Level 1 · Entry Foundations¶
Goal: understand what embedded Linux is and how it differs from both desktop Linux and microcontroller firmware; become literate in CPU architectures (ARM Cortex-A vs Cortex-M vs x86); learn the boot flow from power-on to login prompt; and get real hands-on practice — booting ARM Linux in QEMU, exploring a BusyBox userland, cross-compiling C programs, reading device trees, writing init services, and building your own root filesystem with Buildroot — finishing with a complete tiny "Linux appliance" you assemble yourself.
You do not need to own any hardware for this level. Every lab runs in
QEMU (qemu-system-aarch64) on a normal Linux or macOS machine, using
documented, reproducible images. NXP's i.MX95 (6× Cortex-A55 + Cortex-M7 +
NPU) appears throughout as the "this is what a real product platform looks
like" example — you'll be able to read its spec sheet and BSP documentation
with confidence by the end, but you never need the board.
Modules¶
- What Is Embedded Linux?
- CPU Architectures 101
- The Boot Flow
- Running Embedded Linux in QEMU
- BusyBox & the Minimal Userland
- Cross-Compilation
- Device Trees
- Init Systems & Services
- Building a Rootfs with Buildroot
- Capstone — Tiny Linux Appliance
By the end of this level you'll be able to explain the MCU-vs-MPU divide, read a heterogeneous SoC's spec sheet, trace a board from power-on to login prompt, boot and drive an ARM Linux system in QEMU, cross-compile and deploy programs to it, read a device tree, wire a daemon into both BusyBox init and systemd, and build a bootable root filesystem from source with Buildroot.