How to make your own Operating System

Don’t build your own Operating System

I didn't really build an entire operating system

• WE built an operating system
  • multi-discipline team
    • Hardware
    • Software
    • Business

Ninja Sphere

• Variscite SOM
  • AM35xx SOC
  • WiLink8
  • 256/512MB RAM & 128MB flash

Custom Base board

• Zigbee Mesh
• GestIC
• 16 x 16 RGB led matrix
• ATmega328

OS Components

• Bootloader
• Kernel
• Userland

u-boot

Linux Kernel

Userland

• Yocto Project 2014..
• Ubuntu 14.04

Recovery

Yocto

• Small footprint, ~60MB
• Solid Distribution
• Like "gentoo" stage1 install
• Not very developer friendly
• Security updates are your problem

Ubuntu

• Everyone is familiar with apt
• Massive number of packages
• Security Updates, even for ARM!
• Tons of resources
• Upstart, Systemd (coming soon)

Pipelines

• Automation using buildkite
  • builds
  • packaging
• 1000s of deb packages

DRY Packaging

• built a wrapper for FPM
• convention over configuration
• bash
• s3cmd
• aptly

Developers

Lessons Learnt

• apt-get update.....
• snappy?
• SD cards are the devil
• Wireless is hell
• Bluetooth > hell

The End