Embedded Operating Systems : A Practical Approach

This easy-to- follow textbook/reference guides the reader through the creation of a fully functional embedded operating system, from its source code, in order to develop a deeper understanding of each component and how they work together. The text describes in detail the procedure for building the bootloader, kernel, filesystem, shared libraries, start-up scripts, configuration files and system utilities, to produce a GNU/Linux operating system. This fully updated second edition also includes new material on virtual machine technologies such as VirtualBox, Vagrant and the Linux container system Docker.

Topics and features: presents an overview of the GNU/Linux system, introducing the components of the system, and covering aspects of process management, input/output and environment; discusses containers and the underlying kernel technology upon which they are based; provides a detailed examination of the GNU/Linux filesystem; explains how to build an embedded system under a virtual machine, and how to build an embedded system to run natively on an actual processor;introduces the concept of the compiler toolchain, and reviews the platforms BeagleBone and Raspberry Pi; describes how to build firmware images for devices running the Openwrt operating system.

The hands-on nature and clearly structured approach of this textbook will appeal strongly to practically minded undergraduate and graduate level students, as well as to industry professionals involved in this area.

Alan Holt is a WiFi engineer for Zeetta Networks where he works on research and development into software defined networks.  Formally, he was a senior lecturer at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. He was a network engineer at AT&T for 13 years.  Alan holds BSc and PhD degrees in Computer Science and Telematics, respectively. His other publications include the Springer title Network Performance Analysis: Using the J Programming Language. 

Chi-Yu Huang is currently working a senior Application Operations Engineer at GE Aviation Systems. Formally, she was a software consultant for Airbus UK PLM and worked on fuel tank modeling projects.  Chi has a BSc in Information Systems, an MSc in Management Information Technology and a PhD in Computer Science. Together with Dr. Holt, she is also co-author of the Springer book 802.11 Wireless Networks: Security and Analysis.