embedded-linux.co.uk The Inner Penguin

When it comes to choosing a file system for flash memory JFFS2 is top of the list for most projects. It is robust and works with most flash chips using NOR or NAND technologies. The problem is that JFFS2 partitions can be slow to mount and as flash memory sizes increase, so does the issue of the tine to mount.

There is a solution: "erase block summary" or EBS. It has been in Linux kernels since 2.6.15.

Most people working with embedded Linux are using Eclipse as the IDE, but not always taking full advantage of it. In this article I will look at one handy plug-in: the Remote System Explorer or RSE. RSE gives you three things: it allows you to explore the files on the target board, meaning that you can copy files over using drag and drop and, the killer app for me, you can edit a file on the target just by double clicking on it. The second feature is a remote shell so that you can run a terminal window in Eclipse - a marginal benefit in my opinion.