lcdproc is a nice client\server software to control your serial\usb lcd. there are also lot of different clients compatible with lcdproc daemon. here my makefile:

#
# Copyright (C) 2006 OpenWrt.org
#
# This is free software, licensed under the GNU General Public License v2.
# See /LICENSE for more information.
#
# $Id: Makefile 5624 2006-11-23 00:29:07Z nbd $

include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk

PKG_NAME:=lcdproc
PKG_VERSION:=0.5.2
PKG_RELEASE:=1

PKG_SOURCE:=$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION).tar.gz
PKG_SOURCE_URL:=@SF/lcdproc
PKG_CAT:=zcat

PKG_BUILD_DIR:=$(BUILD_DIR)/$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION)
PKG_INSTALL_DIR:=$(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/ipkg-install

include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/package.mk

define Package/lcdproc
  SECTION:=net
  CATEGORY:=Network
  MENU:=1
  TITLE:=LCD display driver daemon
  DESCRIPTION:=\
        This is a server suite including drivers for all kinds of nifty \\\
        LCD displays. The server supports several serial devices: Matrix \\\
        Orbital, Crystal Fontz, Bayrad, LB216, LCDM001 (kernelconcepts.de), \\\
       Wirz-SLI and PIC-an-LCD; and some devices connected to the LPT port: \\\
        HD44780, STV5730, T6963, SED1520 and SED1330. As of 0.4.4 some USB \\\
        displays are also supported by the drivers CFonz633, CwLnx, and USBLCD. \\\
        Various clients are available that display things like CPU load, system \\\
        load, memory usage, uptime, and a lot more. Custom clients can be \\\
        written using the simple client-server protocol and provided example \\\
        code.
  URL:=http://www.lcdproc.org/
endef

define Package/lcdproc/conffiles
/etc/LCDd.conf
endef

define Build/Configure
        $(call Build/Configure/Default, \
        --enable-drivers=CFontz \
        --enable-libusb \
)
endef

define Build/Compile
        $(MAKE) -C $(PKG_BUILD_DIR) \
        DESTDIR="$(PKG_INSTALL_DIR)" \
        all install
endef

define BuildPlugin
  define Package/$(1)/install
        $(INSTALL_DIR) $$(1)/usr/lib/lcdproc/
        $(INSTALL_BIN) $(PKG_INSTALL_DIR)/usr/lib/lcdproc/$(2).so $$(1)/usr/lib/lcdproc/
  endef

  $$(eval $$(call BuildPackage,$(1)))
endef

define Package/lcdproc/install
        $(INSTALL_DIR) $(1)/usr/sbin/
        $(INSTALL_BIN) $(PKG_INSTALL_DIR)/usr/sbin/LCDd $(1)/usr/sbin/
        $(INSTALL_DIR) $(1)/etc
        $(INSTALL_CONF) $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/LCDd.conf $(1)/etc/
        $(INSTALL_DIR) $(1)/etc/init.d
        $(INSTALL_BIN)  $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/scripts/debian/lcdproc.init $(1)/etc/init.d/lcdproc
        $(INSTALL_DIR) $(1)/usr/lib/lcdproc/
        $(INSTALL_BIN) $(PKG_INSTALL_DIR)/usr/lib/lcdproc/CFontz.so $(1)/usr/lib/lcdproc/
        $(INSTALL_DIR) $(1)/usr/bin/
        $(INSTALL_BIN) $(PKG_INSTALL_DIR)/usr/bin/lcdproc $(1)/usr/bin/
        $(INSTALL_BIN) $(PKG_INSTALL_DIR)/usr/bin/fortune.pl $(1)/usr/bin/
        $(INSTALL_BIN) $(PKG_INSTALL_DIR)/usr/bin/iosock.pl $(1)/usr/bin/
        $(INSTALL_BIN) $(PKG_INSTALL_DIR)/usr/bin/lcdexec $(1)/usr/bin/
        $(INSTALL_BIN) $(PKG_INSTALL_DIR)/usr/bin/tail.pl $(1)/usr/bin/
        $(INSTALL_BIN) $(PKG_INSTALL_DIR)/usr/bin/lcdmetar.pl $(1)/usr/bin/
endef

$(eval $(call BuildPackage,lcdproc))

my lcd is from crystalfontz, to compile a different driver change 

define Build/Configure
        $(call Build/Configure/Default, \
        --enable-drivers=CFontz \
        --enable-libusb \
)
endef

and enable a different driver. the same easy step to adapt install definition