Embedded Linux development services

What does embedded Linux development cover?

We take on the complete Linux stack of your device – or exactly the part where it’s stuck.

From the first bring-up of new hardware to a maintainable distribution, we cover the whole chain:

• Board bring-up & device trees – from first power-on to a stable, reproducible image: configuring U-Boot or your bootloader, adapting the device tree (DTS/DTB) and getting your board’s peripherals running reliably.
• Kernel & drivers – kernel configuration, driver adaptation and porting, and connecting SPI, I2C, CAN, GPIO and other low-level interfaces.
• Boot-time optimization – fast, predictable cold boot through targeted tuning of bootloader, init system (systemd or BusyBox) and device tree.
• Root filesystem & distribution – a lean, maintainable image built with the Yocto Project or Buildroot, cleanly separated into custom layers and BitBake recipes.

Whether you need a one-off bring-up for a new board or want to hand over ongoing responsibility for your Linux platform, we step in where your team needs relief and work with your existing toolchains, SDKs and cross-compilation setups.

Why is embedded Linux in production harder than it looks?

Getting a board to boot is the beginning – the real effort lies in reproducibility, security and maintainability over years.

An image that only builds on one person’s machine is not a product. We rely on reproducible CI builds, so every software state stays traceable and can be rebuilt identically – even long after the device has shipped. Over the product lifetime that means kernel LTS maintenance and CVE patching, controlled updates of toolchain and dependencies, and clean layer separation instead of an overgrown vendor BSP that nobody wants to touch after a while. This is exactly where a durable system parts ways with one that is considered “done” after the first successful boot – and turns into a security hole and a maintenance nightmare two years later. That long-term perspective is why an experienced partner pays off over the cheapest one-off solution.

How do you handle updates, security and long-term maintainability?

We build a robust update and security path in from the start, so your device stays securely updatable even after years in the field.

For OTA updates we rely on fail-safe A/B partitioning: if an update fails, the device automatically rolls back to the previously working version. Depending on requirements, established frameworks such as RAUC, SWUpdate or Mender are options. This goes together with secure boot using signed images and an end-to-end chain of trust, a read-only root filesystem for greater resilience, and a documented maintenance and patch process that makes security updates plannable. That way your product stays maintainable not only at launch but across its entire lifecycle – and ready for rising regulatory security requirements such as those introduced by the Cyber Resilience Act.

Which platforms, boards and frameworks?

We work largely hardware-independent on common ARM SoCs and system-on-modules.

Linux and Yocto support the common ARM and x86 SoCs and system-on-modules on the market – for example platforms from NXP i.MX, TI, ST, Toradex, PHYTEC or Raspberry Pi. For your specific board we clarify feasibility and effort up front. As build systems we use the Yocto Project or Buildroot, depending on the complexity and maintenance horizon of your product. If your application needs hard real-time, a PREEMPT_RT kernel is an option. And if your device needs a graphical interface, we bridge to Qt and QML development: Qt runs on Embedded Linux directly on EGLFS or under a Wayland/Weston compositor, including Qt5→Qt6 migration. HMI and the Linux platform beneath it come from a single team.

How does an engagement work?

Flexibly – from a one-off bring-up job to long-term stewardship of your Linux platform.

Depending on your needs we work as a dedicated project team, reinforce your own staff through team augmentation, or support you selectively with technical consulting, architecture and code reviews. We work remote-first and on-site when needed – from Lörrach, including the DE-CH-FR tri-border region. Knowledge transfer to your team is part of the deal: in the end you should be able to develop your platform further on your own, not depend on us indefinitely. You’ll find concrete reference projects in our portfolio.