Difference between revisions of "Bering-uClibc 5.x"
From bering-uClibc
(→Overview: small mod) |
m (typos and some grammar (done by a german speaker)) |
||
| Line 5: | Line 5: | ||
In particular: | In particular: | ||
* Toolchain is slightly reworked to support 'true' cross-compilation; also gcc was updated to 4.6.2. | * Toolchain is slightly reworked to support 'true' cross-compilation; also gcc was updated to 4.6.2. | ||
| − | * The Linux kernel is planned to be upgraded from 2.6. | + | * The Linux kernel is planned to be upgraded from 2.6.35 to 3.2.x (current 4.0 version uses longterm 2.6.35 kernel branch). |
* The uClibc library is upgraded from 0.9.30 to 0.9.32. | * The uClibc library is upgraded from 0.9.30 to 0.9.32. | ||
The main advantages are: | The main advantages are: | ||
| Line 13: | Line 13: | ||
==Main Features== | ==Main Features== | ||
The key characteristics of [[Bering-uClibc-next]] are: | The key characteristics of [[Bering-uClibc-next]] are: | ||
| − | * Based on a recent release of the Linux Kernel. | + | * Based on a recent long-term release of the Linux Kernel. |
* Targetted to run on industry standard devices even with non-x86 processors. | * Targetted to run on industry standard devices even with non-x86 processors. | ||
* Designed to perform well on relatively low-specification hardware. In particular: | * Designed to perform well on relatively low-specification hardware. In particular: | ||
| − | ** The system runs from an in-memory filesystem. Disk storage is only required for booting and for | + | ** The system runs from an in-memory filesystem. Disk storage is only required for booting and for storing configuration settings. |
** The [http://www.uclibc.org/ uClibc] C library is used in place of the [http://www.gnu.org/software/libc/libc.html GNU C Library] since uClibc is much smaller in size. | ** The [http://www.uclibc.org/ uClibc] C library is used in place of the [http://www.gnu.org/software/libc/libc.html GNU C Library] since uClibc is much smaller in size. | ||
** Considerable use is made of [http://www.busybox.net/ BusyBox] utilities as replacements for larger applications. | ** Considerable use is made of [http://www.busybox.net/ BusyBox] utilities as replacements for larger applications. | ||
* Focussed on providing excellent networking facilities. | * Focussed on providing excellent networking facilities. | ||
* Designed to have high fault tolerance: | * Designed to have high fault tolerance: | ||
| − | ** There | + | ** There are no writes on HDD/flash during work (except saving configurations during maintenance) - so a power failure will not break file system. |
** Corrupted/erased config file, or even 'rm -rf /' isn't a problem - changes are stored permanently only when user requires that, and reboot will restore all as it was before. | ** Corrupted/erased config file, or even 'rm -rf /' isn't a problem - changes are stored permanently only when user requires that, and reboot will restore all as it was before. | ||
** Enabled by default watchdog, reboot on kernel panic and kernel soft-lockup detection will help to have minimum downtime of router. | ** Enabled by default watchdog, reboot on kernel panic and kernel soft-lockup detection will help to have minimum downtime of router. | ||
| Line 27: | Line 27: | ||
==Development History== | ==Development History== | ||
| − | First commit into new branch (updated toolchain) was made by [[User:Nitr0man|Nitr0man]] in October, 29 2011. In | + | First commit into new git branch (updated toolchain) was made by [[User:Nitr0man|Nitr0man]] in October, 29 2011. In November 2011 most packages were updated, to correctly assemble with the new toolchain. A first, working minimal system image was also assembled in November 2011. |
| − | Currently branch is in pre-alpha stage, | + | Currently the branch is in pre-alpha stage, and only available from the git repository as source to build yourself. It looks stable enough for usage in a test environment, but then, it's under active development, so be careful. |
<!--Team work on [[Bering-uClibc 4.x]] started in April 2010, with [[User:Nitr0man|Nitr0man]] as the lead developer and contributions from [[User:Kapeka|Kapeka]], [[User:Etitl|Etitl]] and [[User:Davidmbrooke|davidMbrooke]] among others. First Alpha release was running in production also in April, and was quite stable. | <!--Team work on [[Bering-uClibc 4.x]] started in April 2010, with [[User:Nitr0man|Nitr0man]] as the lead developer and contributions from [[User:Kapeka|Kapeka]], [[User:Etitl|Etitl]] and [[User:Davidmbrooke|davidMbrooke]] among others. First Alpha release was running in production also in April, and was quite stable. | ||
The development was mostly completed by early November 2010, with multiple Alpha test systems running successfully "in production".--> | The development was mostly completed by early November 2010, with multiple Alpha test systems running successfully "in production".--> | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
===Version Changelog=== | ===Version Changelog=== | ||
Revision as of 19:47, 11 February 2012
Contents
Overview
Bering-uClibc is one of the branches of the LEAF (Linux Embedded Appliance Framework) project, delivering on LEAF's ambition to provide a secure, feature-rich, customizable embedded Linux network appliance for use in a variety of network topologies. Although it can be used in other ways, its primary goal is as a Internet gateway, BRAS, router, firewall and wireless access point.
Bering-uClibc-next is basically Bering-uClibc 4.x brought up to date with the latest versions of the main software components and with reworked toolchain. In particular:
- Toolchain is slightly reworked to support 'true' cross-compilation; also gcc was updated to 4.6.2.
- The Linux kernel is planned to be upgraded from 2.6.35 to 3.2.x (current 4.0 version uses longterm 2.6.35 kernel branch).
- The uClibc library is upgraded from 0.9.30 to 0.9.32.
The main advantages are:
- Kernel-mode PPTP/L2TP/PPPoE server (accel-ppp) which is 'all-in-one' powerful BRAS daemon with shaper like BSD's mpd.
- Possibility to build binaries for any target platform which supports Linux
Main Features
The key characteristics of Bering-uClibc-next are:
- Based on a recent long-term release of the Linux Kernel.
- Targetted to run on industry standard devices even with non-x86 processors.
- Designed to perform well on relatively low-specification hardware. In particular:
- The system runs from an in-memory filesystem. Disk storage is only required for booting and for storing configuration settings.
- The uClibc C library is used in place of the GNU C Library since uClibc is much smaller in size.
- Considerable use is made of BusyBox utilities as replacements for larger applications.
- Focussed on providing excellent networking facilities.
- Designed to have high fault tolerance:
- There are no writes on HDD/flash during work (except saving configurations during maintenance) - so a power failure will not break file system.
- Corrupted/erased config file, or even 'rm -rf /' isn't a problem - changes are stored permanently only when user requires that, and reboot will restore all as it was before.
- Enabled by default watchdog, reboot on kernel panic and kernel soft-lockup detection will help to have minimum downtime of router.
- Backup scripts will help to restore system state on storage failure/operator mistake.
Development History
First commit into new git branch (updated toolchain) was made by Nitr0man in October, 29 2011. In November 2011 most packages were updated, to correctly assemble with the new toolchain. A first, working minimal system image was also assembled in November 2011. Currently the branch is in pre-alpha stage, and only available from the git repository as source to build yourself. It looks stable enough for usage in a test environment, but then, it's under active development, so be careful.
Version Changelog
Known Issues
Further Documentation
For further information see:
- Bering-uClibc-next - Developer Guide for Developers of new features or new application Packages.
