Embedded Linux Primer: A Practical Real-World Approach (Prentice Hall Open Source Software Development Series)

Description

Comprehensive Real-World Guidance for Every Embedded Developer and Engineer

This book brings together indispensable knowledge for building efficient, high-value, Linux-based embedded products: information that has never been assembled in one place before. Drawing on years of experience as an embedded Linux consultant and field application engineer, Christopher Hallinan offers solutions for the specific technical issues you’re most likely to face, demonstrates how to build an effective embedded Linux environment, and shows how to use it as productively as possible.

Hallinan begins by touring a typical Linux-based embedded system, introducing key concepts and components, and calling attention to differences between Linux and traditional embedded environments. Writing from the embedded developer’s viewpoint, he thoroughly addresses issues ranging from kernel building and initialization to bootloaders, device drivers to file systems.

Hallinan thoroughly covers the increasingly popular BusyBox utilities; presents a step-by-step walkthrough of porting Linux to custom boards; and introduces real-time configuration via CONFIG_RT--one of today’s most exciting developments in embedded Linux. You’ll find especially detailed coverage of using development tools to analyze and debug embedded systems--including the art of kernel debugging.

Table of Contents

Foreword xix

Preface xxi

Acknowledgments xxvii

About the Author xxix

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 Your First Embedded Experience

Chapter 3 Processor Basics

Chapter 4 The Linux Kernel A Different Perspective

Chapter 5 Kernel Initialization

Chapter 6 System Initialization

Chapter 7 Bootloaders

Chapter 8 Device Driver Basics

Chapter 9 File Systems

Chapter 10 MTD Subsystem

Chapter 11 BusyBox

Chapter 12 Embedded Development Environment

Chapter 13 Development Tools

Chapter 14 Kernel Debugging Techniques

Chapter 15 Debugging Embedded Linux Applications

Chapter 16 Porting Linux

Chapter 17 Linux and Real Time

Appendix A: GNU Public License

Appendix B: U-Boot Configurable Commands

Appendix C: BusyBox Commands

Appendix D: SDRAM Interface Considerations

Appendix E: Open Source Resources

Appendix F: Sample BDI-2000 Configuration File

Index