Chapter 5. Building a Root Filesystem

The root filesystem is the fourth and final element of embedded Linux. Once you have read this chapter, you will be able build, boot, and run a simple embedded Linux system.

This chapter explores the fundamental concepts behind the root filesystem by building one from scratch. The main aim is to provide the background information that you need to understand and make best use of build systems like Buildroot and the Yocto Project, which I will cover in Chapter 6, Selecting a Build System.

The techniques I will describe here are broadly known as roll your own or RYO. Back in the earlier days of embedded Linux, it was the only way to create a root filesystem. There are still some use cases where an RYO root filesystem ...

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