Since I use Fedora / CentOS for everything here, it makes sense for me to extend that RPM-based stuff into the embedded work too so there is one system and work on one can be used on the other. I guess if you use Debian on the desktop you will tend towards OE for the same reason, but RPM folks may find Octotux easier to get on with.

Also, for actually writing code, the packaging system scripts include some nice features to do with auto-capturing edits from the dist tarball as a patch file and managing multiple patches (including binary edits or additions since the dist tarball contents).

As an alternative, I’m happily using OpenEmbedded (www.openembedded.org) since some years now, which provides a complete environment for controlled cross compiling. The resulting binaries are packaged as ipkgs, basically stripped down .debs.

Well, in the end, both systems probably offer the same features. I just like OE for their flexibility, even across multiple architectures, devices and images. Of course, flexibility always comes with the price of an increased learning curve…