  Embedded Linux processors are increasingly used for real-time computing tasks
such as robotics and Internet of Things (IoT). These applications require
robust and reproducible behavior from the host OS, commonly achieved through
immutable firmware stored in read-only memory. SkiffOS addresses these
requirements with a minimal cross-compiled GNU/Linux system optimized for
hosting containerized distributions and applications, and a configuration
layering system for the Buildroot embedded cross-compiler tool which
automatically re-targets system configurations to any platform or device. This
approach cleanly separates the hardware support from the applications. The host
system and containers are independently upgraded and backed-up over-the-air
(OTA).
