Book Image

Mastering Embedded Linux Programming - Third Edition

By : Frank Vasquez, Chris Simmonds
5 (3)
Book Image

Mastering Embedded Linux Programming - Third Edition

5 (3)
By: Frank Vasquez, Chris Simmonds

Overview of this book

If you’re looking for a book that will demystify embedded Linux, then you’ve come to the right place. Mastering Embedded Linux Programming is a fully comprehensive guide that can serve both as means to learn new things or as a handy reference. The first few chapters of this book will break down the fundamental elements that underpin all embedded Linux projects: the toolchain, the bootloader, the kernel, and the root filesystem. After that, you will learn how to create each of these elements from scratch and automate the process using Buildroot and the Yocto Project. As you progress, the book will show you how to implement an effective storage strategy for flash memory chips and install updates to a device remotely once it’s deployed. You’ll also learn about the key aspects of writing code for embedded Linux, such as how to access hardware from apps, the implications of writing multi-threaded code, and techniques to manage memory in an efficient way. The final chapters demonstrate how to debug your code, whether it resides in apps or in the Linux kernel itself. You’ll also cover the different tracers and profilers that are available for Linux so that you can quickly pinpoint any performance bottlenecks in your system. By the end of this Linux book, you’ll be able to create efficient and secure embedded devices using Linux.
Table of Contents (27 chapters)
1
Section 1: Elements of Embedded Linux
10
Section 2: System Architecture and Design Decisions
18
Section 3: Writing Embedded Applications
22
Section 4: Debugging and Optimizing Performance

Summary

In this chapter, you learned how to use both Buildroot and the Yocto Project to configure, customize, and build embedded Linux images. We used Buildroot to create a BSP with a custom U-Boot patch and device tree specification for a hypothetical board based on the BeagleBone Black. We then learned how to add our own code to an image in the form of a Buildroot package. You were also introduced to the Yocto Project, which we will cover in depth in the next two chapters. In particular, you learned some basic BitBake terminology, how to write an image recipe, and how to create an SDK.

Don't forget that any devices you create using these tools will need to be maintained in the field for a period of time, often over many years. Both the Yocto Project and Buildroot provide point releases for about 1 year after the initial release, and the Yocto Project now offers long term support for at least 2 years. In either case, you will find yourself having to maintain your release yourself...