Category: Blog
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Linux 6.17 is out and already running at Root Commit
Linux 6.17 has just been released, and it’s already running here at Root Commit. The first system it’s been running on is this Toradex Verdin iMX8M Mini SOM (below the heat sink!) on the Dahlia Carrier board. I’m using this board for a medical device project at the moment. Here are my notes for building…
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Digital hygiene: use USB tethering to connect your laptop
When you are on the go, have you thought about connecting your GNU/Linux PC to the Internet through a USB connection to your phone? A better and safer solution is USB tethering. Your PC uses the Internet connection of your phone through a USB data cable. This is much better in terms of security (nothing…
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Yocto Security: Production and Development Images
What to avoid So, you use Yocto to build an image for your embedded device. You tweak the image and distribution settings to get the features you need, and other developers use the SDK built by Yocto to create and build the User Interface and other applications. As product release is getting closer, it’s then…
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“Securing Yocto Built Systems” presentation slides
Last week, I gave a “Making Yocto Built Images More Secure” presentation at the Embedded Linux Conference in Amsterdam. The main goal was to share the research I’ve done so far for a customer project, and gather feedback from the audience. Here are a few highlights: Check out the slides at https://rootcommit.com/pub/conferences/2025/elce/yocto-security/yocto-security.pdf. In the next…
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See how U-Boot modifies your board device tree
If you compare the device tree as loaded by Linux, available in /sys/firmware/fdt, you will see that it differs from the one that you loaded in U-Boot. Taking the time to make the comparison is quite instructive. Let’s do this on my Toradex Verdin iMX8M Mini SoM on the Dahlia carrier board. Decompiling the DTB…
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Seven steps to grow your embedded Linux skills
Do you already have a job in embedded Linux but wish to be given more challenging goals? Or are you in IT, already using Linux on your own laptop, and dreaming about landing an embedded Linux job, possibly starting as your own boss? Follow my advice in a patient and consistent way, and you will…
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Virtual Packages in Yocto Project / OpenEmbedded
Understanding Virtual Packages in Yocto Project / OpenEmbedded If you are using Yocto, this post will help you learn about Virtual Packages: how they work, why they are useful, and how to create them step by step. We assume you are already familiar with: What is a Virtual Package? Imagine you have multiple implementations of…
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Yocto: variable overrides tricks
I discovered a intriguing phenomenon while preparing my How to test the latest mainline Linux kernel or bootloader presentation at OpenEmbedded Workshop 2025. It turned out there was something incomplete in my understanding of BitBake variable overrides. Let’s take the example of a meta-mainline recipe from my Kernel Recipes: SRC_URI = “git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git;branch=linux-6.13.y;protocol=https” Then, depending on…
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Google-stored passwords insufficiently protected
Have you checked the passwords.google.com page? If you have a Google account, it’s the passwords that you’ve supposedly allowed Google to remember for you. In my case, I have a very limited list, and it’s so old that I don’t even remember letting Google remember them. I most probably accepted this on an Android phone,…
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Introducing Yocto Project Overview Seminars
Following discussions with a customer, and as a teaser for our Yocto Project and OpenEmbedded course, we are now offering a 1-day overview seminar on this topic. The main goal is to give you a clear view of the Yocto Project and the value it can bring to your embedded Linux device projects. You will…