Development tool for footprint reduction

A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when accessed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform a method comprising:

• identifying a plurality of packages installed in a root the system of an embedded system, the plurality of packages comprising source code, executable and support files of an operating system and applications of the embedded system;
• upon booting the root the system, testing an operation of the embedded system, wherein testing the operation of the embedded system comprises identifying, during the testing of the embedded system, package components in the plurality of packages that were accessed in the root the system, and package components in the plurality of packages that were not accessed in the root the system;
• determining which of the identified package components that were not accessed during the testing of the embedded system are not needed for the operation of the embedded system, the identified package components comprising source code, executable files and support files that are not needed for the operation of the embedded system, wherein determining which of the identified package components that were not accessed during the testing of the embedded system are not needed for the operation of the embedded system comprises consulting a knowledge database, which comprises a listing of package components that are needed for the operation of the embedded system, to determine which of the identified package components that were not accessed during the testing of the embedded system have no matching data in the listing within knowledge data base;
• and
• reducing, by the processing device, a memory footprint of the embedded system by removing the package components that were identified as not accessed during the testing and not having matching data in the listing within the knowledge data base.

An embedded system comprising:

• a processor;
• a root the system, coupled to the processor, the root the system having a plurality of packages installed therein, the plurality of packages comprising source code, executable files and support files of an operating system and applications of the embedded system, wherein the processor is to:
• test, upon booting the root the system, an operation of the embedded system to reduce a memory footprint of the embedded system, to identify, during the testing of the embedded system, package components in the plurality of packages that were accessed in the root file system, and package components in the plurality of packages that were not accessed in the root file system;
• determine which of the identified package components that were not accessed during the testing of the embedded system are not needed for the operation of the embedded system, the identified package components comprising source code, executable files and support files that are not needed for the operation of the embedded system, wherein determining which of the identified package components that were not accessed during the testing of the embedded system are not needed for the operation of the embedded system comprises consulting a knowledge database, which comprises a listing of package components that are needed for the operation of the embedded system, to determine which of the identified package components that were not accessed during the testing of the embedded system have no matching data in the listing within the knowledge data base;
• and
• reduce a memory footprint of the embedded system by removing the package components that were identified as not accessed during the testing and not having matching data in the listing within the knowledge data base.