Instant Optimizing Embedded Systems Using BusyBox

Learn to optimize embedded systems with BusyBox using practical, hands-on recipes

Overview

• Build and play embedded (Android Linux) system with Busybox from scratch Configure, compile, cross compile, and install Busybox
• Build external utilities and development environments (include Bash and C) for a Busybox-based embedded system to meet diverse system requirements
• Set up the required environment and tools for an embedded (Android Linux) system development
• Optimize multiple aspects of an embedded (Android Linux) system using some powerful Busybox applets

In Detail

As hundreds of millions of people have started using Android smartphones, embedded Linux systems are becoming more and more popular. To get more market share, not only for hardware and function piling up, smartphone manufacturers gradually realized the importance of user experience. To improve user experience, the back-end Linux system must be optimized in many ways.

Instant Optimizing Embedded System using Busybox is a practical, hands-on guide that provides you with a number of clear, step-by-step exercises to help you take advantage of the real power behind Busybox, and give you a good grounding for using it to optimize your embedded (Android Linux) systems.

Moving on from the basics, this book will teach you how to configure and compile it from source code, including cross-compiling it with static linking and dynamic linking. You will also learn how to install and use Busybox on the Android emulator. You will learn to replace the simple Android mksh console with Busybox ash console and start a telnet and HTTP service provided by Busybox. You will also build embedded Linux file system from scratch and start it on Android emulator. We will take a look at how to add functionality to Busybox based system, including adding external applets to Busybox, as well as building development environments (like Bash and C) for it manually or with the automatic Buildroot system.

If want to learn how to take advantage of using Busybox applets to optimize your embedded system, then this is the book for you for it will also show you how to use the powerful applets to optimize multiple aspects of an embedded (Android Linux) system.This book will teach you how to build an embedded (Android Linux) system with Busybox, enhance its functionality to meet diverse system requirements, and optimize it to provide a better user experience for embedded products.

What you will learn from this book

• Learn to configure and compile Busybox from source code for different platforms
• Replace the original Android mksh console with Busybox ash console
• Learn to integrate new applets to Busybox
• Build a development environment such as Bash and C for a Busybox-based embedded system and use it on an Android emulator
• Tailor the system size to reduce disk and memory footprint
• Guarantee system stability with test automation Save on power costs to lengthen battery life and reduce charging times
• Speed up system boot time to save users' waiting time Increase system serviceability with debugging and tracing methods

Approach

Filled with practical, step-by-step instructions and clear explanations for the most important and useful tasks. A step-by-step guide which provides concise and clear recipes for getting started with Busybox.

Wu Zhangjin studied Computer Science and Technology at Lanzhou University and obtained his Master's degree in Distributed and Embedded System in 2010. He is a Linux user and developer since 2004 and he co-founded the Open Source Community of Lanzhou University in 2006. He is an active open source contributor; he launched the Linux-Loongson/Community Project in 2009 and uploaded more than 100 patches to the Linux mainline. He reactivated the Tiny-Linux kernel project in 2011. He also developed some other open source projects, such as VnStatSVG and TP4CELL. He worked for a Chinese Loongson CPU application company and a world-leading embedded system company and now works on Linux system optimization for a leading Chinese Android smartphone company. Currently, his main focus includes real-time systems, Linux RAS, power saving, system fastboot, system-size optimization, and kernel debugging and tracing. His private website is http://tinylab.org; it is mainly about embedded system research and development. The extra content related to this book project will also be discussed there. Cao Ziqiang is a Linux fan since 2004, and has more than eight years of experience in using the Linux operating system. He has extensive experience in video programs and network programs in C/C++ under Linux and has also majored in Linux kernel and device-driver development. In recent years, he has paid more attention to system stability and robustness, and worked for a smartphone company that uses Android as their main software platform. He is good at analyzing and resolving problems at the development phase using Linux tools such as toolbox, BusyBox, and some other open source projects of the Linux community. As a participant, he tested and fixed bugs in the Google Samsung kernel community. This is his first book as a co-author. He sincerely believes in the sharing of experience, which he has done with this book, and he will not stop sharing.