It's no news that Linux is finding a home in everything "from household appliances and consumer electronics gadgets to controllers used in aviation, factories and automobiles -application-specific devices," as Evans Data Corporation <hwww.evansdata.com> reports. But it is news to discover how high the Linux embedding rate appears to be among those many devices.
In its "Embedded Systems Developer Survey", Evans Data Corp. reports what it calls "a dramatic change in the software content of the microprocessor-controlled devices in the workplace and in our 
homes."As a result the firm predicts a 3X increase in Linux-based projects over the next year, which it says is "part of a shift toward commercially available operating systems rather than those developed in-house."
Tools are an issue. Whithout giving numbers, the study showed "keen interest in tools and products that can help developers get their projects completed correctly and on time." Two-thirds of the surveyed developers said many embedded projects are started and never completed, as many more are delivered late.
What is it that developers like about Linux? Just what you'd expect: "Open source code, royalty-free licensing and a large community of knowledgeable developers were cited as Linux's key benefits. On the down side, Evans Data reports, "Factors slowing Linux adoption include lack of specific board support packages, availability of device drivers and fragmentation of the code base."