Linux, linux, linux.
Its runs cell phones, computers, airline inflight entertainment systems, webservers– and even personal video recorders.
Even routers– such as my linksys WRT54GL are running linux.
The result is nothing short of amazing…
The important bits:
- Linksys makes router and ditches high priced development platform in favor of linux
- Linux is licensed via the GPL, or general public license, which allows/requires the ability to view, edit and add to source code
- Linksys is called upon to, and eventually does, relaease the source code for the router
- People edit update and otherwise modify the source code for this router to the point of it now having features not seen in routers 10x it’s purchase price of 60$.
- I bought said router, and upgraded it, and am now enjoying many of these features.
Our router now works with our airport base station as a WDS has better management tools, as well as Sticky DHCP (when your router gives you the same address automagically whenever you get on your network–great for bittorrent!) as well as a VPN server, bandwidth QOS controlls, great WIFI security, and a boatload of other stuff.
In short, it’s all that and a bag of chips. I can get all the great features of Apple’s Airport Express base stations (small size, good signal strength, music streaming, wireless printer sharing) linked into,and managed by, a cheap super functionial linux base station.