Open source may reign, but jury is still out on embedded Linux
UNIX has become such a pervasive component in the world of computers and networks that it would be difficult conceive of a computer industry without this open source operating system. And the prime factor that has propelled it to this status is precisely the open source nature of its development. Originating at Bell Labs when it was part of the officially sanctioned telephone monopoly, UNIX was not introduced as a proprietary product and was therefore open for development by a broad cross section of the programming community.