Fast Boot User Experience Using Adaptive Storage Partitioning

The paper attempts to identify the deterrents the deterrents for fast boot experience in embedded Linux-based systems and proposes a new idea with new results for better user experience during system boot up. The novel software partitioning scheme in combination with an adaptive mounting order is proposed in this paper is a self adaptive mechanism applicable to embedded infotainment devices in general. A new breed of home entertainment and low end computing devices with local processing power like Set Top Box (STB) with PC like features, Thin-clients, Telemedicine client, and others are in vogue with growing sizes of external flash storage devices. It is always observed that a considerable amount of time is contributed to mount the external flash storage device, within the total time required from boot up to first user application. Measurement shows that the adaptive mounting order improves the initial user experience by 25% in an 80 MB NAND Flash (50% improvement in mount time), which will theoretically scale up for an application software with larger footprint.