Messages in this thread | | | Subject | Re: Shrinking kernel | Date | Tue, 04 Nov 1997 17:48:31 -0300 | From | Horst von Brand <> |
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"B. James Phillippe" <bryan@Terran.ORG> said: > I'm faced with the task of reducing the size of a > minimally-configured linux-2.0 kernel. [...]
Use the ROMFS for a filesystem (should be good for some 20Kb above the alternatives). Pull the virtual console support out (or use just one VT).
Check what you are running in userland; perhaps change to a leaner shell (like ash) or just launch a statically compiled program as init that does everything you need directly via fork()/exec()ing the relevant programs. In the programs themselves get rid of stuff like internationalization, help and error messages, ... I'd guess the userland fat is far larger than what you can gain out of the kernel. And more portable to remove, too: The kernel is lean as they come; the userland stuff is configured for flexibility, not minimal size.
Have fun! -- Dr. Horst H. von Brand mailto:vonbrand@inf.utfsm.cl Departamento de Informatica Fono: +56 32 654431 Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria +56 32 654239 Casilla 110-V, Valparaiso, Chile Fax: +56 32 797513
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