Building Embedded Linux Systems
by Karim Yaghmour

The unconfirmed error reports are from readers.  They have not yet been 
approved or disproved by the author or editor and represent solely the
opinion of the reader.

Here's a key to the markup:
        [page-number]: serious technical mistake
        {page-number}: minor technical mistake
        <page-number>: important language/formatting problem
        (page-number): language change or minor formatting problem
        ?page-number?: reader question or request for clarification

This page was updated October 28, 2004.


UNCONFIRMED  errors and comments from readers: 



{119}  4th paragraph;
FYI: (At least) kernel 2.6.9 will not create the header file linux/version.h just by
exiting the configuration program (make menuconfig). You have to   start the build
process to get a version.h file.


{204}  Installing the MTD utilities for the host;
Probably need to run 'aclocal' before automake, to squelch warnings about old
automake file.

Also, the configure produces the following warning: ${PRJROOT}/build-
tools/mtd/util/missing: Unknown `--run' option Try `${PRJROOT}/build-
tools/mtd/util/missing --help' for more information configure: WARNING: `missing'
script is too old or missing

Unknown if this is a problem or not.


{206}  Installing the MTD utilities for the target;
In the section on configuring and building the MTD tools for the target,

cd ${PRJROOT}/sysapps/mtd/util

should be:

cd ${PRJROOT}/build-tools/mtd/util

Also, 'aclocal' needs to be run before the 'automake' to squelch a complaint about an
out-of-date automake.

Also, the configure produces the following: ${PRJROOT}/build-tools/mtd/util/missing:
Unknown `--run' option Try `${PRJROOT}/build-tools/mtd/util/missing --help' for more
information configure: WARNING: `missing' script is too old or missing

I don't know if this is a problem or not.


{206}  Installing the MTD utilities for the target;
The MTD utilities configure for target requires (at least for my i386 to ARM cross-
compile environment) the addition of a '--host' parameter, e.g.: $ CC=arm-linux-gcc
./configure --host=${TARGET} > --with-kernel=${PRJROOT}/kernel/linux-2.4.18


[236]  3rd code snippet;
$ gzip -9 < images/initrd.img > images/initrd.bin
should be:
$ gzip -9 -c < images/initrd.img > images/initrd.bin


(269)  paragraph 4, line 1;
"subset" should be "prefix".


[270]  2nd code, middle of page;
Single quotes are missing when setting nfscmd.  If the command
is used as written to set nfscmd, the application image will
immediately boot before the environment variables can be saved.
If single quotes are placed around what you want nfscmd to be, e.g.,

=> setenv nfscmd 'setenv bootargs .......(kernel_addr)'

the image does not boot and you can save the environment variables.


{303}  thttpd;
is:
$ make \
> LIBS="-static -Wl --start-group -lc -lnss_files -lnss_dns \
> -lcrypt -lresolv -Wl --end-group"

should be:

$ make \
> LDFLAGS="-static -Wl --start-group -lc -lnss_files -lnss_dns \
> -lcrypt -lresolv -Wl --end-group"

i.e. LDFLAGS rather than LIBS

(393)  3rd para of colophon;
In the colophon, the image is described as being of a windmill. Surely this should
say windpump. It looks very much like a system to pump water for use by the steam
railway. I very much doubt that any milling is being done.