buildroot/docs/manual/introduction.txt

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About Buildroot
===============

Buildroot is a tool that simplifies and automates the process of
building a complete Linux system for an embedded system, using
cross-compilation.

In order to achieve this, Buildroot is able to generate a
cross-compilation toolchain, a root filesystem, a Linux kernel image
and a bootloader for your target. Buildroot can be used for any
combination of these options, independently (you can for example use
an existing cross-compilation toolchain, and build only your root
filesystem with Buildroot).

Buildroot is useful mainly for people working with embedded systems.
Embedded systems often use processors that are not the regular x86
processors everyone is used to having in his PC. They can be PowerPC
processors, MIPS processors, ARM processors, etc.

Buildroot supports numerous processors and their variants; it also
comes with default configurations for several boards available
off-the-shelf. Besides this, a number of third-party projects are based on,
or develop their BSP footnote:[BSP: Board Support Package] or
SDK footnote:[SDK: Software Development Kit] on top of Buildroot.