Automotive Grade Linux (AGL)

Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) — the automobile open source operating system (Open Source) constructed on Linux kernel which by the end of May, 2017 is developed by 10 global car makers. The platform is held for use in the multimedia centers and meter panels of vehicles.

The project of AGL is completely open  — all components are available under free licenses. Moreover, the improvements developed when developing the platform timely are uploaded  publicly. Programs with  a user interface are constructed  using HTML5 technologies.

2019: Accession of Hyundai to the project of AGL

At the beginning of January, 2019 Hyundai joined the Linux Foundation organization and the Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) project which supporters develop the free platform for the automobile information and entertaining systems, telematic solutions and panel boards. The South Korean company became the next car maker who seriously studies opportunities for software implementation open source in vehicles. Read more here.

2017: Use in the Toyota cars

On May 31, 2017 Toyota Motor announced use in the cars of the information and entertaining systems based on Linux. It is about the Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) platform.

At first AGL will find application in the updated Toyota Camry 2018 sedan of model year. Then OS will be used also in other machines of the Japanese brand, including Lexus.

In Toyota note that development of the platform with such car makers as Mazda, Suzuki Motor and Daimler, helps to reduce the cost and time of software development and also allows to create a universal basis for music, navigation and other automobile functions. Besides, AGL can be used for implementation of pilotless control of vehicles and communication opportunities.

It is very important to reduce the number of the same work among producers that they could spend more time for creation of new things, but not on preserving of fragmentary codes — the unit manager of Toyota Connected Strategy and Planning of Kenichi Murata said.

The Reuters agency notes that modern cars are allocated with the software having more than 100 million source code lines. Car makers actively implement new technologies to attract buyers. However on creation of serious IT projects in automotive industry years whereas the technology companies develop applications in months leave.^[1]

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