When I got started in embedded Linux nearly a decade ago, the question was, “Should I even use an operating system?” Going with Linux frequently meant porting the operating system to run on your target hardware and building to the tools to do so. Much has changed over the years, to the point that Linux is selected by default for many projects, and the decisions revolve around what features of the operating system can be used on the project. The question today is, “How should I configure my Linux distribution?” In technology terms, this is a seismic shift in developer attitudes in a very short time frame. Linux is so pervasive in the embedded space that embedded processors and boards ship with Linux by default. Buyers simply expect that the board will boot Linux and they’ll have the tools they need for embedded development provided along with the hardware. Unlike in the early days of Linux, as a developer, you won’t be porting Linux to your board but rather configuring an already-running Linux kernel and root file system so that they suit your application.
