CE Linux Forum

The Consumer Electronics Linux Forum (CELF) is a non-profit organization which works to advance Linux as an open source platform for consumer electronics (CE) devices. It has a primarily technical focus, working on specifications, implementations, conferences and testing to help Linux developers improve Linux for use in CE products.

Initiatives Overview

CELF has several key initiatives, including:
* a set of technical working groups, which produce specifications and implementations (usually patches against existing open source projects) to enhance Linux suitability for CE products
* hosting of conferences dedicated to embedded Linux
* providing hardware resources to open source developers
* funding for direct feature development, via contracting with a few Linux developers
* a [http://testlab.celinuxforum.org/ test lab] in San Jose, California, United States.

History

The forum is an outgrowth of a joint project between Sony Corporation and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (also known as Panasonic). CELF was founded in June 2003 by several large consumer electronics companies, including Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., Sony Corporation, Hitachi Ltd., NEC Corporation, Royal Philips Electronics, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Sharp Corporation, and Toshiba Corporation. As of 2006 CELF has about 50 members, consisting of consumer electronics manufacturers, semiconductor vendors, and Linux software companies.

Technical Working Groups and Output

As of 2007, CELF had the following technical working groups:
1. Audio, Video and Graphics
2. Bootup Time
3. Digital Television Profile
4. Memory Management
5. Mobile Phone Profile
6. Power Management
7. Real Time
8. Security
9. System Size

These working groups collect improvements to Linux and Linux-related software from CELF members, and help members coordinate on projects to enhance Linux in their respective technical areas.

The forum encourages its members to submit technical output directly back to the relevant open source project (for example, by sending enhancements to the Linux kernel directly to the Linux kernel mailing list, or to an appropriate technology- or architecture-specific mailing list.) Collected information and forum output is primarily located on the forum's [http://tree.celinuxforum.org/CelfPubWiki/FrontPage wiki for embedded developers]

See also

* Linux Foundation - Another Linux consortium

External links

* CELF [http://www.celinuxforum.org/ Website]
* CELF [http://tree.celinuxforum.org/CelfPubWiki/FrontPage wiki for embedded developers]
* CELF [http://testlab.celinuxforum.org/ open test lab web site]
* [http://elinux.org Embedded Linux wiki]