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[02/11] manual: rework introduction.txt and update embedded-basics.txt

Message ID 1332285001-12881-3-git-send-email-s.martin49@gmail.com
State Superseded
Headers show

Commit Message

Samuel Martin March 20, 2012, 11:09 p.m. UTC
Split and rephrasing of introduction.txt.

Cross-toolchain and pro-Buildroot explainations moved from introduction.txt
into embedded-basics.txt.

Signed-off-by: Samuel MARTIN <s.martin49@gmail.com>
---
 docs/manual/embedded-basics.txt |   65 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 docs/manual/introduction.txt    |   74 +++++++--------------------------------
 2 files changed, 78 insertions(+), 61 deletions(-)
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Patch

diff --git a/docs/manual/embedded-basics.txt b/docs/manual/embedded-basics.txt
index e1c66e3..bf14d7c 100644
--- a/docs/manual/embedded-basics.txt
+++ b/docs/manual/embedded-basics.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,67 @@ 
 Embedded system basics & Reasons to use Buildroot
 -------------------------------------------------
+
+Cross-compilation & cross-toolchain
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+A compilation toolchain is the set of tools that allows you to compile
+code for your system. It consists of a compiler (in our case, +gcc+),
+binary utils like assembler and linker (in our case, +binutils+) and a
+C standard library (for example
+http://www.gnu.org/software/libc/libc.html[GNU Libc],
+http://www.uclibc.org/[uClibc] or
+http://www.fefe.de/dietlibc/[dietlibc]). The system installed on your
+development station certainly already has a compilation toolchain that
+you can use to compile an application that runs on your system. If
+you're using a PC, your compilation toolchain runs on an x86 processor
+and generates code for an x86 processor. Under most Linux systems, the
+compilation toolchain uses the GNU libc (glibc) as the C standard
+library.  This compilation toolchain is called the "host compilation
+toolchain". The machine on which it is running, and on which you're
+working, is called the "host system". The compilation toolchain is
+provided by your distribution, and Buildroot has nothing to do with it
+(other than using it to build a cross-compilation toolchain and other
+tools that are run on the development host).
+
+As said above, the compilation toolchain that comes with your system
+runs on and generates code for the processor in your host system. As
+your embedded system has a different processor, you need a
+cross-compilation toolchain - a compilation toolchain that runs on
+your host system but generates code for your target system (and target
+processor). For example, if your host system uses x86 and your target
+system uses ARM, the regular compilation toolchain on your host runs on
+x86 and generates code for x86, while the cross-compilation toolchain
+runs on x86 and generates code for ARM.
+
+[[pros-buildroot]]
+
+Why choose Buildroot
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Even if your embedded system uses an x86 processor, you might be
+interested in Buildroot for two reasons:
+
+* The compilation toolchain on your host certainly uses the GNU Libc
+  which is a complete but huge C standard library. Instead of using
+  GNU Libc on your target system, you can use uClibc which is a tiny C
+  standard library. If you want to use this C library, then you need a
+  compilation toolchain to generate binaries linked with it. Buildroot
+  can do that for you.
+
+* Buildroot automates the building of a root filesystem with all
+  needed tools like busybox. That makes it much easier than doing it
+  by hand.
+
+You might wonder why such a tool is needed when you can compile +gcc+,
++binutils+, +uClibc+ and all the other tools by hand. Of course doing
+so is possible but, dealing with all of the configure options and
+problems of every +gcc+ or +binutils+ version is very time-consuming
+and uninteresting.  Buildroot automates this process through the use
+of Makefiles and has a collection of patches for each +gcc+ and
++binutils+ version to make them work on most architectures.
+
+Moreover, Buildroot provides an infrastructure for reproducing the
+build process of your kernel, cross-toolchain, and embedded root
+filesystem. Being able to reproduce the build process will be useful
+when a component needs to be patched or updated or when another person
+is supposed to take over the project.
diff --git a/docs/manual/introduction.txt b/docs/manual/introduction.txt
index 476ce25..e330674 100644
--- a/docs/manual/introduction.txt
+++ b/docs/manual/introduction.txt
@@ -1,69 +1,21 @@ 
 About Buildroot
 ===============
 
-Buildroot is a set of Makefiles and patches that allows you to easily
-generate a cross-compilation toolchain, a root filesystem and a Linux
-kernel image for your target. Buildroot can be used for one, two or
-all of these options, independently.
-
-Buildroot is useful mainly for people working with embedded systems.
+Buildroot provides a full featured environment for cross-development.
+Buildroot is able to generate a cross-compilation toolchain, a root
+filesystem, a Linux kernel image and a bootloader for your target.
+Buildroot can be used for any combinaison of these options,
+independently.
+
+Buildroot is useful mainly for people working with embedded systems
+for a number of good reasons (see xref:pros-buildroot[]).
 Embedded systems often use processors that are not the regular x86
 processors everyone is used to having in his PC. They can be PowerPC
 processors, MIPS processors, ARM processors, etc.
 
-A compilation toolchain is the set of tools that allows you to compile
-code for your system. It consists of a compiler (in our case, +gcc+),
-binary utils like assembler and linker (in our case, +binutils+) and a
-C standard library (for example
-http://www.gnu.org/software/libc/libc.html[GNU Libc],
-http://www.uclibc.org/[uClibc] or
-http://www.fefe.de/dietlibc/[dietlibc]). The system installed on your
-development station certainly already has a compilation toolchain that
-you can use to compile an application that runs on your system. If
-you're using a PC, your compilation toolchain runs on an x86 processor
-and generates code for an x86 processor. Under most Linux systems, the
-compilation toolchain uses the GNU libc (glibc) as the C standard
-library.  This compilation toolchain is called the "host compilation
-toolchain". The machine on which it is running, and on which you're
-working, is called the "host system". The compilation toolchain is
-provided by your distribution, and Buildroot has nothing to do with it
-(other than using it to build a cross-compilation toolchain and other
-tools that are run on the development host).
-
-As said above, the compilation toolchain that comes with your system
-runs on and generates code for the processor in your host system. As
-your embedded system has a different processor, you need a
-cross-compilation toolchain - a compilation toolchain that runs on
-your host system but generates code for your target system (and target
-processor). For example, if your host system uses x86 and your target
-system uses ARM, the regular compilation toolchain on your host runs on
-x86 and generates code for x86, while the cross-compilation toolchain
-runs on x86 and generates code for ARM.
-
-Even if your embedded system uses an x86 processor, you might be
-interested in Buildroot for two reasons:
-
-* The compilation toolchain on your host certainly uses the GNU Libc
-  which is a complete but huge C standard library. Instead of using
-  GNU Libc on your target system, you can use uClibc which is a tiny C
-  standard library. If you want to use this C library, then you need a
-  compilation toolchain to generate binaries linked with it. Buildroot
-  can do that for you.
-
-* Buildroot automates the building of a root filesystem with all
-  needed tools like busybox. That makes it much easier than doing it
-  by hand.
-
-You might wonder why such a tool is needed when you can compile +gcc+,
-+binutils+, +uClibc+ and all the other tools by hand. Of course doing
-so is possible but, dealing with all of the configure options and
-problems of every +gcc+ or +binutils+ version is very time-consuming
-and uninteresting.  Buildroot automates this process through the use
-of Makefiles and has a collection of patches for each +gcc+ and
-+binutils+ version to make them work on most architectures.
+Buildroot supports numerous processors and their variants; it also
+comes with default configuration for several boards available
+off-the-shelf. Besides, a number of third-party projects are based on
+or develop their BSP footnote:[BSP: Board Software Package] or
+SDK footnote:[SDK: Standard Development Kit] on top of Buildroot.
 
-Moreover, Buildroot provides an infrastructure for reproducing the
-build process of your kernel, cross-toolchain, and embedded root
-filesystem. Being able to reproduce the build process will be useful
-when a component needs to be patched or updated or when another person
-is supposed to take over the project.