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Mastering Embedded Linux Programming - Third Edition

You're reading from  Mastering Embedded Linux Programming - Third Edition

Product type Book
Published in May 2021
Publisher Packt
ISBN-13 9781789530384
Pages 758 pages
Edition 3rd Edition
Languages
Authors (2):
Frank Vasquez Frank Vasquez
Profile icon Frank Vasquez
Chris Simmonds Chris Simmonds
Profile icon Chris Simmonds
View More author details

Table of Contents (27) Chapters

Preface Section 1: Elements of Embedded Linux
Chapter 1: Starting Out Chapter 2: Learning about Toolchains Chapter 3: All about Bootloaders Chapter 4: Configuring and Building the Kernel Chapter 5: Building a Root Filesystem Chapter 6: Selecting a Build System Chapter 7: Developing with Yocto Chapter 8: Yocto Under the Hood Section 2: System Architecture and Design Decisions
Chapter 9: Creating a Storage Strategy Chapter 10: Updating Software in the Field Chapter 11: Interfacing with Device Drivers Chapter 12: Prototyping with Breakout Boards Chapter 13: Starting Up – The init Program Chapter 14: Starting with BusyBox runit Chapter 15: Managing Power Section 3: Writing Embedded Applications
Chapter 16: Packaging Python Chapter 17: Learning about Processes and Threads Chapter 18: Managing Memory Section 4: Debugging and Optimizing Performance
Chapter 19: Debugging with GDB Chapter 20: Profiling and Tracing Chapter 21: Real-Time Programming Other Books You May Enjoy

The basics of software updates

Updating software seems, at first sight, to be a simple task: you just need to overwrite some files with new copies. But then your engineer's training kicks in as you begin to realize all the things that could go wrong. What if the power goes down during the update? What if a bug, not seen while testing the update, renders a percentage of the devices unbootable? What if a third party sends a fake update that enlists your device as part of a botnet? At the very least, the software update mechanism must be:

  • Robust, so that an update does not render the device unusable
  • Fail-safe, so that there is a fallback mode if all else fails
  • Secure, to prevent the device from being hijacked by people installing
    unauthorized updates

In other words, we need a system that is not susceptible to Murphy's law, which states that if something can go wrong, then it will go wrong, eventually. Some of these problems are non-trivial, however. Deploying...

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