Embedded Linux Distributions

Introduction

Besides the Linux kernel, one of the advantage of embedded Linux is the ability to leverage hundreds if not thousands of existing free and open source packages to easily and quickly add new features to devices. These packages range from graphical libraries, multimedia libraries, network libraries, cryptographic libraries, network servers, infrastructure software and more. However, integrating all these components together requires a relatively deep knowledge of the components. Hence, embedded-specific distributions and build systems have been created to ease this process.

Vendor distros

• The Blackfin uClinux Distribution by Analog Devices - a fork of the uClinux distribution for Blackfin processors
• Embedded Alley - see http://www.embeddedalley.com/
• KaeilOS embedded linux
• Lineo Solutions uLinux
• MontaVista Linux - see http://www.mvista.com/products_services.php
• Pengutronix OSELAS.BSP() - see http://www.pengutronix.de/oselas/bsp/index_en.html
• RidgeRun Linux - see http://www.ridgerun.com/sdk.shtml
• TimeSys LinuxLink - see http://www.timesys.com/products/index.htm
• Ubuntu Mobile
• Wind River - see http://www.windriver.com/products/linux/
• Little Blue Linux - MPC Data

Platforms

• Android
• Maemo (deprecated - see Meego)
• Meego
• Moblin (deprecated - see Meego)
• OpenMoko
• Access Linux Platform
• LIMO

Other distros

• Snapgear Embedded Linux Distribution - http://www.snapgear.org/
• Open Wrt - http://openwrt.org/
• Embedded Debian - http://www.emdebian.org/
  • Emdebian has made some significant progress the last few years, and has now reached an usable state. Two versions of Emdebian are available : Emdebian Grip and Emdebian Crush.
  • Neil Williams gave a talk Emdebian 1.0 release, small and super small Debian at the FOSDEM 2009. A video is available.
• Embedded Gentoo - http://embedded.gentoo.org/
• GeeXboX - http://www.geexbox.org/
  • GeeXboX is an embedded multimedia distribution that turns your device into a full-featured MediaCenter.

Special purpose embedded Linux distributions

• Flash Linux - a distribution specifically for USB keys and Live CDs
• Eagle Linux - http://www.safedesksolutions.com/eaglelinux/
  • An embedded Linux distribution aimed at helping users learn Linux by creating bootable Linux images "virtually from scratch". Eagle Linux 2.3 is currently distributed as a concise, 26-page PDF documenting the creation of a minimalist, network-ready Linux image for bootable CDs, floppies, or flash drives. See description at: http://ct.enews.deviceforge.com/rd/cts?d=207-106-2-28-5560-8662-0-0-0-1
• uClinux A distribution targeting (but not only) systems without Memory Management Unit. See also UClinux Shared Library.

Configuration and Build systems

• Open Embedded - System for building full embedded images from scratch
• buildroot
  • Buildroot is a set of Makefiles and patches that makes it easy generate a cross-compilation toolchain and root filesystem for your target Linux system using the uClibc C library.
• PTXdist
  • Kconfig based build system developed by Pengutronix
  • GPL licensed
  • Video of a talk given by PTXdist maintainer Robert Schwebel at FOSDEM 2009
• Linux From Scratch
• LTIB - Linux Target Image Builder (by Stuart Hughes of FreeScale) - see http://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/ltib
  • Slides and video of a talk on LTIB at the Ottawa Linux Symposium 2008
• GeeXboX - Cross Embedded Systems Builder
  • GeeXboX provides a set of packages, patches and shell-based rules that creates a toolchain and a rootfs with customized packages and features selection.
  • Currently supports x86_32, x86_64, PowerPC, PowerPC64 and ARM architectures with either uClibc, Glibc or eGlibc C library.
• Building Embedded Userlands - Presentation by Ned Miljevic & Klaas van Gend at the ELC 2008 which compares different configuration and build systems. Video of the conference available.
• Scratchbox Cross-Compilation Toolkit, with support for x86 and arm.

See also Toolchains

Obsolete things

• Qplus Target Builder - Target image builder from ETRI

Further reading

• Embedded OS mentions a variety of embedded operating systems, including embedded Linux.
• Tools and distributions for embedded Linux development - LWN.net 2010/04/27 by Tom Parkin
  • This is an excellent roundup of current (as of 2010) tools and distributions available for embedded Linux development (that's redundant).