CheckMag | Toyota Motors and its Linux journey

All Toyota vehicles and Lexus vehicles are going to use Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) for the infotainment system here on out. This is instrumental for Toyota Motor Corp because as per Mr. Lyons:

As a technology leader, Toyota realized that adopting open source development methodology is the best way to keep up with the rapid pace of new technologies”.

Toyota among other automotive companies thought, going with a Linux based operating system might be cheaper and quicker when it comes to updates, and upgrades compared to using proprietary software.

Finally Linux in a vehicle. I use Linux every day on my desktop; what a great way to expand the use of this awesome software to a completely different industry. Most consumers won’t know what software is running underneath, and most most likely won’t care.

I was curious when Toyota decided to use the Automotive Grade Linux (AGL). According to Mr. Lyons, it goes back to 2011.

In 2011, Toyota joined the Linux Foundation and started discussions about IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) software with other car OEMs and software companies. As a result, in 2012, Automotive Grade Linux working group was formed in the Linux Foundation.

What Toyota did at first in AGL group was to take “code first” approach as normal as in the open source domains, and then start the conversation about the initial direction by specifying requirement specifications which had been discussed among car OEMs, IVI Tier-1 companies, software companies, and so on. Toyota had already realized that sharing the software code among Tier1 companies was going to be essential at the time when it joined the Linux Foundation. This was because the cost of maintaining such a huge software was very costly and was no longer differentiation by Tier1 companies.

Toyota and its Tier1 supplier companies wanted to add more resources , new functions, and new user experiences rather than maintaining conventional code all by themselves. AGL allows manufacturers to select a package, or tier to buy into then download the software that is appropriate for their needs. This allows them to contribute, and develop new software for future use.

This is a huge thing as automotive companies have gone in together to further their cooperation. Many companies have adopted this after finding proprietary software to be expensive. Today, AGL is used for all Toyota and Lexus vehicles and is used in all markets where vehicles are sold.

As someone who was a sales associate at a Lexus dealership, this is a huge step forward. I and other sales associates had many customers who would come back to speak with a technology specialist to learn about the full capabilities of their infotainment system. Many newer infotainment systems are extremely complicated, and have many features.

I see this as a huge step forward for the Linux community, and users. The operating system we use on a daily basis is being put to use right in front of us albeit in a modified form but is there none-the-less. In the past every manufacturer tended to develop, and use their own proprietary software. This added expense, complexity, and difficulty as software system architects, and engineers needed to essentially start over every time they went to work or collaborate with a new manufacturer.