# ECos

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECos
> Source revision: 1331694929
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{{Short description|Real-time operating system}}
{{Lowercase title|title=eCos}}
{{Other uses|Ecos (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox OS
| name = eCos
| logo = ECos logo.png
| developer = eCos community, [Free Software Foundation](/source/Free_Software_Foundation)
| family = 
| released = {{Start date and age|1998|09}}
| latest release version = eCosPro 4.10
| latest release date = {{Start date and age|24|12|05}}
| license = eCos License: [GNU General Public License](/source/GNU_General_Public_License) (with [linking exception](/source/GPL_linking_exception))<ref>{{cite web |author=eCos official website |title=eCos License Overview |url=http://ecos.sourceware.org/license-overview.html |quote=eCos is released under a modified version of the well known GNU General Public License (GPL). |access-date=2009-06-22}}</ref>
| working state = Current
| source model = [Open source](/source/Open-source_software)
| supported platforms = [ARM](/source/ARM_architecture) ([Cortex-A5](/source/ARM_Cortex-A5), [-A7](/source/ARM_Cortex-A7), [-A9](/source/ARM_Cortex-A9), [-A53](/source/ARM_Cortex-A53), [-M3](/source/ARM_Cortex-M3), [-M4](/source/ARM_Cortex-M4), [-M7](/source/ARM_Cortex-M7)); CalmRISC, [FR-V](/source/FR-V_(microprocessor)), [Hitachi H8](/source/Hitachi_H8), [IA-32](/source/IA-32), [Motorola 68000](/source/Motorola_68000), Matsushita AM3x, [MIPS](/source/MIPS_architecture), [NEC V850](/source/NEC_V850), [Nios II](/source/Nios_II), [PowerPC](/source/PowerPC), [RISC-V](/source/RISC-V), [SPARC](/source/SPARC), [SuperH](/source/SuperH)
| kernel type = [Real-time](/source/Real-time_operating_system)
| marketing target = [Embedded system](/source/Embedded_system)s
| programmed in = [C](/source/C_(programming_language)), [C++](/source/C%2B%2B), [assembly](/source/Assembly_language)
| website = {{URL|ecos.sourceware.org}}
}}

The '''Embedded Configurable Operating System''' ('''eCos''') is a [free and open-source](/source/free_and_open-source_software) [real-time operating system](/source/real-time_operating_system) intended for [embedded system](/source/embedded_system)s and applications which need only one [process](/source/Process_(computing)) with [multiple threads](/source/Thread_(computing)). It is designed to be customizable to precise application requirements of run-time performance and hardware needs. It is implemented in the [programming language](/source/programming_language)s [C](/source/C_(programming_language)) and [C++](/source/C%2B%2B) and has [compatibility layer](/source/compatibility_layer)s and [application programming interface](/source/application_programming_interface)s for Portable Operating System Interface ([POSIX](/source/POSIX)) and The Real-time Operating system Nucleus ([TRON](/source/TRON_project)) variant [μITRON](/source/ITRON_project). eCos is supported by popular [SSL/TLS](/source/Transport_Layer_Security) libraries such as [wolfSSL](/source/wolfSSL), thus meeting all standards for embedded security.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.wolfssl.com/forums/topic437-solved-loadbuffer-with-nofilesystem-define-needs-filesystem.html |title=[SOLVED] load_buffer with NO_FILESYSTEM define needs filesystem? (Page 1) |website=wolfSSL (formerly CyaSSL) Embedded SSL Library |access-date=2019-02-14}}</ref> 

== Design ==
eCos was designed for devices with memory sizes in the range of a few tens or several hundred [kilobyte](/source/kilobyte)s,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Larmour |first=Jonathan |date=May 2005 |title=How eCos can be shrunk to fit |url=http://i.cmpnet.com/embedded/europe/esemay05/esemay05p32.pdf |work=Embedded Systems Europe |page=34 |access-date=2007-04-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060515055126/http://i.cmpnet.com/embedded/europe/esemay05/esemay05p32.pdf |archive-date=2006-05-15}}</ref> or for applications with real-time requirements.

eCos runs on a wide variety of hardware platforms, including [ARM](/source/ARM_architecture), CalmRISC, [FR-V](/source/FR-V), [Hitachi H8](/source/Hitachi_H8), [IA-32](/source/IA-32), [Motorola 68000](/source/Motorola_68000), Matsushita AM3x, [MIPS](/source/MIPS_architecture), [NEC V850](/source/NEC_V850), [Nios II](/source/Nios_II), [PowerPC](/source/PowerPC), [SPARC](/source/SPARC), and [SuperH](/source/SuperH).

The eCos distribution includes [RedBoot](/source/RedBoot), an [open source](/source/Open-source_software) [application](/source/application_software) that uses the eCos [hardware abstraction layer](/source/hardware_abstraction_layer) to provide [bootstrap](/source/booting) [firmware](/source/firmware) for [embedded system](/source/embedded_system)s.

==History==
eCos was initially developed in 1997<ref>{{cite web |author=eCosCentric website |title=eCos Timeline |url=http://www.ecoscentric.com/ecos/timeline.shtml |quote=eCos was conceived and initially developed by Cygnus Solutions Inc., who initiated the project in February 1997.|access-date=2015-07-01}}</ref> by [Cygnus Solutions](/source/Cygnus_Solutions) which was later bought by [Red Hat](/source/Red_Hat). In early 2002, Red Hat ceased development of eCos and laid off the staff of the project.<ref>{{cite news|title=Red Hat backs away from eCos?|publisher=linuxdevices.com|date=2002-06-19|url=http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS5933176616.html|access-date=2007-04-01|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070416105502/http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS5933176616.html|archive-date=2007-04-16}}</ref> Many of the laid-off staff continued to work on eCos and some formed their own companies providing services for the software. In January 2004, at the request of the eCos developers, Red Hat agreed to transfer the eCos copyrights to the [Free Software Foundation](/source/Free_Software_Foundation)<ref>{{cite press release|title=Red Hat to contribute copyrights held in the eCos code base to the Free Software Foundation|publisher=Red Hat|date=2004-01-13|url=http://www.redhat.com/about/news/press-archive/2004/1/press-ecos}}</ref> in October 2005, a process finally completed in May 2008.

==Non-free versions==
{{Anchor|eCosPro}}The '''eCosPro''' [real-time operating system](/source/real-time_operating_system) is a commercial [fork](/source/Fork_(software_development)) of eCos created by [eCosCentric](/source/eCosCentric) which incorporates [proprietary software](/source/proprietary_software) components. It is claimed as a "stable, fully tested, certified and supported version",<ref>{{cite press release|title=eCosCentric announces eCosPro Developer's Kit|publisher=OSNews|date=2003-09-02|url=http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=4395|access-date=2007-03-31}}</ref> with additional features that are not released as free software. On Pi Day 2017, eCosCentric announced<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ecoscentric.com/news/press-170314.shtml|title=eCosPro Industrial Strength RTOS for the Raspberry Pi announced|website=www.ecoscentric.com|access-date=2017-03-15}}</ref> they had ported eCosPro to all of the Raspberry Pi models, with demonstrations at the Embedded World trade fair in Nuremberg (Germany) and releases free for non-commercial use.

==See also==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
*[Comparison of open-source operating systems](/source/Comparison_of_open-source_operating_systems)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|ecos.sourceware.org}}

{{Real-time operating systems}}
{{FOSS}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ecos}}
Category:ARM operating systems
Category:Embedded operating systems
Category:Free software operating systems
Category:MIPS operating systems
Category:Real-time operating systems
Category:X86 operating systems

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [ECos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECos) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECos?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.
