Avocado OS: Open-source Linux platform for embedded systems
Peridio, a platform for building and maintaining advanced embedded products, has launched Avocado OS, an open-source embedded Linux distribution made to simplify the way developers build complex embedded systems. Avocado OS focuses on delivering a smooth developer experience while offering security, reliability, and consistent performance.
A new answer to an old problem
Teams building with traditional Embedded Linux often face a tough choice. They must pick between developer-friendly systems that move fast, or production systems that are harder to work with but offer more security and stability. This split often leads to slow development, confusing workflows, difficult integrations, and late-stage security problems.
“Avocado OS addresses a critical need we’ve seen across the industry,” said Bill Brock, CEO of Peridio. “Embedded systems are exploding in complexity and connectivity, demanding faster innovation cycles coupled with uncompromising security and reliability. Avocado OS provides the framework for companies to achieve both, accelerating their time-to-market for more secure, robust products.”
Interviews with developers across various industries, combined with Peridio’s extensive embedded systems experience, validated the critical need for a solution that bridges this gap. Avocado OS delivers critical capabilities without forcing tradeoffs: immutable and deterministic runtimes, fault-tolerance, modular update mechanisms, simplified secure boot implementation, full disk encryption, and boot modes for manufacturing, recovery, and testing.
Key features for developers
The solution stands out with several important features:
Smooth developer experience: Developers can make code changes and see results instantly on hardware with live NFS-mounted extensions. There’s no need for long rebuilds or flashing cycles. The system also includes containerized SDKs, declarative package management, and hardware-in-the-loop debugging for a faster, more modern workflow.
Built-in security and reliability: Avocado OS uses Yocto as a base and modern Linux tools like systemd and btrfs. It offers an immutable core system, verified extensions using dm-verity, and easy-to-use tools for secure boot and full-disk encryption. These features make it easier to bake in security early rather than bolt it on later.
Modular system architecture: Instead of one big, complicated system, Avocado OS organizes its software into layers. The Core OS Layer provides a secure foundation, and Extension Layers add features without risking system stability. Developers can use different boot modes for development, testing, manufacturing, and recovery — all built from a single base image.
“As embedded engineers ourselves, we built Avocado OS to solve the frustrations we repeatedly encountered,” said Justin Schneck, CPO at Peridio. “Developers shouldn’t have to rebuild entire systems just to test a small change, add debug tools and symbols, or struggle with vendor-specific tools to implement secure boot. Avocado OS abstracts that complexity. Our layered architecture using system extensions enables modularity and deterministic builds without requiring deep Yocto expertise for everyday development, integrating easily into CI/CD workflows. Features like the hardware-in-the-loop development environment fundamentally change how quickly teams can iterate. We’re incredibly excited to share Avocado OS and see what the community builds with it.”