Frequently Asked Question

What is embedded Linux, and what are Yocto and Buildroot?

Embedded Linux means the Linux kernel running on a device that is not a general-purpose computer: a router, smart TV, set-top box, industrial controller, medical device, car infotainment system, e-reader, or single-board computer like a Raspberry Pi or BeagleBone. The kernel is essentially the same as on a server, same scheduler, same VFS, same networking stack, but stripped of unused subsystems and paired with a minimal user-space tailored to the hardware.

Two build systems dominate this world. Yocto Project, hosted by the Linux Foundation, is a layered, recipe-based meta-distribution that lets you produce a custom Linux image for almost any architecture; it is heavyweight and has a steep learning curve, but it scales to long-lived commercial product lines with reproducible builds and CVE tracking. Buildroot is a simpler set of Makefiles that produces a root filesystem from source, preferred for smaller, less complex devices where Yocto's machinery is overkill. Both output kernel images, bootloaders, and root filesystems ready to flash to a target.