Mastering Embedded Linux Development - Fourth Edition

Written by Frank Vasquez, an embedded Linux expert, this new edition enables you to harness the full potential of Linux to create versatile and robust embedded solutions

All formats include a free PDF and an invitation to the Embedded System Professionals community

Key Features:

- Learn how to develop and configure reliable embedded Linux devices

- Discover the latest enhancements in Linux 6.6 and the Yocto Project 5.0, codename Scarthgap

- Explore different ways to debug and profile your code in both user space and the Linux kernel

- Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook

Book Description:

Mastering Embedded Linux Development is designed to be both a learning resource and a reference for your embedded Linux projects.

In this fourth edition, you'll learn the fundamental elements that underpin all embedded Linux projects: the toolchain, the bootloader, the kernel, and the root filesystem. First, you will download and install a pre-built toolchain. After that, you will cross-compile each of the remaining three elements from scratch and learn to automate the process using Buildroot and the Yocto Project. The book progresses with coverage of over-the-air software updates and rapid prototyping with add-on boards. Two new chapters tackle modern development practices, including Python packaging and deploying containerized applications. These are followed by a chapter on writing multithreaded code and another on techniques to manage memory efficiently. The final chapters demonstrate how to debug your code, whether it resides in user space or in the Linux kernel itself. In addition to GNU debugger (GDB), the book also covers 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 book, you will be able to create efficient and secure embedded devices with Linux that will delight your users.

What You Will Learn:

- Cross-compile embedded Linux images with Buildroot and Yocto

- Enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity with a Yocto board support package

- Update IoT devices securely in the field with Mender or balena

- Prototype peripheral additions by connecting add-on boards, reading schematics, and coding test programs

- Deploy containerized software applications on edge devices with Docker

- Debug devices remotely using GDB and measure the performance of systems using tools like perf and ply

Who this book is for:

If you are a systems software engineer or system administrator who wants to learn how to apply Linux to embedded devices, then this book is for you. The book is also for embedded software engineers accustomed to programming low-power microcontrollers and will help them make the leap to a high-speed system-on-chips that can run Linux. Anyone who develops hardware for Linux will find something useful in this book. But before you get started, you will need a solid grasp of the POSIX standard, C programming, and shell scripting.

Table of Contents

- Starting Out

- Learning about Toolchains

- All about Bootloaders

- Configuring and Building the Kernel

- Building a Root Filesystem

- Selecting a Build System

- Developing with Yocto

- Yocto under the Hood

- Creating a Storage Strategy

- Updating Software in the Field

- Interfacing with Device Drivers

- Prototyping with Add-On Boards

- Starting Up - The init Program

- Managing Power

- Packaging Python

- Deploying Container Images

- Learning about Processes and Threads

- Managing Memory

- Debugging with GDB

- Profiling and Tracing

- Real-Time Programming