Re: NetBSD on embedded devices

[Michael Pounov <misho%elwix.org@localhost>]

Hi Emmanuel

I wrote this, because I want just to reminder about using crunchgen and embedded rootfs into kernel.
If whole SW builtin into all-in-one static program and etc ... Rootfs image will be put into kernel. Actual this will lead to real occupy of physical memory equivalent of size rootfs size + kernel used memory.

You can mitigate this when built in into rootfs very small basic collection of tiny critical programs for serving boot system process. After that you can break and delegate other stages of boot process on mounted drives like you wish and if you have resources (virtual drivers or some storage).

Best Regards
Michael Pounov

On Sun, 4 Jun 2017 20:16:16 +0200
manu%netbsd.org@localhost (Emmanuel Dreyfus) wrote:

> Thor Lancelot Simon <tls%panix.com@localhost> wrote:
> 
> > One key idea that may help you is not mine -- it's due to Matt Thomas.  It is
> > the idea of, making an *additional* bunch of sets files specifying
> > exactly and only the parts of the system you need.  Then install those
> > (embedbase.txt, embedetc.tgz, etc.) rather than base, etc, and so forth.
> > That will give you a simple, maintainable way to build a NetBSD that
> > does what you need, is still a coherent whole rather than a pile of
> > disjoint "system packages", and is much smaller.
> 
> One interesting feature is also to crunchgen(1) binaries to reduce
> memory footprint, which is interesting when booting a kernel with
> ramdisk. It works nicely, but is not documented very much.
> 
> -- 
> Emmanuel Dreyfus
> http://hcpnet.free.fr/pubz
> manu%netbsd.org@localhost


-- 
Michael Pounov <misho%elwix.org@localhost>