Mobile Linux vs. Standard (x86-based) Linux

The methodical design of Linux, a UNIX-based operating system, made it possible to adapt it to a wide range of computing platforms. Originally developed for Intel 386 processors and their successors, Linux was soon ported to DEC Alpha processor architectures and runs today on many other widely adopted CPUs. Of particular interest in this context are the ARM based architectures, as many embedded systems and mobile devices are powered by ARM processors. Being able to extract the core functionality of Linux and minimize its footprint made it possible to adopt Linux as an open standard for small and inexpensive devices.