Linux Gains Support for Marvell Feroceon/Orion SoCs
	Posted 27 Mar 2008 at 19:41 UTC by steve

When Linux v2.6.25 is released in the near future, the kernel will include support for Marvell's Feroceon micro-architecture and "Orion" SoCs. This is interesting to most Linux hackers because it means GNU/Linux distros will be able to run on a wide range of network-attached storage (NAS) devices from HP, D-Link, Philips, Iomega, and other manufacturers. Robot builders should take note too, because it broadens the range of inexpensive embedded controllers supported by the Linux kernel and GNU/Linux OS. Aside from the possibility of hacking a NAS device for robotics use, you could also potentially use boards like the TS-7800 which includes a Marvel 88F5182 500MHz CPU and onboard FPGA. Marvell's Orion chips are based on ARM9 technology so they'll seem familiar to many users already. For more see the LinuxDevices.com story. See also the Linux 2.6.25-rc7 changelog.