BootProcess on Embedded Linux Blog

[Kernel-QEMU] 1. KGDB debugging from start_kernel with a VS Code interface

Sat, 02 May 2026 06:27:00 +0700

As I said in the Kernel-BBB 2 post, without JTAG on the BBB we probably cannot debug the kernel from the very first line. So I am turning to QEMU to have full control over the code.

Oh, in this post I clone the sources and build the related components, no Yocto this time (If yocto is my strength, what am i without Yocto :vv Haha)

[Boot-BBB] 5. Create a Beaglebone Black image with Buildroot

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 08:58:00 +0700

In this post I show you how to use Buildroot to create a Beaglebone Black image. Simply put, Buildroot is similar to the Yocto Project but leaner, with less configuration. The end goal is to build a custom embedded linux image

[Boot-BBB] 4. Create a root filesystem by hand with busybox

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 06:30:00 +0700

Okay, in today's post I continue by showing you how to create a root filesystem by hand, with utilities from busybox (utilities here means the binaries behind commands such as "ls", "cat", ...)

Even a basic root filesystem (rfs) needs around 50 commands.

[Boot-BBB] 3. Compile the Linux Kernel and configure u-boot automatically

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 07:16:00 +0700

In the previous post we stopped at the missing u-boot configuration. In this post we compile the kernel and add a uboot.env configuration file so the bootloader runs properly.

1. Fetch the kernel code and compile

1.1 Clone the source code

bash

git clone https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux

It takes quite a while, so grab a snack, drink some coffee, chill, and come back to check later. When I cloned it, it was 5.1 Gb

[Boot-BBB] 2. Compile U-boot and test MLO, u-boot.img

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 09:18:00 +0700

In this post I will show you how to compile u-boot from source and configure it for the Beaglebone Black board. For what u-boot is, you can read more at [BBB-Linux] 3. Beaglebone Black Boot Process - U-boot

1. Clone, configure and compile u-boot

1.1 Clone and checkout

bash

git clone https://source.denx.de/u-boot/u-boot.git
cd u-boot
git checkout v2023.01

I checkout v2023.01 because that is the version used in the worklabs bootlin, which is highly compatible with the busybox and buildroot used in the same series

[Boot-BBB] 1. Build a cross compiler toolchain with crosstool-ng

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 08:03:00 +0700

Hi everyone, today I am starting a new series called Boot-BBB. This series is independent of the Yocto-BBB series. Here I will not use yocto; instead I will build crosstool-ng, u-boot, buildroot and busybox from source.

1. Why we start with the cross compiler toolchain

Embedded Linux consists of 4 main components