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Configurable Linux Kernel for IBM PowerPC
Embedded systems are typically associated with specific applications. For efficient solutions, it is desired to customize
the OS-footprint according to the requirements. The proprietary embedded operating systems do not provide the flexibility
to tweak the OS. This has made Linux a favourable choice for the developers in this field. However, it is difficult for the
new users to make expert choices using Linux kernel configuration. Another constraint of the method is the inability to integrate
kernel and root filesystem configuration. To add to this, the constraints of the embedded devices make it difficult for developers
to re-compile and test the kernel on them. All these call for the development of an embedded Linux toolkit, which could run
on a desktop machine, allowing the users to select the modules, services and tools to be included in the Linux Kernel; cross-compile
the kernel for the target architecture and download the same there. QPlus is such an embedded Linux toolkit which provides these functionalities for Intel x86 and ARM processors.
This project done under the guidance of Prof. Prabhat Ranjan, is one among the 11 projects worldwide sponsored under the IBM Linux on POWER Innovation Grant 2005 and is aimed at:- - Developing the QPlus Board Support Package for Intrinsyc Cerfcube 405 EP, a platform which uses IBM PowerPC 405EP processor
- Gaining the technical know-how to boot the target machine using the remote kernel image on the Development
station using PXE and tftpboot.
This was to help developers customize the kernel and filesystem for IBM PowerPC based
embedded devices. The above goals of the project have been successfully achieved.
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