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Cross-Compile the Linux Kernel for ARM64 and Boot It in QEMU

Cross-compile the Linux kernel for ARM64, build a BusyBox initramfs, and boot the system in QEMU using exact, reproducible commands and expected…

RB Sep 11 · 7 min

Tutorials

Real-Time Linux with PREEMPT_RT — Part 5: Tracing Latency Sources with ftrace

A high latency number tells you a problem exists, not where it comes from. This final part of the series covers tracing…

RB Sep 7 · 9 min

Tutorials

Buildroot for Embedded Linux — Part 2: Adding Packages and a BR2_EXTERNAL Tree

Set up a Buildroot BR2_EXTERNAL tree so your defconfig and board files live outside the Buildroot source, then build out of tree…

RB Sep 6 · 13 min

Tutorials

Real-Time Linux with PREEMPT_RT — Part 4: Writing RT-Safe User-Space Code

RT-safe user-space code for PREEMPT_RT: lock memory with mlockall, create SCHED_FIFO threads correctly, and use PTHREAD_PRIO_INHERIT mutexes.

RB Aug 28 · 12 min

Tutorials

Buildroot for Embedded Linux — Part 1: Your First Buildroot Root Filesystem

Build your first Buildroot root filesystem for ARM and boot it under QEMU. Part 1 of a hands-on Buildroot series for embedded…

RB Aug 23 · 8 min

Tutorials

The regmap Subsystem: One Register API Across I2C, SPI and MMIO

Build a Linux I2C driver with the regmap subsystem: regmap_config, probe, the register cache, suspend and resume, and debugfs. Complete buildable code.

RB Aug 16 · 11 min

Tutorials

Capturing a Kernel Crash Dump with kdump on ARM64

Set up kdump on an ARM64 board: reserve crashkernel memory, load a capture kernel with kexec -p, then trigger a panic and…

RB Aug 11 · 14 min

Tutorials

Kernel Dynamic Debug: Turning On pr_debug at Runtime

Kernel dynamic debug turns pr_debug and dev_dbg messages on at runtime, per file, function or module, with no kernel rebuild. A hands-on…

RB Aug 9 · 11 min

Tutorials

The cachestat() Syscall: Reading Linux Page-Cache Stats from User Space

The cachestat syscall, added in Linux 6.5, reports page-cache residency for a file from user space. Call it with a worked C…

RB Aug 4 · 9 min

Tutorials

How to Build an Embedded Linux Lab From Scratch

How to build an embedded Linux lab: from QEMU to a first board, serial console, and logic analyzer, and the skill each…

RB Jul 31 · 10 min

Tutorials

Dynamic Debug in Linux: Turn On pr_debug Messages at Runtime

Use dynamic debug to switch on pr_debug and dev_dbg messages in a running Linux kernel, without rebuilding or rebooting.

RB Jul 21 · 12 min

Tutorials

Reading a Kernel Oops, Part 2: Decode to the Source Line and Reason Backward

Decode a kernel oops down to the exact source line: a reproducible tutorial using dmesg, faddr2line, decode_stacktrace.sh and gdb on a test…

RB Jul 10 · 9 min

Tutorials

Reading a Kernel Oops: What the Dump Is Telling You

Read a kernel oops like evidence, not an answer: decode the header, the faulting-address fingerprint, and the unreliable call-trace frames by eye.

RB Jul 7 · 15 min

Tutorials

Real-Time Linux with PREEMPT_RT — Part 3: SCHED_FIFO Priorities and CPU Isolation

Set SCHED_FIFO priorities with chrt and configure CPU isolation with isolcpus and nohz_full so a real-time task runs with minimal interference.

RB Jul 5 · 12 min

Tutorials

Control GPIO with libgpiod: Tools and the API

Control GPIO with libgpiod using the version 2 tools and C API. Hands-on examples with gpioget, gpioset, gpiomon, and a virtual gpio-mockup…

RB Jun 30 · 12 min

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