Linux for Embedded and Real Time System Developers

Overview
The course provides a comprehensive introduction to the Linux operating system. Emphasis is on interaction with Linux at the command line rather than using graphical user interfaces. Exercises make use of a PC running SUSE Linux and an embedded ARM9 based system running a standard Linux Kernel.
The course covers key topics essential to understanding Linux such as logging on, Linux file systems, TCP/IP networking, user accounts and security, the Linux boot process (and how to configure it), terminals and serial ports, and basic shell programming. The course also covers many standard Unix commands and utilites, including the vi editor.

Course Benefits
Real-time system developers intending to deploy Linux in embedded solutions often face a double learning hurdle -- they must find their way around Linux itself before they can design embedded systems around it. This course addresses the first of these issues by giving you a strong technical appreciation of linux.
You'll learn fundamentals such as user accounts, Unix permissions and access control. You'll gain confidence in finding your way around Linux system installations using standard Linux commands.
You'll become familiar with the vi editor and be able to use it proficiently to create and modify files. You'll learn, in detail, how Linux boots, both on PCs (GRUB, LILO) and on embedded systems (U-Boot) and you'll be able to control, configure and debug the boot process.
You'll work faster, through familiarity with standard Unix tool and utilities (including the BusyBox toolset on the ARM 9 target system). You'll learn how to set up and configure disk based, in memory, and flash file systems.
You'll gain the skills needed to configure ethernet and serial communications ports and TCP/IP networking. And you'll learn how to use package managers (both RPM and APT) to install software.

Course Contents
Introduction

• Brief history of Linux
• Logging on to Linux
• Linux as a multi-user, multi-tasking operating system
• Accessing the command line (terminal and desktop)
• Accessing and using manual pages

Working with the command line and the shell

• Introduction to command shells
• Understanding command syntax
• Executing commands at the command line
• Common command line tasks
• Piping and redirection
• Managing user accounts
• Performing RPM and APT package related operations

Managing directories and files

• Understanding the filesystem hierarchy standard (FHS)
• Indentifying file types
• Changing directories and listing directory contents
• Creating, viewing and appending files
• Copying and moving files and directories
• Creating directories
• Deleting files and directories
• Finding files on linux
• Using grep to search file content
• Understanding regular expressions
• Archiving files with tar
• Compressing and uncompressing files with gzip and bzip2
• Managing file permissions and ownership

Using the vi text editor Understanding and viewing processes

• Viewing processes from the command line
• Understanding the runlevel concept
• Multiuser processes and multitasking

Managing the network configuration

• Managing the network configuration
• Network-related command-line tools

Managing user access and security

• Basic Linux user security features
• Managing Linux users and groups
• Managing and securing the linux user environment
• Securing files and directories with permissions

Seting up a linux file system

• Select a linux file system
• Configuring linux filesystem partitions
• Configuring and managing a linux file system
• Backing up and restoring a file system
• Working with Flash File Systems

System initialisation

• The linux load procedure
• Managing run levels
• Managing the kernel
• Managing the GRUB boot loader
• Managing the U-BOOT boot loader
• Modifying system settings

Managing linux processes and services

• Managing processes
• Startup shell scripts and services
• Scheduling jobs
• Using system logging services

Connecting a system to the network

• Network components and architecture
• Configuring a network connection
• Configuring and managing routes
• Test a network interface
• Enabling network services