WELCOME

This is the µClinux distribution project for the Blackfin processor.

Pronounced "you-see-linux", the name µClinux comes from combining the greek letter "mu" and the english capital "C". "Mu" stands for "micro", and the "C" is for "controller". µClinux supports embedded processors which support MMU (protection and virtual memory support), noMMU (no protection, no virtual memory) and MPU (memory protection, but no virtual memory support).

µClinux is a Linux distribution like any other Linux distribution, built from the Linux kernel from kernel.org and assorted other packages, and software from the GNU project. Since µClinux is optimised for size, it uses more compact alternatives (busybox, uclibc, etc) than a non-embedded distribution.

Because most (if not all) of the kernel and supporting packages are free software / open source, Linux distributions have taken a wide variety of forms — from fully featured desktop and server operating systems to distributions like µClinux - minimal environments (typically for use in embedded systems). Aside from certain custom software (such as installers and configuration tools) a "distro" simply refers to a particular assortment of applications married with a particular kernel, such that its "out-of-the-box" capabilities meets most of the needs of its particular end-user base. All distributions use the same Linux kernel from kernel.org (athough they may be different versions, and may have different patches applied)

There are currently over three hundred Linux distribution projects in active development, constantly revising and improving their respective distributions. One can distinguish between commercially backed distributions, such as Fedora (Red Hat), SUSE Linux (Novell), Ubuntu (Canonical Ltd.), and Mandriva Linux and community distributions such as Debian, Gentoo or µClinux The procedures for assembling and testing a distribution prior to release tend to become more elaborate the larger the user base is.

GETTING STARTED

If you're new to µClinux, the first thing to do is check out the documentation . This should help you get your development host PC set up, and get you compling your first Linux distribution from source.

GETTING HELP

We do provide complete documentation for both the Linux kernel and the uClinux distribution here. If you have a question about the Linux kernel, and can't find the answer in the documenation, please ask on the support forums. and we can either add something, or point you to the right place.