The cross development environment distribution has the following dependencies on Linux-host software components:

• The U-Boot, busybox and Linux kernel build systems require that certain host packages be installed on the development host to function correctly. These packages are: make, gcc, perl and some others. Please refer to linux/Documentation/Changes for a list of host tools required to build the Linux kernel. The same set of tools is required for the UBoot and busybox build.
• The Linux Cortex-M GNU debugger (tools/bin/arm-uclinuxeabi-gdb) and the configuration scripts require that the following dynamically-linked libraries to be installed on the host:
  • libncurses.so.5 and libtinfo.so.5 (the ncurses-libs package);
  • libexpat.so.1 (the expat package).
• The CodeSourcery cross-build tools. Please refer to the toolchain README at http://www.codesourcery.com/sgpp/lite/arm/portal/doc7632/getting-started.pdf.
• The tools/mkimage utility. It is expected that the utility will work as is on most of today's Linux distributions. If it fails to run on a certain host, you can build it for your specific Linux host from the sources included in the Linux Cortex-M distribution by running make tools from the top of the U-Boot tree.
• To build the run-time projects included to the distribution, you need to install the following host packages:
  • NFS server;
  • TFTP server;
  • Terminal emulator (picocom, minicom, kermit or PuTTY).

If your target board uses USB for the serial console connection you might need to install the FTDI USB-UART driver from http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm for your host.