diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e69de29bb2d1
diff --git a/BUILD.gn b/BUILD.gn
index 133f8e43f98e..3c906d1b2a9e 100644
--- a/BUILD.gn
+++ b/BUILD.gn
@@ -2,7 +2,11 @@
 # for details. All rights reserved. Use of this source code is governed by a
 # BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
-import("build/config/gclient_args.gni")
+targeting_packaging = target_os == "linux_packaged"
+
+if (!targeting_packaging) {
+  import("build/config/gclient_args.gni")
+}
 import("sdk_args.gni")
 
 targeting_fuchsia = target_os == "fuchsia"
@@ -44,19 +48,30 @@ group("runtime") {
     # Fuchsia has run_vm_tests marked testonly.
     testonly = true
   }
-
-  deps = [
-    "runtime/bin:dart",
-    "runtime/bin:ffi_test_dynamic_library",
-    "runtime/bin:ffi_test_functions",
-    "runtime/bin:process_test",
-    "runtime/bin:run_vm_tests",
-    "runtime/vm:kernel_platform_files($host_toolchain)",
-    "samples/embedder:all",
-    "samples/ffi/http:fake_http",
-    "utils/dartdev:dartdev",
-    "utils/kernel-service:kernel-service",
-  ]
+  if (!targeting_packaging) {
+    deps = [
+      "runtime/bin:dart",
+      "runtime/bin:ffi_test_dynamic_library",
+      "runtime/bin:ffi_test_functions",
+      "runtime/bin:process_test",
+      "runtime/bin:run_vm_tests",
+      "runtime/vm:kernel_platform_files($host_toolchain)",
+      "samples/embedder:all",
+      "samples/ffi/http:fake_http",
+      "utils/dartdev:dartdev",
+      "utils/kernel-service:kernel-service",
+    ]
+  }
+  if (targeting_packaging) {
+    deps = [
+      "runtime/bin:dart",
+      "runtime/vm:kernel_platform_files($host_toolchain)",
+      "samples/embedder:all",
+      "samples/ffi/http:fake_http",
+      "utils/dartdev:dartdev",
+      "utils/kernel-service:kernel-service",
+    ]
+  }
 
   # The following dependencies allow dartdev to start the resident frontend
   # server.
@@ -386,82 +401,84 @@ if (is_fuchsia) {
 
   test_deps = []
   test_resources = []
-  foreach(test_source, test_sources) {
-    label = string_replace(test_source, "/", "_")
-
-    application_snapshot(label) {
-      dart_snapshot_kind = "kernel"
-      main_dart = test_source
-      training_args = []  # Not used
-      output = "$target_gen_dir/$test_source.dill"
+  if (!targeting_packaging) {
+    foreach(test_source, test_sources) {
+      label = string_replace(test_source, "/", "_")
+
+      application_snapshot(label) {
+        dart_snapshot_kind = "kernel"
+        main_dart = test_source
+        training_args = []  # Not used
+        output = "$target_gen_dir/$test_source.dill"
+      }
+
+      test_deps += [ ":$label" ]
+      test_resources += [
+        {
+          path = rebase_path("$target_gen_dir/$test_source.dill")
+          dest = "data/$test_source"
+        },
+      ]
     }
 
-    test_deps += [ ":$label" ]
-    test_resources += [
-      {
-        path = rebase_path("$target_gen_dir/$test_source.dill")
-        dest = "data/$test_source"
-      },
+    test_binaries = [
+      "dart",
+      "dartaotruntime",
+      "run_vm_tests",
     ]
-  }
 
-  test_binaries = [
-    "dart",
-    "dartaotruntime",
-    "run_vm_tests",
-  ]
-
-  foreach(binary, test_binaries) {
-    fuchsia_component("${binary}_test_component") {
-      testonly = true
-      manifest = "runtime/bin/${binary}_test_component.cml"
-      data_deps = [
-        "runtime/bin:${binary}",
-        "runtime/bin:ffi_test_dynamic_library",
-        "runtime/bin:ffi_test_functions",
-      ]
-      library_files = [
-        "libffi_test_dynamic_library.so",
-        "libffi_test_functions.so",
-      ]
-      resource_files = [
-        ".dart_tool/package_config.json",
-        "tools/addlatexhash.dart",
-      ]
-      resources = []
-      foreach(file, library_files) {
-        resources += [
-          {
-            path = root_out_dir + "/" + file
-            dest = "lib/" + file
-          },
+    foreach(binary, test_binaries) {
+      fuchsia_component("${binary}_test_component") {
+        testonly = true
+        manifest = "runtime/bin/${binary}_test_component.cml"
+        data_deps = [
+          "runtime/bin:${binary}",
+          "runtime/bin:ffi_test_dynamic_library",
+          "runtime/bin:ffi_test_functions",
         ]
-      }
-      foreach(file, resource_files) {
-        resources += [
-          {
-            path = file
-            dest = "data/" + file
-          },
+        library_files = [
+          "libffi_test_dynamic_library.so",
+          "libffi_test_functions.so",
+        ]
+        resource_files = [
+          ".dart_tool/package_config.json",
+          "tools/addlatexhash.dart",
         ]
+        resources = []
+        foreach(file, library_files) {
+          resources += [
+            {
+              path = root_out_dir + "/" + file
+              dest = "lib/" + file
+            },
+          ]
+        }
+        foreach(file, resource_files) {
+          resources += [
+            {
+              path = file
+              dest = "data/" + file
+            },
+          ]
+        }
+        deps = test_deps
+        resources += test_resources
       }
-      deps = test_deps
-      resources += test_resources
     }
-  }
 
-  fuchsia_package("fuchsia_test_package") {
-    testonly = true
-    if (is_debug) {
-      package_name = "dart_test_debug"
-    } else if (is_release) {
-      package_name = "dart_test_release"
-    } else if (is_product) {
-      package_name = "dart_test_product"
-    }
-    deps = []
-    foreach(binary, test_binaries) {
-      deps += [ ":${binary}_test_component" ]
+    fuchsia_package("fuchsia_test_package") {
+      testonly = true
+      if (is_debug) {
+        package_name = "dart_test_debug"
+      } else if (is_release) {
+        package_name = "dart_test_release"
+      } else if (is_product) {
+        package_name = "dart_test_product"
+      }
+      deps = []
+      foreach(binary, test_binaries) {
+        deps += [ ":${binary}_test_component" ]
+      }
     }
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tools/build.py b/tools/build.py
index c6bab348bd6f..d248645e4e7f 100755
--- a/tools/build.py
+++ b/tools/build.py
@@ -165,7 +165,10 @@ def BuildOneConfig(options, targets, target_os, mode, arch, sanitizer, env):
     build_config = utils.GetBuildConf(mode, arch, target_os, sanitizer)
     out_dir = utils.GetBuildRoot(HOST_OS, mode, arch, target_os, sanitizer)
     using_rbe = False
-    command = ['buildtools/ninja/ninja', '-C', out_dir]
+    if os.path.isfile('buildtools/ninja/ninja'):
+        command = ['buildtools/ninja/ninja', '-C', out_dir]
+    elif os.path.isfile(os.path.join('/usr', 'bin', 'ninja')):
+        command = [os.path.join('/usr', 'bin', 'ninja'), '-C', out_dir]
     if options.verbose:
         command += ['-v']
     if UseRBE(out_dir):
@@ -213,7 +216,16 @@ def CheckCleanBuild(build_config, args, env):
 
 
 def SanitizerEnvironmentVariables():
-    with io.open('tools/bots/test_matrix.json', encoding='utf-8') as fd:
+    if os.path.isfile('tools/bots/test_matrix.json'):
+        _test_matrix_path = 'tools/bots/test_matrix.json'
+    else:
+        if os.path.isfile(os.path.join(DART_ROOT, 'tools/bots/test_matrix.json')):
+            _test_matrix_path = os.path.join(DART_ROOT, 'tools/bots/test_matrix.json')
+        else:
+            _test_matrix_path = os.path.join(
+                os.path.join(os.getcwd(), 'tools/bots/test_matrix.json')
+            )
+    with io.open(_test_matrix_path, encoding='utf-8') as fd:
         config = json.loads(fd.read())
         env = dict()
         for k, v in config['sanitizer_options'].items():
diff --git a/tools/gn.py b/tools/gn.py
index 905c82baec2d..4bb0e3b56871 100755
--- a/tools/gn.py
+++ b/tools/gn.py
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ def ParseStringMap(key, string_map):
 
 def UseSysroot(args, gn_args):
     # Don't try to use a Linux sysroot if we aren't on Linux.
-    if gn_args['target_os'] != 'linux' and HOST_OS != 'linux':
+    if gn_args['target_os'] != 'linux' and HOST_OS != 'linux' or gn_args['target_os'] != 'linux_packaged' and HOST_OS != 'linux':
         return False
     # Don't use the sysroot if we're given another sysroot.
     if TargetSysroot(args):
@@ -225,9 +225,11 @@ def ToGnArgs(args, mode, arch, target_os, sanitizer, verify_sdk_hash,
     # We only want the fallback root certs in the standalone VM on
     # Linux and Windows.
     if gn_args['target_os'] in ['linux', 'win']:
+        # This condition also covers the case of 'linux_packaged', which is a special case to cater for 
+        # the needs of Linux distributions, which do not accept packages with prebuilt binary contents
         gn_args['dart_use_fallback_root_certificates'] = True
 
-    if gn_args['target_os'] == 'linux':
+    if gn_args['target_os'] == 'linux' or gn_args['target_os'] == 'linux_packaged':
         if gn_args['target_cpu'] == 'arm':
             # Default to -mfloat-abi=hard and -mfpu=neon for arm on Linux as we're
             # specifying a gnueabihf compiler in //build/toolchain/linux/BUILD.gn.
@@ -354,7 +356,7 @@ def ProcessOptions(args):
     for os_name in oses:
         if not os_name in [
                 'android', 'freebsd', 'linux', 'macos', 'win32', 'fuchsia',
-                'ios', 'ios_simulator'
+                'ios', 'ios_simulator', 'linux_packaged'
         ]:
             print("Unknown os %s" % os_name)
             return False
@@ -561,7 +563,7 @@ def AddCommonConfigurationArgs(parser):
     parser.add_argument('--os',
                         type=str,
                         help='Target OSs (comma-separated).',
-                        metavar='[all,host,android,fuchsia,ios,ios_simulator]',
+                        metavar='[all,host,android,fuchsia,ios,ios_simulator,linux_packaged]',
                         default='host')
     parser.add_argument('--sanitizer',
                         type=str,
@@ -635,7 +637,12 @@ def BuildGnCommand(args, mode, arch, target_os, sanitizer, out_dir):
     if utils.IsWindows():
         gn = os.path.join(DART_ROOT, 'buildtools', 'win', 'gn.exe')
     else:
-        gn = os.path.join(DART_ROOT, 'buildtools', 'gn')
+        _gn = os.path.join(DART_ROOT, 'buildtools', 'gn')
+        if os.path.isfile(_gn):
+            gn = os.path.join(DART_ROOT, 'buildtools', 'gn')
+        else:
+            gn = os.path.join('/usr', 'bin', 'gn')
+        del _gn
     if not os.path.isfile(gn):
         raise Exception("Couldn't find the gn binary at path: " + gn)