Building an OpenEmbedded workspace

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OpenEmbedded is a great tool for building Linux for an embedded system.  Over the next few posts, I hope to capture the step-by-step instructions needed to create a working Linux system for the Atmel AT91SAM9263-EK board.

OpenEmbedded provides a framework that promotes cross compiling in a “emerge”-like manner.  Relying on BitBake (derived from “emerge”, in fact) as its under-the-hood workhorse, OE creates a sandboxed build system that is entirely self-contained.  Entire systems can be created with a single command and, more importantly, without having to understand the complexities of cross compiling!

This first post will focus on creating a working build system.  By the conclusion, you will be able to compile binary images for the target board.  Follow-up posts will show you how to load the binary images onto the target, create your own custom target board, and then roll your own Linux distribution. Continue reading →

St. John USVI

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Wildlife:

  • Deer
  • Mongoose
  • Quail
  • Humming Birds (iridescent blue and green)
  • HUGE spiders
  • Donkeys
  • Iguanas
  • Lizards
  • HUGE butterflies (bird-sized)
  • Hermit crabs
  • Land crabs
  • Other weird looking crabs
  • Coral banded shrimp
  • Barracuda (up to 5 ft)
  • Sea turtles (8)
  • Sea cucumber
  • Squid (hundreds)
  • Crawfish
  • Rays
  • Conch
  • Flounder

Tuesday, June 23rd

After anxiously waiting for Chris to wake up, we packed all of our hiking gear and started to town, choosing the harder trail because of the nicer vistas.  Well, the vistas were magnificent, but the hike was really hard, even for two seasoned hikers.  Turns out that there are two key differences between California hiking and St. John hiking: (1) in St. John, it’s hot and muggy; and (2) it’s uphill, all of it.  Nevertheless, it was beautiful and fun!  Good thing we brought extra water.  We saw our first Gungalo, a millipede that will, according to the locals, “pee in yo eye and blind yo.”  After reaching town, we found a nice outdoor cafe for lunch and got directions from the waitress to a grocery store.  We picked up some provisions (sunblock!) and took a taxi back to Caneel.  After lunch, we donned our snorkel gear and headed over to honeymoon beach.   The snorkeling was fantastic. Continue reading →

5% Goal!

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At this morning’s WW meeting, the scale read 190.2 — for a total of 10 lbs. of weight loss in a month and a half! That means I’ve lost 5% of my starting weight (201 lbs).

I’m still trying to decide what my goal weight should be.  The book’s “healthy weight range” is between a BMI of 20 and 25.  I’m currently at 24.4 with today’s weigh-in.  I think I’d like to split the range and focus on 23 as my target BMI; this translates to a weight of 185 lbs for the upper limit (23.8) and 180 lbs for the lower limit (23.1).

Only 5 pounds to go until I start on maintenance!

Nine pounds down

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After finishing SJSU last month, I decided to work off the twenty pounds that I gained while in school.  Sadly, I hit the dreaded number that I had never hit before — 200.  That was the final straw.

Now, one month and five Weight Watchers meetings later, I’m now down almost ten pounds, with about five to ten left.  Half-way there!