MontaVista® CGX Linux: Carrier-Grade Embedded Linux for Mission-Critical Systems
Embedded Linux
MontaVista® CGX Linux is a commercial carrier-grade embedded Linux platform for mission-critical, real-time and long-lifecycle systems, built on the Yocto Project with more than ten years of maintenance per release.
It is built for embedded product engineering teams shipping telecom, industrial, medical and defence hardware that must stay supportable for a decade in the field; the enterprise equivalent is MVShield.
- Meets the Carrier Grade Linux (CGL) 5.0 specification and Common Criteria EAL 4+
- CGX 5.0 is built on Yocto Project 5.0 LTS and Linux kernel 6.6 LTS
- 10+ years of commercial support per release, with ongoing CVE patching
- Continuous CVE scanning, SBOM generation and secure over-the-air updates
- 50+ silicon vendors and 20+ architectures supported
Designed to deliver RTOS-like performance with the flexibility of Linux, the CGX Linux platform combines carrier-grade reliability, hardened security, and long-term commercial support in a single, production-ready solution.
CGX Linux enables organizations to develop, deploy, and maintain advanced embedded products with confidence from first release through end of life.
Carrier-grade Embedded Linux for Mission-Critical Systems
What Is CGX Linux?
CGX Linux is MontaVista’s carrier-grade embedded Linux platform, purpose-built for mission-critical, real-time, and long-lifecycle systems.
Designed to deliver RTOS-like performance with the flexibility of Linux, the CGX Linux platform combines carrier-grade reliability, hardened security, and long-term commercial support in a single, production-ready solution.
CGX Linux enables organizations to develop, deploy, and maintain advanced embedded products with confidence from first release through end of life.
CGX Linux Solution Space
Embedded and edge systems today face increasing pressure to deliver real-time performance, continuous security updates, and long operational lifespans. Many Linux distributions fall short when systems must meet carrier-grade availability, deterministic response times, or compliance and certification requirements.
Non-deterministic Linux behavior in real-time and control systems
Security exposure caused by delayed CVE patching and poor supply-chain visibility
Lifecycle risk from short-term vendor support or community-only maintenance
Platform fragmentation across architectures and hardware vendors
Operational complexity in field updates and system maintenance
CGX Linux solutions are designed specifically to eliminate these risks while preserving Linux flexibility and ecosystem compatibility.
Key Features & Benefits
RTOS-Ready, Carrier-Grade Performance
CGX Linux is built to function as a Linux-based RTOS (Real-Time Operating System), delivering deterministic behavior, ultra-low latency, and high availability for critical workloads. It meets Carrier Grade Linux (CGL) 5.0 specification and Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 4+ certification for reliability and performance.
Secure by Default Embedded Linux
Security is built in the CGX Linux platform from day one with hardened kernel configurations and secure defaults.
CGX Linux security capabilities include:
- Continuous CVE scanning and automated vulnerability reporting
- Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) generation for compliance and supply-chain transparency
- Integrated software embedded protection tools
- Secure over-the-air (OTA) updates for fielded systems
Long-Term Maintenance
CGX Linux long term maintenance provides more than 10 years of commercial support per release, including ongoing vulnerability patching and stability updates. This is far beyond typical embedded Linux offerings.
AI-Ready Embedded Linux Platform
The latest CGX Linux distribution supports GPU and TPU acceleration, enabling AI and machine-learning workloads at the edge for intelligent industrial, networking, and automation systems.
Flexible, Modular Configuration
Built on Yocto, CGX Linux enables modular system design, dynamic configuration, and CI/CD integration, allowing developer teams to scale across products and architectures without rebuilding from scratch.
Industries & Use Cases
CGX Linux is optimized for industries where uptime, determinism, and security are non-negotiable, including:
Global technology leaders across industrial, infrastructure, and public safety markets rely on the CGX Linux solution to power mission-critical, long-lifecycle systems.
Why Choose CGX Linux
While other Yocto-based distributions, such as PetaLinux, are often tied to specific SoCs or short support windows, CGX Linux is designed as a general-purpose, carrier-grade embedded Linux.
For organizations building products with long lifespans, regulatory requirements, or mission-critical workloads, the CGX Linux solution delivers lower risk and higher operational confidence.
Advantages of the CGX Linux include:
- True cross-architecture support beyond vendor-locked platforms
- Carrier Grade Linux compliance (CGL 5.0)
- Proven RTOS-like performance for real-time systems
- Industry-leading long-term maintenance and security patching
- Decades of embedded Linux expertise from MontaVista
Get Started With CGX Linux
Ready to build secure, real-time, carrier-grade embedded systems?
Discover how CGX Linux can accelerate your development while reducing lifecycle risk.
