[linuxkernelnewbies] Linux Customization with MontaVista's Platform Developer Kit

[Peter Teoh]

http://www.mvista.com/platform_developers_kit.php Customize MontaVista Linux with the Platform Developer Kit The MontaVista Linux Platform Developer Kit (PDK) provides everything required to create and deliver a MontaVista Linux®-based development platform: Including DevRocket, our industry-standard Eclipse IDE, broad CPU and board support, advanced analysis tools, and target application packages. The MontaVista PDK is the ultimate embedded Linux development solution. The MontaVista Linux Platform Developer Kit includes: Linux Support Package (LSP) Board support package targeting a wide range of hardware platforms. Includes a rich set of pre-built and tested drivers for on-chip and on-board devices. Target Application Packages Preconfigured, tested library of over 200 application and utility software packages such as Apache, FTP, and SSH, to support virtually any development need. Analysis Tools Include Platform Image Builder, System Trace, and System Profile, Memory Leak Detection, and Memory Usage Analysis delivered through an intuitive, interactive, and accessible Eclipse-based interface. CPU Architecture cross tool chain Complete set of Linux cross tools, including compliers debuggers, and run-time libraries required to build platforms and application binaries for specific CPU architectures - x86, ARM, MIPS, XScale, and Power Architecture (PPC).   Continuity with Previous Versions of MontaVista Linux Many application development teams already have a significant code base on MontaVista Linux. The backward-compatible, MontaVista PDK allows developers to use the tool-chains from these previous versions, supporting easy discovery and porting of existing MontaVista Linux installations and making all editions dynamically available from within one interface. Streamlined Creation of Target File System Images Platform developers need to integrate and install dozens, sometimes hundreds of separate software components, but creating a target file system by hand is time-consuming, difficult, and complex. The MontaVista PDK radically simplifies this task. Platform Image Builder offers developers an easy-to-use graphical interface for selecting MontaVista Linux target packages, integrated custom packages, and kernels, dynamically determining file system size and automatically resolving dependencies and conflicts, then generating the file-system in several standard formats. Best-of-Breed Analysis Tools Linux platform analysis tools require specialized expertise and persistent maintenance to keep current with the Linux kernel and other open source technologies - generic open source versions or tools originally meant for RTOS analysis come up short in real-world Linux development. The MontaVista PDK features analysis tools targeted specifically for working with embedded Linux. delivering must-have capabilities like system-level statistical profiling, trace analysis, and memory leak detection and usage analysis. The PDK packages these tools in an intuitive and interactive user interface, simplifying and streamlining analysis and optimization. Graphical, Intuitive System Characterization Traditional Linux command line interface (CLI) tools can make it difficult to characterize a target system over time. The MontaVista PDK meets this challenge by integrating the best-of-breed CLI-based Linux Trace Tookit (LTTng) into an intuitive and accessible graphical user interface, enabling developers to measure and characterize target systems more quickly and easily. Broad Target and Host Support Protects Developer Investment The MontaVista PDK supports board-level platforms across five major CPU architectures. By providing a common look and feel across Linux, Windows®, and Solaris™ development hosts, PDK provides a cross-development platform for development teams working across diverse environments. This broad platform and host support gives development teams the flexibly, continuity and interoperability to tailor their development platforms to their technical needs and team logistics.