Monday, March 12, 2007

New USB Linux Solution Announcement: THLinux

After tinkering around with gentoo, debian, ubuntu, and many other distribution solutions, I found that none of them did what I wanted in a small space. Well, I believe I have finally solved the issue.

Announcing: THLinux
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A full 2.6.x series kernel distribution with a simple master build script that fits in <64mb>

  • Boots From USB thumbdrive
  • Linux 2.6.17.14 Kernel with approx 32MB+ of available modules
  • Scripted build environment with minimal deployment requirments
  • Custom Compiled
  • Build Script is customizable to update rootfs and kernel sources
  • Basic IPv4 Networking
  • Text Editing
  • Mount and read from nearly any type of file system
  • Patch minor bugs in busybox-1.4.1:
    • Patched applets/applets.c to allow static busybox linked against glibc (although the developers might argue I broke it to allow statically linked .... ;-) )
    • Fixed scripts/mkconfigs so that it generates a correct bbconfigopts.h
    • Fixed scritps/trylink so that it will actually work in ubuntu(and probably other distributions as well)


    TODO:
    Download missing/newer sources and patches
    Add more functional programs
    Add support for Cross Compiling
    Add support to build PXE-bootable images
    Create a "make menuconfig" style interface

    So far, I have been able to create a bootable thumb drive with the user needing only minimal command line interaction. A full build log is maintained in the background while providing simple status updates to the standard output.

    As of right now, my build environment has been tested and appears to be fully operational in Ubuntu Dapper Drake and Edgy Eft(with downgrade to 4.0 series compiliers) . Granted, it's an early alpha stage, but what in the embedded world isn't?

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