I'm revisiting the Harting MICA Complete IIoT Starter Kit. A new Debian 10 Buster container is available. I'm discussing the minimal steps to get it running as a Linux service with remote C++ debugging.

Get Debian Buster Running

The image is available form the Harting Mica container repository. It's a full debian, lightweight.

I want to use it in a C++ scenarrio. It has to be able to run my C++ executables and if possible, allows me to debug them from my Windows computer.

Although the Debian distro does not come with a compiler, it can execute GCC-made Linux executables compiled for Arm architecture.

So by default the only thing you need is a mechanism to get your executables on the system.

There are two easy options. One is using an sd card.

You can then move your binaries, set the executable flag, and you're done.

Turn it into a Debugable Environment, and other user tricks

Change the password. Even better, also create a new non-root user. Install sudo.

Provide a secure way to uploade your developments via scp: install an ssh server and use (win)scp to deploy the files.

This is as easy as running:

apt update
apt-get install openssh-server

Put your public key in the ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file and allow Putty, WinSCP and Eclipse to connect, upload, debug without password.

Install gdbserver so that you can use Eclipse on your Windows PC to build, upload and remotely debug your application.

apt install gdbserver

A 20 minute activity to turn the Debian Buster container into a lean environment, where you can develop and debug with IDE support and native Linux, with little load on the Mica..

Later you can uninstall the gdbserver and ssh server.