Jack,

There are software engineering professionals out there!

"Lundin" referred to IEC 61508, a standard for safety-critical systems.

Actually it doesn't.

But Linux religion does. Big time. And is hurting Linux for most of the part.

First I would like to address one other thing. We need to be clear what embedded means. I used to be small 4 or 8 bit uC with 128 Bytes of RAM controlling a pump. Or a military real time pice of electronics for a cruise missile. But basically it was something with limited resources, closed design, something opposite of general purpose desktop or server computing for business. Somebody mentioned code bloat. It is exactly the reason I loathe doing "normal PC programming". And it is creeping into embedded world because it's free. Linux cannot work on any of the microcontrollers I would consider "embedded" in classical sense. So for most of really small stuff you can't use any "propper" OS, and you don't. You use some small RTOS, or even just some threading libraries, or not even that. When I make a controller for microwave that has 32 MB of OS with TCP stack, please somebody have mercy and shoot me:-).

And Linux is not free.Also nobody admits that Linux wasn't even usable as more than learning aid to UNIX world before some years ago it became commercially supported by monopolists bigger that "Redmond evil doers", like Novell, IBM and likes for embedded world. And if you want them to support you it is expensive.
An community support doesn't exists. All you can get is obvious stuff, and "write a new kernel by yourself if you don't like one I made, it works fine for me.." mentality. Real good stuff people wont tell you. And they shouldn't. It is their work, their business, their bread they eat.

Ok, before all go crazy , I'm exaggerate to illustrate the point: Linux is not free, it's not easy, and is usable just for some projects.
Gee, well that's new. It like with any other tool I have. I have multimeter AND a scope. I use both. Linux church should stop bothering us with their silver bullet mentality. Linux is not a solution to anything. It is good alternative to Windows embedded and likes, that you can use with great success providing you have skill, tools and if it is appropriate for your project. Period.

Here's an example of how well Linux is supported. For three of the last four years, I've run against a bug or concern (different one each time) that has caused me to post a question to one or more Linux-related internet mailing lists on the evening of New Year's Eve in the USA. And all three times, I've received a useful answer in less than four hours.

I'm not aware of any existing support contract that can offer four-hour turnaround, 24/7 even on national holidays. At least not one that I can afford!