Time and Space: Optimizing Boot up and Footprint in Linux-Based CE Devices

This paper describes the challenges faced in developing Linux in CE applications, specifically those related to accelerating boot time and reducing memory footprint. It enumerates the components of each: the steps in the boot sequence and the storage and run-time needs of the Linux kernel and applications. Moroever, it provides paths to achieve rapid device boot-up and to fit advanced CE device applications into available Flash and RAM memory. In particular, the paper details the initialization phases of the Linux kernal, memory management, drive, file system and applictions, highlights the size impact of Linux file systems, and examines trade offs in execution time and storage space.