Embedded Linux Essentials

Linux kernel basics, build systems, and user-space programming

6 topics
For Linux-based embedded systems
Embedded Linux Essentials
intermediate

Linux boot process

Understand the embedded Linux boot sequence from power-on through U-Boot, kernel initialization, initramfs, and rootfs mounting to the first userspace process.

embedded-linux
boot
u-boot
kernel
+3
Interview Weight: 4/10
Embedded Linux Essentials
intermediate

Linux build systems

Compare Yocto, Buildroot, and OpenWrt for building embedded Linux images. Understand layers, recipes, cross-compilation toolchains, and image generation.

embedded-linux
yocto
buildroot
openwrt
+3
Interview Weight: 4/10
Embedded Linux Essentials
intermediate

Linux device tree

Understand device tree syntax, node structure, compatible strings, overlays, and how the kernel uses DTB to discover and configure hardware on embedded Linux systems.

embedded-linux
device-tree
dts
dtb
+3
Interview Weight: 4/10
Embedded Linux Essentials
intermediate

Linux drivers and kernel modules

Understand Linux kernel modules, the driver model, character devices, platform drivers, and the probe/remove lifecycle for embedded Linux driver development.

embedded-linux
drivers
kernel-modules
char-device
+3
Interview Weight: 4/10
Embedded Linux Essentials
intermediate

Linux IPC mechanisms

Compare Linux inter-process communication mechanisms — pipes, shared memory, Unix sockets, message queues, signals, and D-Bus — and know when to use each in embedded systems.

embedded-linux
ipc
pipes
shared-memory
+3
Interview Weight: 4/10
Embedded Linux Essentials
intermediate

Linux userspace basics

Understand the embedded Linux userspace environment: root filesystem layout, filesystem types for Flash, init systems, BusyBox, process model, and debugging tools.

embedded-linux
userspace
rootfs
busybox
+3
Interview Weight: 3/10