Building Embedded Linux Systems

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Building Embedded Linux Systems

By: Karim Yaghmour
Publisher:: O'Reilly Media
Released:: April 2003
Pages:: 416

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Description

Building Embedded Linux Systems shows you how to design and build your own embedded systems using Linux® as the kernel and freely available open source tools as the framework. Written by an active member of the open source community, the book is structured to gradually introduce readers to the intricacies of embedded Linux, with detailed information and examples in each chapter that culminate in describing how Linux is actually put on an embedded device.

Full Description

Linux® is being adopted by an increasing number of embedded systems developers, who have been won over by its sophisticated scheduling and networking, its cost-free license, its open development model, and the support offered by rich and powerful programming tools. While there is a great deal of hype surrounding the use of Linux in embedded systems, there is not a lot of practical information. Building Embedded Linux Systems is the first in-depth, hard-core guide to putting together an embedded system based on the Linux kernel. This indispensable book features arcane and previously undocumented procedures for:

Building your own GNU development toolchain
Using an efficient embedded development framework
Selecting, configuring, building, and installing a target-specific kernel
Creating a complete target root filesystem
Setting up, manipulating, and using solid-state storage devices
Installing and configuring a bootloader for the target
Cross-compiling a slew of utilities and packages
Debugging your embedded system using a plethora of tools and techniques

Details are provided for various target architectures and hardware configurations, including a thorough review of Linux's support for embedded hardware. All explanations rely on the use of open source and free software packages. By presenting how to build the operating system components from pristine sources and how to find more documentation or help, this book greatly simplifies the task of keeping complete control over one's embedded operating system, whether it be for technical or sound financial reasons. Author Karim Yaghmour, a well-known designer and speaker who is responsible for the Linux Trace Toolkit, starts by discussing the strengths and weaknesses of Linux as an embedded operating system. Licensing issues are included, followed by a discussion of the basics of building embedded Linux systems. The configuration, setup, and use of over forty different open source and free software packages commonly used in embedded Linux systems are also covered. uClibc, BusyBox, U-Boot, OpenSSH, thttpd, tftp, strace, and gdb are among the packages discussed.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction
1. Definitions
2. Real Life and Embedded Linux Systems
3. Example Multicomponent System
4. Design and Implementation Methodology
Chapter 2 Basic Concepts
1. Types of Hosts
2. Types of Host/Target Development Setups
3. Types of Host/Target Debug Setups
4. Generic Architecture of an Embedded Linux System
5. System Startup
6. Types of Boot Configurations
7. System Memory Layout
Chapter 3 Hardware Support
1. Processor Architectures
2. Buses and Interfaces
3. I/O
4. Storage
5. General Purpose Networking
6. Industrial Grade Networking
7. System Monitoring
Chapter 4 Development Tools
1. Using a Practical Project Workspace
2. GNU Cross-Platform Development Toolchain
3. C Library Alternatives
4. Java
5. Perl
6. Python
7. Ada
8. Other Programming Languages
9. Integrated Development Environments
10. Terminal Emulators
Chapter 5 Kernel Considerations
1. Selecting a Kernel
2. Configuring the Kernel
3. Compiling the Kernel
4. Installing the Kernel
5. In the Field
Chapter 6 Root Filesystem Content
1. Basic Root Filesystem Structure
2. Libraries
3. Kernel Modules
4. Kernel Images
5. Device Files
6. Main System Applications
7. Custom Applications
8. System Initialization
Chapter 7 Storage Device Manipulation
1. MTD-Supported Devices
2. Disk Devices
3. To Swap or Not to Swap
Chapter 8 Root Filesystem Setup
1. Selecting a Filesystem
2. Using an NFS-Mounted Root Filesystem to Write a Filesystem Image to Flash
3. CRAMFS
4. JFFS2
5. Disk Filesystem over NFTL
6. Disk Filesystem over RAM Disk
7. Mounting Directories on TMPFS
8. Live Updates
Chapter 9 Setting Up the Bootloader
1. Bootloaders Galore
2. Server Setup for Network Boot
3. Using LILO with Disk and CompactFlash Devices
4. Using GRUB with DiskOnChip Devices
5. U-Boot
Chapter 10 Setting Up Networking Services
1. The Internet Super-Server
2. Remote Administration with SNMP
3. Network Login Through Telnet
4. Secure Communication with SSH
5. Serving Web Content Through HTTP
6. Dynamic Configuration Through DHCP
Chapter 11 Debugging Tools
1. Debugging Applications with gdb
2. Tracing
3. Performance Analysis
4. Memory Debugging
5. A Word on Hardware Tools

Appendix A Worksheet
1. Project Identification
2. Hardware Summary
3. Development Tools
4. Kernel
5. Root filesystem
6. Storage Device Organization
7. Bootloader Configuration and Use
8. Networking services
9. Custom Project Software
10. Debug Notes
11. Additional Notes
12. Embedded Linux Systems Worksheet
Appendix B Resources
1. Online
2. Books
3. Publications
4. Organizations
5. Linux and Open-Source-Oriented Hardware Projects
Appendix C Important Licenses and Notices
1. Exclusion of User-Space Applications from Kernel's GPL
2. Notices on Binary Kernel Modules
3. Legal Clarifications About the Kernel by Linus Torvalds
Colophon

Product Details

Title:

Building Embedded Linux Systems

By:

Karim Yaghmour

Publisher:

O'Reilly Media

Formats:

Print
Ebook
Safari Books Online

Print Release:

April 2003

Ebook Release:

February 2009

Pages:

416

Print ISBN:

978-0-596-00222-0

| ISBN 10:

0-596-00222-X

Ebook ISBN:

978-0-596-10327-9

| ISBN 10:

0-596-10327-1

Customer Reviews

About the Author

Karim Yaghmour

Karim Yaghmour is the founder and president of Opersys Inc. (http://www.opersys.com), a company providing expertise and courses on the use of open source and free software in embedded systems. Being himself an active member of the open source and free software community, Karim has firmly established Opersys's services around the core values of knowledge sharing and technical quality promoted by this community. As part of his community involvement, Karim is the maintainer of the Linux Trace Toolkit and the author of a series of white-papers that led to the implementation of the Adeos nanokernel, which allows multiple operating systems to exist side-by-side. Karim's quest for understanding how things work started at a very young age when he took it upon himself to break open all the radios and cassette players he could lay his hands on in order to "fix" them. Very early, he developed a keen interest in operating system internals and embedded systems. He now holds a B.Eng. and an M.A.Sc. from the cole Polytechnique de Montral. While everyone was hacking away at Linux, Karim even took a detour to write his own distributed micro-kernel in order to get to the bottom of operating system design and implementation. When not working on software, Karim indulges in his passion for history, philosophy, sociology, and humanities in general. He's especially addicted to essays and novels by Umberto Eco and Gerald Messadi.

View Karim Yaghmour's full profile page.

Colophon

Our look is the result of reader comments, our own experimentation, and feedback from distribution channels. Distinctive covers complement our distinctive approach to technical topics, breathing personality and life into potentially dry subjects. Linley Dolby was the production editor and copyeditor for Building Embedded Linux Systems. Claire Cloutier, Phil Dangler, Matt Hutchinson, and Darren Kelly provided quality control. DerekDi Matteo and Jamie Peppard provided production assistance. Lucie Haskins wrote the index.

The image on the cover of Building Embedded Linux System is a windmill. Emma Colby designed the cover of this book, based on a series design by Hanna Dyer and Edie Freedman. The cover image is a 19th-century engraving from the Dover Pictorial Archive. Emma Colby produced the cover layout with QuarkXPress 4.1 using Adobe's ITC Garamond font. Bret Kerr designed the interior layout, based on a series design by David Futato. The chapter opening images are from the Dover Pictorial Archive, Marvels of the New West: A Vivid Portrayal of the Stupendous Marvels in the Vast Wonderland West of the Missouri River, by William Thayer (The Henry Bill Publishing Co., 1888), and The Pioneer History of America: A Popular Account of the Heroes and Adventures, by Augustus Lynch Mason, A.M. (The Jones Brothers Publishing Company, 1884). This book was converted by Joe Wizda to FrameMaker 5.5.6 with a format conversion tool created by ErikRay, Jason McIntosh, Neil Walls, and Mike Sierra that uses Perl and XML technologies. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is LucasFont's TheSans Mono Condensed. The illustrations that appear in the book were produced by Robert Romano and Jessamyn Read using Macromedia FreeHand 9 and Adobe Photoshop 6. The tip and warning icons were drawn by Christopher Bing.

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O'Reilly Books & Videos

Building Embedded Linux Systems

Chapter 1 Introduction

Definitions

Real Life and Embedded Linux Systems

Example Multicomponent System

Design and Implementation Methodology

Chapter 2 Basic Concepts

Types of Hosts

Types of Host/Target Development Setups

Types of Host/Target Debug Setups

Generic Architecture of an Embedded Linux System

System Startup

Types of Boot Configurations

System Memory Layout

Chapter 3 Hardware Support

Processor Architectures

Buses and Interfaces

I/O

Storage

General Purpose Networking

Industrial Grade Networking

System Monitoring

Chapter 4 Development Tools

Using a Practical Project Workspace

GNU Cross-Platform Development Toolchain

C Library Alternatives

Java

Perl

Python

Ada

Other Programming Languages

Integrated Development Environments

Terminal Emulators

Chapter 5 Kernel Considerations

Selecting a Kernel

Configuring the Kernel

Compiling the Kernel

Installing the Kernel

In the Field

Chapter 6 Root Filesystem Content

Basic Root Filesystem Structure

Libraries

Kernel Modules

Kernel Images

Device Files

Main System Applications

Custom Applications

System Initialization

Chapter 7 Storage Device Manipulation

MTD-Supported Devices

Disk Devices

To Swap or Not to Swap

Chapter 8 Root Filesystem Setup

Selecting a Filesystem

Using an NFS-Mounted Root Filesystem to Write a Filesystem Image to Flash

CRAMFS

JFFS2

Disk Filesystem over NFTL

Disk Filesystem over RAM Disk

Mounting Directories on TMPFS

Live Updates

Chapter 9 Setting Up the Bootloader

Bootloaders Galore

Server Setup for Network Boot

Using LILO with Disk and CompactFlash Devices

Using GRUB with DiskOnChip Devices

U-Boot

Chapter 10 Setting Up Networking Services

The Internet Super-Server

Remote Administration with SNMP

Network Login Through Telnet

Secure Communication with SSH

Serving Web Content Through HTTP

Dynamic Configuration Through DHCP

Chapter 11 Debugging Tools

Debugging Applications with gdb

Tracing

Performance Analysis

Memory Debugging