Linux Foundation announces open source in-car infotainment platform

[Jos]

As tech giants Google, Apple and Microsoft all look to smarten up your car’s dashboard and entertainment system, the Linux Foundation has stepped into the scene with its own customizable, open-source alternative. Dubbed Automotive Grade Linux, this open software stack aims to become the standardized platform upon the future of in-car systems is built.

The project has the backing of a wide-ranging list of companies in the automotive industry, including Jaguar Land Rover, Toyota and Nissan; as well as technology companies such as Advanced Telematic Systems, Fujitsu, Harman, Intel, LG, NEC, Panasonic, and Samsung.

Rather than a complete production-ready system, AGL is only meant to lay the groundwork for car makers to build their own stuff on top of it. The platform is based on the Tizen In-Vehicle Infotainment Project, and includes software for climate control, maps, dashboard displays, media playback, a news reader (AppCarousel), smart device link integration, and more.

"This AGL release is a great step forward and the community is already looking to build on its work to address a number of additional capabilities and features in subsequent releases. With AGL at the core, the industry will be able to more rapidly innovate and evolve to meet customer needs," the Linux Foundation's general manager of automotive, Dan Cauchy, said in a statement.

The foundation shared a few shots of the interface on its Flickr page, though it may end up looking completely different from one car maker to another.

The first version of Automotive Grade Linux is available to download now. It’s worth noting that while many big auto makers seem to be backing the project, there’s no guarantee and no indication if and when we’ll see it in cars.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/57312-linux-foundation-announces-open-source-car-infotainment-platform.html

 

[wastedkill]

Dunno about you but that UI looks beatiful...

 

[oldikes]

Dunno about you but that UI looks beatiful...

id gladly have that on my dash any day of the week.

 

[FF222]

Dunno about you but that UI looks beatiful...

Too bad it's completely non-functional and non-ergonomic. Practically useless in a car. You'd have to have a display of the size of your windshield to actually be able to read all the information that's displayed on these mockups, and to be able to control it with touch gestures. Also, it barely has any contrast, which makes reading even more harder.

All in all a typical Linux/OSS phenomenon. Products created and designed not for real world use, but for the sake of creation itself, and for the ability to tell that "I can do that, too". No, Linux, you can't.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

It looks complicated. I wouldn't want to be reading that while I'm driving, hell I even struggle to find the radio volume button in my car at times and that's on the steering wheel.

 

[Forg0t2]

They are just showing their flavor of infotainment. Besides its gonna be common to have 13 inch screens in the car. I think its a cool thing. I think I will be playing with this thing. Since it is opensource you should be able to adjust it to your own taste and even create useful stuff. I think its not ment to be functional and ergonomic. Creating open source environments for people to play in creates the opportunity for innovation to take place.

 

[davislane1]

While interesting, I cringe at the day where this will be a commonplace technology for ordinary cars. While conceptually appealing, all of the added gadgets, gizmos, and software packages being piled into cars is making them a nightmare to rely upon and maintain. In anything short of a Ferrari, Porsche, S-Class, or similarly over-engineered go cart, this just means more trouble for anyone who doesn't change vehicles every two years.

 

[wastedkill]

It looks complicated. I wouldn't want to be reading that while I'm driving, hell I even struggle to find the radio volume button in my car at times and that's on the steering wheel.

Looks like they rushed some of it tbh but looks amazing non-the-less

 

[TrueBooleanFals]

If only I could flash a new OS onto my Pioneer AVH-x2600BT... I would try this out, but I would really like to put Android on it, honestly. So many OBD-II options in a few apps I could use, if I had the $100+ for the CD-ML100 "mirrorlink" addon. If I could flash the OS, I wouldn't need the CD-ML100.

 

[Guest]

Perhaps it can use the Leap Motion for gestures?

 

[EClyde]

Here just let me type in a ridiculously long command line while I am texting. It's safe. Good Luck to them !

 

[EClyde]

Actually there is to much crap on the dash as it is. It isn't safe. A study will be done and I will be backed up

 

[Forg0t2]

Actually there is to much crap on the dash as it is. It isn't safe. A study will be done and I will be backed up

Cars will start driving autonomously within 5 years here in europ. In 2015 Volvo has planned to deliver the first cars to the costumer in the Netherlands that can drive autonomously already. Withing 5 to 10 years you will be using the dashboard for reading the newspaper instead of looking to the windscreen.

 

[EClyde]

Cars will start driving autonomously within 5 years here in europ. In 2015 Volvo has planned to deliver the first cars to the costumer in the Netherlands that can drive autonomously already. Withing 5 to 10 years you will be using the dashboard for reading the newspaper instead of looking to the windscreen.

Won't that be fun

 

[Jad Chaar]

It looks complicated. I wouldn't want to be reading that while I'm driving, hell I even struggle to find the radio volume button in my car at times and that's on the steering wheel.

Yeah it does look a bit crowded. Hopefully it will be cleaned up.

 

[Adam Elteto]

All in all a typical Linux/OSS phenomenon. Products created and designed not for real world use, but for the sake of creation itself, and for the ability to tell that "I can do that, too". No, Linux, you can't.

You do understand that a lot of embedded devices are based on Linux kernel, right? In addition, so is Android, which has applications for interfacing with vehicle computers. So yes, Linux can. It comes down entirely to what developers build on top of the kernel.

 

[Mr Majestyk]

Great news. We don't want or need proprietary software solutions for cars. Stupid things like Mercedes signing up Apple, when it knows majority of world uses Android, not that I want the tables reversed. I don't want Google powering anything either.

 

[MrBlkfx1]

It's hard enough sharing the same road with people who are more focused on their phones than their driving. This would only make things worse. When an autonomous vehicle and reliably and safely transport you from point A to B, then it'll make more sense. Until that day, it's just not safe.