Tool chains

Once your Hardware and Software architecture is chosen, a development platform needs to be set-up (a tool chain). The basic elements of the tool chain are:

GNU tools

• a cross-compiler (gcc) from a Linux on IA-32 host to the target CPU
• a remote cross-debugger (gdb) from the Linux on IA-32 host to the target
• a graphical IDE front-end (ddd) for the debugger
• other supporting elements (profiler, versioning tools, binutils, ...).

Programs on the target

• boot loader (U-boot, Redboot, ...)
• kernel and kernel patches (Linux and eCos)
• device drivers (for Linux and eCos)
• libraries (glibc, uClibc, ...)
• a small user land (busybox, ...)
• sample application (e.g. small web server)

Supported target processors

• ARM (ARM7, ARM720, ARM926, Intel XScale, pxa255, pxa270, iMX, 80200, IXP425, IXP465, Toshiba, Net+ARM, ...)
• PowerPC (IBM 405, 440, Motorola MPC 860, MPC 82xx, Xilinx Virtex II Pro and Virtex 4 FX, ...)
• Hitachi (SH3 (SH7705, SH7706, SH7709S), SH4, ...)
• MIPS (MIPS4000, ...)
• IA-32 (Intel, AMD, Geode, Mach, VIA, ...)

Documentation

• source code
• step-by-step description of how to get code running on the target