Most traditional 8-bit/16-bit microcontrollers cannot run the Linux system; only high-performance 32-bit/64-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) are capable of running Linux. The ability to run Linux depends on whether the hardware resources meet the requirements, rather than the name "microcontroller" itself. There are fundamental differences in configuration between traditional microcontrollers and high-performance MCUs that can run Linux. Processor architecture: it must be a 32-bit or 64-bit architecture, such as ARM Cortex-A series, MIPS, RISC-V, etc. Traditional 8-bit microcontrollers (such as the 8051 series, AVR series) architectures are not supported.

Memory (RAM): At least 16MB of RAM is required, and smooth operation usually requires 64MB. Traditional microcontrollers generally have RAM in the KB range (from a few KB to tens of KB), which is completely insufficient. Storage (ROM/Flash): At least 32MB of storage space is needed to store the Linux system image and applications. Traditional microcontrollers typically have Flash ranging from tens of KB to a few MB, which cannot accommodate system files.

Peripheral support: A memory management unit (MMU) is required for Linux memory address mapping and process isolation. Many low-end 32-bit MCUs (such as the Cortex-M series) lack an MMU and cannot run standard Linux.