Popular Linux distributions for embedded computing

　　 Embedded developers working in embedded systems need a distribution that is easy to use and easy to customize for their specific hardware . Here are some of the most famous embedded computing Linux Distribution version . However , None of these distributions are standardized “ Product update ready ” Method . If this is necessary , You need to do it yourself .

　　1. Yocto Project is a popular embedded system Linux Distribution version , It is built on OpenEmbedded Based on the project .Yocto Call yourself “ Yuan distribution ”, Provide a customizable distribution suitable for embedded device hardware constraints . With layers that can be added or deleted , You can add or remove new features .Yocto Support a wide range of architectures , And regularly publish updates . But because of its steep learning curve , And Yocto Cooperation can be challenging .

　　2. And Yocto equally ,Buildroot It's also a distribution , Allows you to build a custom root file system for embedded devices .Buildroot yes Yocto Reduced version of , But there's a limit , That is, you cannot install updates to a running system . contrary , Before deploying firmware to the device , You need to rebuild the firmware every time . Besides , Because the framework is so streamlined and minimized , It may make customization difficult .

　　3. OpenWRT/LEDE In embedded development , Probably the most popular embedded device framework . It creates custom binaries that can be accessed over the network . This release is specifically for consumer router firmware , It is also very good for general network centered embedded design . It features a writable root file system , Instead of firmware based on a read-only file system , And it is not allowed to modify without rebuilding and refreshing the new image . It supports multiple architectures , And allows you to build distributions specifically for each architecture .

 　　4. When talking about IOT devices , It is impossible not to mention the increasingly popular Raspberry Pi.Raspbian Is based on Debian UNIX Operating system built Raspberry Pi Open source operating system .Raspbian There are many uses , From powering low specification sensors to building more advanced Internet of things systems , But it can still enter the field of consumer hardware . One disadvantage of this distribution is , except Armv7 In addition to the variants of , It does not fully support any other architecture , And it's not easy to match the standard Debian Package mix .

　　5. Android Is a popular touch-screen based application mode device experience distribution . It is based on Linux A modified version of the operating system of the kernel and other open source software . A big problem with Android is , It is a pure “ Wall based ” The ecological system , No one can easily influence the direction of upstream code , No one can give advice on the direction of upstream code .

　　6. BalenaOS Running on the Yocto Above the project , It can also run on your Internet of things device Docker Containers . Although the operating system is containerized , And the update is simplified through the external server , But you can't completely control the degree of specialization of the distribution as an embedded Developer . Due to lack of control , Eventually, there may be too many and unnecessary libraries and modules . This also means that critical operating system updates depend on a single vendor .

In this paper, the source ：www.gec-edu.org