In this chapter, you will not only learn about the Linux kernel in general, but also specific things about it. The chapter will start with a quick presentation of the history of Linux and its role and will then continue with an explanation of its various features. The steps used to interact with the sources of the Linux kernel will not be omitted. You will only be presented with the steps necessary to obtain a Linux kernel image from a source code, but also information about what porting for an new ARM machine implies, and some of the methods used to debug various problems that could appear when working with the Linux kernel sources in general. In the end, the context will be switched to the Yocto Project to show how the Linux kernel can be built for a given machine, and also how an external module can be integrated and used later from a root filesystem image.

This chapter will give you an idea of the Linux kernel and Linux operating system. This presentation would...