Green Hills Software Announces Integrated Development Environment For Embedded Linux Systems

Business Wire, April 3, 2001

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 2001

Green Hills Software, the leading supplier of embedded software development tools, today announced that it will make its MULTI(R) 2000 Integrated Development Environment (IDE) available for embedded Linux systems.

The MULTI 2000 IDE, hosted on Windows, Solaris, HP-UX, and Linux systems, will greatly simplify the development of sophisticated applications for embedded target systems running the embedded Linux operating system. Green Hills will demo its new embedded Linux IDE at the Embedded Systems Conference, with general availability slated for later this Summer.

"We are seeing increased interest from the embedded community in using Linux as an embedded operating system, particularly in applications where low-cost and high-reliability are top concerns," said John Carbone, vice president of marketing for Green Hills Software. "Until now, embedded Linux developers had to make do with relatively crude development tools such as the GNU debugger (GDB). MULTI 2000 brings high-level debug and program building capabilities to the embedded Linux community that will greatly simplify the development of complex embedded Linux applications."

The MULTI 2000 IDE, together with Green Hills' optimizing C/C /EC compiler, automates all aspects of software development for embedded Linux systems. Featuring a window-oriented editor, graphical source-level debugger, and program builder, MULTI 2000 also includes a version control system, on-line context-sensitive help, and an instruction set simulator that allows programmers to develop and test their code on a PC or workstation without the need for the target hardware.

MULTI 2000's graphical project builder simplifies and automates the process of building complex Linux applications. Once programmers have compiled and built the Linux kernel using the GNU compiler and standard Linux make files, they use MULTI to build their application program and combine it with the Linux kernel into a single executable image. In addition to maintaining file dependencies (like makefile), the builder lets users set CPU, compiler, language and optimization options. The builder's pull-down menus also make it easy to create a hierarchical view of programs, source files, headers and other project files, which are color coded to help users distinguish various file types.

The heart of the MULTI IDE is an incremental source-level debugger that supports process- and system-level debug (application code only). The debugger provides a separate window for each application process, supports mixed assembly and high-level language formats, and includes a language-sensitive expression evaluator. The MULTI 2000 debugger is also Linux aware, which enables designers to debug and tune their applications at a process level.

The MULTI debugger offers a number of advanced C debugging capabilities for application code built using the MULTI builder. These capabilities include full namespace support, C function navigation, and advanced class browsing. The debugger's browser shows the structure of classes, static calls, and dynamic calls in a hierarchical format, color-coded to indicate the type of function or class being displayed. The browse window enables users to explore procedures, globals, and source files, each with a variety of options to control the manner in which data is presented.

The MULTI debugger's memory viewer provides a full table of memory addresses and contents. This table can be formatted in a variety of ways, including hexadecimal, decimal, ASCII, binary, floating point, and fixed point. Memory regions can be specified symbolically, or in terms of absolute or relative addresses. Programmers can also open multiple memory windows to view several memory regions concurrently.

MULTI 2000's version control system keeps track of application source and object files, including change history, multiple versions, and check-in/check-out status. Users can also substitute their own third-party version control system, such as Rational's ClearCase(R).

MULTI 2000's user-configurable text editor is a full-featured windowing editor that provides syntax coloring and auto indenting. Syntax coloring helps programmers quickly identify language keywords and constructs, including comments, strings, and constants. Auto indenting automatically formats source code as the programmer types it in, thereby simplifying code entry and enhancing readability.

The MULTI 2000 IDE can be hosted on Windows, Solaris, HP-UX, and Linux systems, all of which can be used to develop embedded software for Linux target systems. MULTI 2000 will be available this summer for Linux target systems based on the PowerPC processor, with x86 support planned for the near future.

MULTI 2000 for Windows costs $5,900 (US). MULTI 2000 for HP-UX costs $8,900 (US). MULTI 2000 for Solaris costs $8,900. MULTI 2000 for Linux $5,900. All versions will be available Summer 2001.

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