduce the risk of the device becoming part of a botnet. It sounds great.

It does. But, it's also pretty surreal for those of us that worked through the anti-linux Microsoft of the 90's. Windows subsystem for Linux, and initiatives like this are a real confirmation that MS finally "gets it". Right tool for the right job. Good for them. It's also a big swing for me in that I trust MS more than Google now to do the right thing. I'd have thought that impossible a couple of decades ago.

Have you actually used Windows 10?? The spotlight is squarely on Facebook and it's privacy intrusions right now, but the data collection when you own the OS must be several orders of magnitude larger.

Don't be so eager to forgive them. They're not hugging Linux right now because they're a Good Company trying to Do No Evil.

Re: Microsoft built its own custom Linux kernel for its new IoT service

#50

Post by tyingq »

minor3rd wrote: post #43
tyingq wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does. But, it's also pretty surreal for those of us that worked through the anti-linux Microsoft of the 90's. Windows subsystem for Linux, and initiatives like this are a real confirmation that MS finally "gets it". Right tool for the right job. Good for them. It's also a big swing for me in that I trust MS more than Google now to do the right thing. I'd have thought that impossible a couple of decades ago.

> I'd have thought that impossible a couple of decades ago. Me too. Good thing Google exists now :)

Ah, see what you did there. But 1998 is pretty close to a "couple of decades". And, I do trust MS more than I trust them now.
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