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Build an embedded Linux distro from scratch

developerWorks

Level: Intermediate

Peter Seebach , Freelance author, Plethora.net

12 Aug 2008

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Learn how to build a custom Linux® distribution to use in an embedded environment, in this case to drive a Technologic Systems TS-7800 single-board computer. In this tutorial, you learn about cross-compiling, the boot loader, file systems, the root file system, disk images, and the boot process, all with respect to the decisions you make as you're building the system and creating the distribution.

In this tutorial

  • Discussion of cross-compilation issues
  • Review of the components of a Linux system and how they are put together
  • Detailed steps for building, installing, and configuring the target system


Objectives

This tutorial shows you how to install Linux on a target system. Not a prebuilt Linux distribution, but your own, built from scratch. While the details of the procedure necessarily vary from one target to another, the same general principles apply. The result of this tutorial (if you have a suitable target) is a functional Linux system you can get a shell prompt on.

Prerequisites

Developers who are interested in targeting embedded systems, or who just want to learn more about what Linux systems are like under the hood, will get the most out of this tutorial. Readers are assumed to have basic familiarity with UNIX® or Linux system administration issues.


System requirements

The tutorial assumes root access to a host system. The host environment used for the tutorial is Ubuntu, but other systems work as well.

This tutorial assumes that your shell is a Bourne shell derivative; if you use a C shell derivative, the prompt will probably look different, and you will need to use different commands to set environment variables.



Duration

More than 2 hours


Formats

html, pdf


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