Summary

Colin Walls argues that while writing an RTOS or kernel can be an interesting engineering challenge, it is rarely the wisest choice for product teams. The blog explains the hidden costs, long-term maintenance burdens, and decision criteria engineers should use when choosing between building custom OS components and adopting existing solutions.

Key Takeaways

• Evaluate the long-term maintenance, support, and personnel costs before committing to a custom RTOS or kernel.
• Compare existing RTOS and Embedded Linux options, including licensing and ecosystem support, as practical alternatives.
• Prioritize modular firmware architecture and a clean hardware abstraction layer to minimize future kernel-level work.
• Define clear success criteria and scope if a custom kernel is required, and plan for documentation, testing, and ongoing maintenance.

Who Should Read This

Embedded firmware engineers, technical leads, and architects (intermediate to advanced) who must decide whether to build a custom RTOS/kernel or adopt existing OS solutions and want pragmatic guidance on risks and trade-offs.

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