Linaro is an engineering organization that works on free and open-source software such as the Linux kernel, the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), QEMU, power management, graphics and multimedia interfaces for the ARM family of instruction sets and implementations thereof as well as for the Heterogeneous System Architecture (HSA). The company provides a collaborative engineering forum for companies to share engineering resources and funding to solve common problems on ARM software. In addition to Linaro's collaborative engineering forum, Linaro also works with companies on a one-to-one basis through its Services division.  

Linaro works on software that is close to the silicon such as kernel, multimedia, power management, graphics and security.  The company aims to provide stable, tested tools and code for multiple software distributions to use to reduce low-level fragmentation of embedded Linux software. It also provides engineering and investment in upstream open source projects and support to silicon companies in upstreaming code to be used with their systems-on-a-chip (SoC). Since the 3.10 Linux kernel release, Linaro has consistently been listed in the top ten contributors to the Linux kernel.

Every six months, Linaro hosts Linaro Connect - an engineering conference, where leading hardware and software companies in the ARM ecosystem come together to collaborate, hack and develop technical road maps and strategy.

History 
The founding of Linaro was announced at Computex in June 2010 by ARM, Freescale Semiconductor, IBM, Samsung, ST-Ericsson, and Texas Instruments in a joint press conference. Linaro was formed to provide ”new resources and industry alignment for open source software developers using Linux on the world’s most sophisticated semiconductor System-on-Chips (SoCs).” Since its formation, Linaro has continued to deliver tools, security and Linux kernel quality to the ARM ecosystem as a whole. In addition, the company has created groups tasked with addressing fragmentation in the following market segments: Consumer Devices, Datacenter & Cloud, Edge & Fog Computing and Windows on Arm. 

In 2012, Linaro formed the Linaro Datacenter & Cloud Group (formerly known as the Linaro Enterprise Group) to drive adoption of ARM in the server market. In February 2013, Linaro launched the Linaro Networking Group. This group went on to start the OpenDataPlane initiative which “defined a set of APIs to be used across the full range of processor architectures and networking offloads available”. In 2018, project governance of the OpenDataPlane project was moved to the Openfastpath Foundation.

In February 2014, Linaro formed the Linaro Security Working group to “create open source Android and Linux reference designs for Trusted execution environment (TEE) technology.” Shortly after its formation, the Security Working Group took over project governance of (Open Portable Trusted Execution Environment), initially a proprietary TEE project developed by ST-Ericsson. In May 2014, Linaro launched the Linaro Digital Home Group, focused on ARM-based media gateways and STBs (Set Top Boxes). A few months later in July 2014, the Linaro Consumer Group (formerly known as the Linaro Mobile Group) was formed to consolidate and optimize open source software for mobile platforms on ARM.

In 2015, Linaro launched 96Boards, a specification created with the aim of delivering compatible low cost, small footprint 32-bit and 64-bit Cortex-A boards. In 2016, Linaro launched the Linaro IoT and Embedded Group, with the aim of developing “end-to-end open source reference software for IoT devices and applications.”

In 2018, Linaro restructured the engineering groups to align with the technological landscape. As a result, the Linaro Networking Group and the Linaro Digital Home Group were both disbanded and the Linaro Edge & Fog Computing Group created. In 2019, Li Gong was appointed Linaro CEO.

In 2022, Linaro launched the Windows on Arm Group together with Arm, Microsoft and Qualcomm.

In 2023, Linaro acquired Arm Forge - a suite of debug and performance analysis tools which can be used across multiple compute architectures for server and HPC applications. Arm Forge is now known as Linaro Forge. In 2023, Linaro also disbanded the Linaro IoT & Embedded Group, declaring mission accomplished for having achieved maturity of open source projects supporting Arm-based MCUs in the IoT space.

Engineering Activities

Core Technologies  
Linaro's Core Engineering Team is focused on co-maintaining the ARM ecosystem. The team works directly with upstream projects supporting core technologies including Linux kernel core features, power management, security, toolchain support (both GCC and LLVM), testing and CI and Virtualization. It makes regular public releases along with a number of reference builds of kernels and userspace for various Linux distributions (including Android and Ubuntu) on member SoCs.

The Core Engineering team also maintains the automated testing system called LAVA (Linaro Automated Validation Architecture) which Linaro developed. LAVA is for automated testing of the open source components that are used in the major Linux-based software platforms. A lab running LAVA and a wide variety of ARM hardware is run for the use of Linaro and member company engineers.

Segment specific engineering 
The remaining work done by Linaro is split into groups focusing on particular markets where ARM processors are used. These include:

Linaro Consumer Group 
The Linaro Consumer Group focuses on development for mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. The primary aim of the group is to improve the AOSP ecosystem through collaborative activities that benefit members across all Android use cases.

Linaro Datacenter & Cloud Group 
The Linaro Datacenter & Cloud Group focuses on Linux development for ARM servers. The team's mission is to bring competing companies together to work on common solutions to problems and enable OEM's, commercial Linux providers and System on Chip (SOC) vendors to collaborate in a neutral environment on the development of the core software needed by the rapidly emerging market for low-power hyperscale servers.

Linaro Edge & Fog Computing Group 
The Linaro Edge & Fog Computing Group is working to accelerate the adoption of ARM technologies in Edge & Fog Computing ecosystems.

Linaro Windows on Arm Group 
In February 2022 Linaro formed the Windows on Arm Group together with Arm, CIX Technology, Microsoft and Qualcomm. The group is aiming to build an ecosystem for Windows on Arm that supports native development.

96Boards 
96Boards is an open platform specification that provides a platform for the delivery of compatible low-cost, small footprint 32-bit and 64-bit Cortex-A boards.

A fixed set of minimum interfaces are required by the specifications, for example the Consumer Edition (CE) specification requires standard USB, micro-SD, HDMI, power, and low- and high-speed peripheral connectors. Vendors may add customized hardware and feature sets provided the form factor and minimum set of interfaces are supported. Since the original Consumer Edition (CE) release there have been specifications for Enterprise (EE), IoT (IE) and SoM developed. 

On April 27, 2017, a board adhering to the 96Board Consumer Edition Open Standard became a development platform for the Android Open Source Project (AOSP).

Specifications and implementations 
There are four published 96Boards specifications for low-cost ARMv7-A and ARMv8-A development boards:

 The Consumer Edition (CE) targets the mobile, embedded and digital home segments.
 The Enterprise Edition (EE) targets the networking and server segments.
 The Internet of Things Edition (IE) is designed to support development in the IoT space.
 The SoM Edition (SoM) is focused on Wireless and Compute solutions.

License 
All code developed within Linaro working groups is open source and therefore available under standard Open Source Initiative (OSI) license terms.

References

External links 
 

Linux companies
리나로(Linaro)는 ARM기반의 리눅스 오픈 소스를 지향하는 엔지니어 중심의 비영리 단체로서 2010년 6월에 대만의 Computex에서 후원 멤버인 ARM, Freescale Semiconductor, IBM, Samsung, ST-Ericsson과 Texas Instruments이 연합하여 설립되었다

리나로는 ARM 기반의 시스템 온 칩 (SoC) 관련 리눅스 open source의 통합 및 최적화를 목적으로 매월 마지막주 목요일 단위로 전 세계의 숙련된 엔지니어들에 의하여 제작된 솔루션 및 툴체인을 배포하며 리눅스 mainline으로 upstream 과정을 통해 Linaro 멤버들의 시스템 온 칩 (SoC) 기반으로 작업하는 OEM/ODM에게 항상 최신의 안정적인 버전의 리눅스 소프트웨어를 사용할 수 있도록 지원하고 있다.

리나로는 ARM 기반의 모든 core용 소프트웨어를 개발, 배포한다. 특히 Cortex-A8 또는 dual-core Cortex-A9 processor(s)기반의 시스템 온 칩 (SoC)를 위한 리눅스 코드의 최적화를 지향하고 있다. 세계적으로 숙련된 엔지니어 조직은 매월 단위로 Technical Steering Committee.에서 정의되는 요구사항들을 기반으로 리눅스 upstream project를 진행하고 있으며, 매월 마지막주 목요일에 1개월 단위의 결과물과 toolchain을 wiki.linaro.org를 통해 배포하고 있다. 이를 위해 Kernel, Multimedia, Power Management, Graphics, Tool Chain Working Group의 코어 엔지니어링 그룹들이 ARM 기반의 임베디드 Linux software의 통합 및 최적화 엔지니어링을 통해 안정적이고, 최적화된 솔루션 및 ToolChain 뿐아니라 Test Tool 제공과 실시간 software 무결성을 검증하는 것을 그 목적으로 하고 있다.

역사 
 2011년 6월 - Exynos SoC 기반 Samsung Origen 개발 보드 발표
 첫 번째 결과물로 2010년 11월 10.11에 (GCC, Valgrind, OProfile)의 성능개선을 시작으로 Linux ARM kernel을 배포하기 시작하였으며, Ubuntu 배포판을 제작하는 단체인 Canonical에서 Linaro GCC 4.5.2를 사용하여 Ubuntu 배포판에 적용(natty narwhal 11.04)하기 시작했다.
 2010년 6월 대만의 Computex에서 ARM, Samsung, Freescale Semiconductor, IBM, ST-Ericsson, Texas Instruments (TI)의 6개 회사가 공동으로 open source always-connected, always-on computing이라는 기치하에 미래의 open source 혁신을 위하여 엔지니어 중심의 비영리단체를 설립했다.
 2010년 3월 비영리단체 설립 (멤버쉽으로 운영, 엔지니어링 작업 시작)

배포시기 
2011년 6월부터 기존의 6개월 단위의 배포시기를 매월 단위로 배포주기를 변경하여 보다 신속한 최신의 소프트웨어를 공급하고 있다. 공식적인 배포시기는 매월 마지막주 목요일이다. 이번달 Linaro 배포내용[

요구사항 
Linaro는 ARM 기반의 SoC 들인 (TI's OMAP3, OMAP4 OMAP5, Samsung Exynos, ST-Ericsson's NovaThor U8500 and Freescale's i.MX51)에서 Linux의 최적화를 지향한다.

다운로드 
다운로드 가능한 소프트웨어는 3가지로 나눌 수 있다.
 매월 단위 배포판 (매월간의 Working Group의 결과물이 통합된 버전)은 releases.linaro.org에서 다운 받을 수 있다.
 Linaro가 관리하는 공식 저장소에서 Linux kernel, 개선된 u-boot등은 git.linaro.org에서 다운 받을 수 있으며 각각의 WG뿐아니라 진행되는 모든 project의 topic branch를 다운받을 수 있다.

저작권 
Linaro의 working group에서 개발되는 모든 software는 오픈소스이며 Open Source Initiative (OSI) 저작권을 따라 사용할 수 있다. 저작권 관련 자세한 내용은 Membership Rules 및Linaro Articles of Association를 참고.

지원 운영 체제 
ARM 기반의 리눅스 오픈소스를 지향한다.

각주

외부 링크 
 roadmap.linaro.org
리나로의 주요 기술적 계획을 체계적으로 볼 수 있다.
 status.linaro.org
리나로에서 진행되고 있는 현재 주요 Project들 및 그 세부 내용을 볼 수 있다.
 validation.linaro.org
리나로 멤버의 보드들과 최신의 software 결과물을 실시간으로 검증하고 그 상태를 모니터링할 수 있다.
 ci.linaro.org
리나로에서 목적으로 하는 주요 리눅스 커널과 리나로 결과물이 합성된 Continuous Intergration 내용을 참조할 수 있다.
 wiki.linaro.org
리나로 엔지니어들이 작성하는 기술적 문서로 ARM, Linux, Linaro에 궁금한 모든 부분을 검색하여 찾아볼 수 있다.
 patches.linaro.org
리나로에서 진행되고 있는 Linux Kernel Upstream 관련 모든 내용을 한 눈에 볼 수 있다.
 releases.linaro.org
가장 최신의 리나로 배포판의 특성 다음달의 내용이 궁금하시면 이곳을 참조.
 ask.linaro.org
기술적인 부분뿐아니라 리나로와 리나로 멤버등에 궁금한 사항이 있으면 이곳에서 질문할 수 있다.

리눅스 배포판
모바일 운영체제
임베디드 리눅스 배포판
데비안 기반 리눅스 배포판