Here is what I am trying to do

[Pentium_SBC]

I am experimenting around with a Classic pentium 66 Mhz machine. I want to turn this into an Embedded machine with several serial ports maybe a hdd no VGA or moniter.
My question is, after I have finished the configuration and a build of the source tree, and the compile is done, will I just have the compressed Linux executable as one file, or Many different files as well? I was reading where with 5 files I could have a floppy disk that would be bootable. I am wanting to take my newly built kernel and put it on a floppy and see if it would just boot to a prompt. Is this possible? Any other details that I would be missing?

[GNU-Fan]

You can build a monolitic kernel by including all necessary drivers as static, not as modules.

You will need at least two parts. The kernel itself and a bootloader. You can't load Linux directly as the BIOS only reads and executes only the first block of the floppy, which is 512 byte in size.

I am wanting to take my newly built kernel and put it on a floppy and see if it would just boot to a prompt. Is this possible?

Yes. You would need an additional program which does something. After being initialized, the kernel wants to start one application, the init process. Even if it justs prints out "hello world". Otherwise, the system freezes.
Good test programs are sash (the standalone shell) or busybox. They have every dependency compiled in, so they can do some useful stuff like accepting keyboard input, listing the directory,... already without needing any runtime library.

[Pentium_SBC]

You can build a monolitic kernel by including all necessary drivers as static, not as modules.

You will need at least two parts. The kernel itself and a bootloader. You can't load Linux directly as the BIOS only reads and executes only the first block of the floppy, which is 512 byte in size.



Yes. You would need an additional program which does something. After being initialized, the kernel wants to start one application, the init process. Even if it justs prints out "hello world". Otherwise, the system freezes.
Good test programs are sash (the standalone shell) or busybox. They have every dependency compiled in, so they can do some useful stuff like accepting keyboard input, listing the directory,... already without needing any runtime library.

So I will need a Bootloader like Lilo or Grub, then, I will need The kernel itself, Sash, then bussy box?? Would all this fit on a floppy? I guess I could make a CD bootable as well.

So with the Kernel loaded just by its self the system will just crash?? Why?

[GNU-Fan]

So I will need a Bootloader like Lilo or Grub, then, I will need The kernel itself, Sash, then bussy box?? Would all this fit on a floppy? I guess I could make a CD bootable as well.

You will be surprised what fits on a single floppy disk.
tomsrtbt home page

So with the Kernel loaded just by its self the system will just crash?? Why?

It won't crash, it will hang. Linux is written so that it starts one program after start. Usually this is the "init" process, that starts all other programs. But it can be any application. If Linux doesn't start a program, what would it have to do except sleeping forever? There would be nothing to compute and nobody could tell the system what do to. All the input from the keyboard to the characters on the screen which start another application when you hit enter is the task of a shell interpreter, which is completely independent from Linux.

[Pentium_SBC]

Oh WOW!! I really am learning alot here...
So have GRUB that Loads the Kernel into Memory then the Kernel then starts this init process which then starts some sort of program that is able to take key strokes from the serial port and echo my key strokes and display the '#' prompt. this is called Sash? Does this busy box have this serial port function? Or do I need both the Sash and the Busy box.

I guess to make thing REALLY simple I can start off with GRUB, then the kernel, Sash. Then if I am able to type Charecters and see them Echo I would have accomplished a mile stone.

Well let me ask this if I may, What about the root files system? How does that play in all this because the Kernel can not run without a file system right? Who and how does that get working?

[HROAdmin26]

There is plenty of reading out there, such as Linux From Scratch