1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620
621
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656
657
658
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667
668
669
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679
680
681
682
683
684
685
686
687
688
689
690
691
692
693
694
695
696
697
698
699
700
701
702
703
704
705
706
707
708
709
710
711
712
713
714
715
716
717
718
719
720
721
722
723
724
725
726
727
728
729
730
731
732
733
734
735
736
737
738
739
740
741
742
743
744
745
746
747
748
749
750
751
752
753
754
755
756
757
758
759
760
761
762
763
764
765
766
767
768
769
770
771
772
773
774
775
776
777
778
779
780
781
782
783
784
785
786
787
788
789
790
791
792
793
794
795
796
797
798
799
800
801
802
803
804
805
806
807
808
809
810
811
812
813
814
815
816
817
818
819
820
821
822
823
824
825
826
827
828
829
830
831
832
833
834
835
836
837
838
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846
847
848
849
850
851
852
853
854
855
856
857
858
859
860
861
862
863
864
865
866
867
868
869
870
871
872
873
874
875
876
877
878
879
880
881
882
883
884
885
886
887
888
889
890
891
892
893
894
895
896
897
898
899
900
901
902
903
904
905
906
907
908
909
910
911
912
913
914
915
916
917
918
919
920
921
922
923
924
925
926
927
928
929
930
931
932
933
934
935
936
937
938
939
940
941
942
943
944
945
946
947
948
949
950
951
952
953
954
955
956
957
958
959
960
961
962
963
964
965
966
967
968
969
970
971
972
973
974
975
976
977
978
979
980
981
982
983
984
985
986
987
988
989
990
991
992
993
994
995
996
997
998
999
1000
1001
1002
1003
1004
1005
1006
1007
1008
1009
1010
1011
1012
1013
1014
1015
1016
1017
1018
1019
1020
1021
1022
1023
1024
1025
1026
1027
1028
1029
1030
1031
1032
1033
1034
1035
1036
1037
1038
1039
1040
1041
1042
1043
1044
1045
1046
1047
1048
1049
1050
1051
1052
1053
1054
1055
1056
1057
1058
1059
1060
1061
1062
1063
1064
1065
1066
1067
1068
1069
1070
1071
1072
1073
1074
1075
1076
1077
1078
1079
1080
1081
1082
1083
1084
1085
1086
1087
1088
1089
1090
1091
1092
1093
1094
1095
1096
1097
1098
1099
1100
1101
1102
1103
1104
1105
1106
1107
1108
1109
1110
1111
1112
1113
1114
1115
1116
1117
1118
1119
1120
1121
1122
1123
1124
1125
1126
1127
1128
1129
1130
1131
1132
1133
1134
1135
1136
1137
1138
1139
1140
1141
1142
1143
1144
1145
1146
1147
1148
1149
1150
1151
1152
1153
1154
1155
1156
1157
1158
1159
1160
1161
1162
1163
1164
1165
1166
1167
1168
1169
1170
1171
1172
1173
1174
1175
1176
1177
1178
1179
1180
1181
1182
1183
1184
1185
1186
1187
1188
1189
1190
1191
1192
1193
1194
1195
1196
1197
1198
1199
1200
1201
1202
1203
1204
1205
1206
1207
1208
1209
1210
1211
1212
1213
1214
1215
1216
1217
1218
1219
1220
1221
1222
1223
1224
1225
1226
1227
1228
1229
1230
1231
1232
1233
1234
1235
1236
1237
1238
1239
1240
1241
1242
1243
1244
1245
1246
1247
1248
1249
1250
1251
1252
1253
1254
1255
1256
1257
1258
1259
1260
1261
1262
1263
1264
1265
1266
1267
1268
1269
1270
1271
1272
1273
1274
1275
1276
1277
1278
1279
1280
1281
1282
1283
1284
1285
1286
1287
1288
1289
1290
1291
1292
1293
1294
1295
1296
1297
1298
1299
1300
1301
1302
1303
1304
1305
1306
1307
1308
1309
1310
1311
1312
1313
1314
1315
1316
1317
1318
1319
1320
1321
1322
1323
1324
1325
1326
1327
1328
1329
1330
1331
1332
1333
1334
1335
1336
1337
1338
1339
1340
1341
1342
1343
1344
1345
1346
1347
1348
1349
1350
1351
1352
1353
1354
1355
1356
1357
1358
1359
1360
1361
1362
1363
1364
1365
1366
1367
1368
1369
1370
1371
1372
1373
1374
1375
1376
1377
1378
1379
1380
1381
1382
1383
1384
1385
1386
1387
1388
1389
1390
1391
1392
1393
1394
1395
1396
1397
1398
1399
1400
1401
1402
1403
1404
1405
1406
1407
1408
1409
1410
1411
1412
1413
1414
1415
1416
1417
1418
1419
1420
1421
1422
1423
1424
1425
1426
1427
1428
1429
1430
1431
1432
1433
1434
1435
1436
1437
1438
1439
1440
1441
1442
1443
1444
1445
1446
1447
1448
1449
1450
1451
1452
1453
1454
1455
1456
1457
1458
1459
1460
1461
1462
1463
1464
1465
1466
1467
1468
1469
1470
1471
1472
1473
1474
1475
1476
1477
1478
1479
1480
1481
1482
1483
1484
1485
1486
1487
1488
1489
1490
1491
1492
1493
1494
1495
1496
1497
1498
1499
1500
1501
1502
1503
1504
1505
1506
1507
1508
1509
1510
1511
1512
1513
1514
1515
1516
1517
1518
1519
1520
1521
1522
1523
1524
1525
1526
1527
1528
1529
1530
1531
1532
1533
1534
1535
1536
1537
1538
1539
1540
1541
1542
1543
1544
1545
1546
1547
1548
1549
1550
1551
1552
1553
1554
1555
1556
1557
1558
1559
1560
1561
1562
1563
1564
1565
1566
1567
1568
1569
1570
1571
1572
1573
1574
1575
1576
1577
1578
1579
1580
1581
1582
1583
1584
1585
1586
1587
1588
1589
1590
1591
1592
1593
1594
1595
1596
1597
1598
1599
1600
1601
1602
1603
1604
1605
1606
1607
1608
1609
1610
1611
1612
1613
1614
1615
1616
1617
1618
1619
1620
1621
1622
1623
1624
1625
1626
1627
1628
1629
1630
1631
1632
1633
1634
1635
1636
1637
1638
1639
1640
1641
1642
1643
1644
1645
1646
1647
1648
1649
1650
1651
1652
1653
1654
1655
1656
1657
1658
1659
1660
1661
1662
1663
1664
1665
1666
1667
1668
1669
1670
1671
1672
1673
1674
1675
1676
1677
1678
1679
1680
1681
1682
1683
1684
1685
1686
1687
1688
1689
1690
1691
1692
1693
1694
1695
1696
1697
1698
1699
1700
1701
1702
1703
1704
1705
1706
1707
1708
1709
1710
1711
1712
1713
1714
1715
1716
1717
1718
1719
1720
1721
1722
1723
1724
1725
1726
1727
1728
1729
1730
1731
1732
1733
1734
1735
1736
1737
1738
1739
1740
1741
1742
1743
1744
1745
1746
1747
1748
1749
1750
1751
1752
1753
1754
1755
1756
1757
1758
1759
1760
1761
1762
1763
1764
1765
1766
1767
1768
1769
1770
1771
1772
1773
1774
1775
1776
1777
1778
1779
1780
1781
1782
1783
1784
1785
1786
1787
1788
1789
1790
1791
1792
1793
1794
1795
1796
1797
1798
1799
1800
1801
1802
1803
1804
1805
1806
1807
1808
1809
1810
1811
1812
1813
1814
1815
1816
1817
1818
1819
1820
1821
1822
1823
1824
1825
1826
1827
1828
1829
1830
1831
1832
|
<!DOCTYPE chapter PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.2//EN"
"http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.2/docbookx.dtd"
[<!ENTITY % poky SYSTEM "../poky.ent"> %poky; ] >
<chapter id='bsp'>
<title>Board Support Packages (BSP) - Developer's Guide</title>
<para>
A Board Support Package (BSP) is a collection of information that
defines how to support a particular hardware device, set of devices, or
hardware platform.
The BSP includes information about the hardware features
present on the device and kernel configuration information along with any
additional hardware drivers required.
The BSP also lists any additional software
components required in addition to a generic Linux software stack for both
essential and optional platform features.
</para>
<para>
This guide presents information about BSP Layers, defines a structure for components
so that BSPs follow a commonly understood layout, discusses how to customize
a recipe for a BSP, addresses BSP licensing, and provides information that
shows you how to create a
<link linkend='bsp-layers'>BSP Layer</link> using the
<link linkend='creating-a-new-bsp-layer-using-the-bitbake-layers-script'><filename>bitbake-layers</filename></link>
tool.
</para>
<section id='bsp-layers'>
<title>BSP Layers</title>
<para>
A BSP consists of a file structure inside a base directory.
Collectively, you can think of the base directory, its file structure,
and the contents as a BSP Layer.
Although not a strict requirement, BSP layers in the Yocto Project
use the following well-established naming convention:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>
</literallayout>
The string "meta-" is prepended to the machine or platform name, which is
<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable> in the above form.
<note><title>Tip</title>
Because the BSP layer naming convention is well-established,
it is advisable to follow it when creating layers.
Technically speaking, a BSP layer name does not need to
start with <filename>meta-</filename>.
However, various scripts and tools in the Yocto Project
development environment assume this convention.
</note>
</para>
<para>
To help understand the BSP layer concept, consider the BSPs that the
Yocto Project supports and provides with each release.
You can see the layers in the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_GS_URL;#yocto-project-repositories'>Yocto Project Source Repositories</ulink>
through a web interface at
<ulink url='&YOCTO_GIT_URL;/cgit/cgit.cgi'></ulink>.
If you go to that interface, you will find a list of repositories
under "Yocto Metadata Layers".
<note>
Layers that are no longer actively supported as part of the
Yocto Project appear under the heading "Yocto Metadata Layer
Archive."
</note>
Each repository is a BSP layer supported by the Yocto Project
(e.g. <filename>meta-raspberrypi</filename> and
<filename>meta-intel</filename>).
Each of these layers is a repository unto itself and clicking on a
layer reveals information that includes two links from which you can choose
to set up a clone of the layer's repository on your local host system.
Here is an example that clones the Raspberry Pi BSP layer:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
$ git clone git://git.yoctoproject.org/meta-raspberrypi
</literallayout>
</para>
<para>
In addition to BSP layers, the
<filename>meta-yocto-bsp</filename> layer is part of the
shipped <filename>poky</filename> repository.
The <filename>meta-yocto-bsp</filename> layer maintains several
BSPs such as the Beaglebone, EdgeRouter, and generic versions of
both 32-bit and 64-bit IA machines.
</para>
<para>
For information on the BSP development workflow, see the
"<link linkend='developing-a-board-support-package-bsp'>Developing a Board Support Package (BSP)</link>"
section.
For more information on how to set up a local copy of source files
from a Git repository, see the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#working-with-yocto-project-source-files'>Working With Yocto Project Source Files</ulink>"
section also in the Yocto Project Development Tasks Manual.
</para>
<para>
The layer's base directory
(<filename>meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable></filename>)
is the root of the BSP Layer.
This root is what you add to the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#var-BBLAYERS'><filename>BBLAYERS</filename></ulink>
variable in the <filename>conf/bblayers.conf</filename> file found in the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#build-directory'>Build Directory</ulink>,
which is established after you run the OpenEmbedded build environment
setup script (i.e.
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#structure-core-script'><filename>&OE_INIT_FILE;</filename></ulink>).
Adding the root allows the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#build-system-term'>OpenEmbedded build system</ulink>
to recognize the BSP layer and from it build an image.
Here is an example:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
BBLAYERS ?= " \
/usr/local/src/yocto/meta \
/usr/local/src/yocto/meta-poky \
/usr/local/src/yocto/meta-yocto-bsp \
/usr/local/src/yocto/meta-mylayer \
"
</literallayout>
</para>
<para>
Some BSPs require additional layers on
top of the BSP's root layer in order to be functional.
For these cases, you also need to add those layers to the
<filename>BBLAYERS</filename> variable in order to build the BSP.
You must also specify in the "Dependencies" section of the BSP's
<filename>README</filename> file any requirements for additional
layers and, preferably, any
build instructions that might be contained elsewhere
in the <filename>README</filename> file.
</para>
<para>
Some layers function as a layer to hold other BSP layers.
An example of this type of layer is the
<filename>meta-intel</filename> layer.
This layer contains BSP layers for the Intel-core2-32
<trademark class='registered'>Intel</trademark> Common Core
(Intel-core2-32) and the Intel-corei7-64
<trademark class='registered'>Intel</trademark> Common Core
(Intel-corei7-64).
the <filename>meta-intel</filename> layer also contains
the <filename>common/</filename> directory, which contains
common content across those layers.
</para>
<para>
For more information on layers, see the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#understanding-and-creating-layers'>Understanding and Creating Layers</ulink>"
section of the Yocto Project Development Tasks Manual.
</para>
</section>
<section id='preparing-your-build-host-to-work-with-bsp-layers'>
<title>Preparing Your Build Host to Work With BSP Layers</title>
<para>
This section describes how to get your build host ready
to work with BSP layers.
Once you have the host set up, you can create the layer
as described in the
"<link linkend='creating-a-new-bsp-layer-using-the-bitbake-layers-script'>Creating a new BSP Layer Using the <filename>bitbake-layers</filename> Script</link>"
section.
<note>
For structural information on BSPs, see the
<link linkend='bsp-filelayout'>Example Filesystem Layout</link>
section.
</note>
<orderedlist>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Set Up the Build Environment:</emphasis>
Be sure you are set up to use BitBake in a shell.
See the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#setting-up-the-development-host-to-use-the-yocto-project'>Setting Up the Development Host to Use the Yocto Project</ulink>"
section in the Yocto Project Development Tasks Manual for information
on how to get a build host ready that is either a native
Linux machine or a machine that uses CROPS.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Clone the <filename>poky</filename> Repository:</emphasis>
You need to have a local copy of the Yocto Project
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#source-directory'>Source Directory</ulink>
(i.e. a local <filename>poky</filename> repository).
See the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#cloning-the-poky-repository'>Cloning the <filename>poky</filename> Repository</ulink>"
and possibly the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#checking-out-by-branch-in-poky'>Checking Out by Branch in Poky</ulink>"
or
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#checkout-out-by-tag-in-poky'>Checking Out by Tag in Poky</ulink>"
sections all in the Yocto Project Development Tasks Manual for
information on how to clone the <filename>poky</filename>
repository and check out the appropriate branch for your work.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Determine the BSP Layer You Want:</emphasis>
The Yocto Project supports many BSPs, which are maintained in
their own layers or in layers designed to contain several
BSPs.
To get an idea of machine support through BSP layers, you can
look at the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_RELEASE_DL_URL;/machines'>index of machines</ulink>
for the release.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Optionally Clone the
<filename>meta-intel</filename> BSP Layer:</emphasis>
If your hardware is based on current Intel CPUs and devices,
you can leverage this BSP layer.
For details on the <filename>meta-intel</filename> BSP layer,
see the layer's
<ulink url='http://git.yoctoproject.org/cgit/cgit.cgi/meta-intel/tree/README'><filename>README</filename></ulink>
file.
<orderedlist>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Navigate to Your Source Directory:</emphasis>
Typically, you set up the
<filename>meta-intel</filename> Git repository
inside the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#source-directory'>Source Directory</ulink>
(e.g. <filename>poky</filename>).
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
$ cd /home/<replaceable>you</replaceable>/poky
</literallayout>
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Clone the Layer:</emphasis>
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
$ git clone git://git.yoctoproject.org/meta-intel.git
Cloning into 'meta-intel'...
remote: Counting objects: 15585, done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (5056/5056), done.
remote: Total 15585 (delta 9123), reused 15329 (delta 8867)
Receiving objects: 100% (15585/15585), 4.51 MiB | 3.19 MiB/s, done.
Resolving deltas: 100% (9123/9123), done.
Checking connectivity... done.
</literallayout>
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Check Out the Proper Branch:</emphasis>
The branch you check out for
<filename>meta-intel</filename> must match the same
branch you are using for the Yocto Project release
(e.g. &DISTRO_NAME_NO_CAP;):
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
$ cd meta-intel
$ git checkout -b &DISTRO_NAME_NO_CAP; remotes/origin/&DISTRO_NAME_NO_CAP;
Branch &DISTRO_NAME_NO_CAP; set up to track remote branch &DISTRO_NAME_NO_CAP; from origin.
Switched to a new branch '&DISTRO_NAME_NO_CAP;'
</literallayout>
<note>
To see the available branch names in a cloned repository,
use the <filename>git branch -al</filename> command.
See the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#checking-out-by-branch-in-poky'>Checking Out By Branch in Poky</ulink>"
section in the Yocto Project Development Tasks
Manual for more information.
</note>
</para></listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Optionally Set Up an Alternative BSP Layer:</emphasis>
If your hardware can be more closely leveraged to an
existing BSP not within the <filename>meta-intel</filename>
BSP layer, you can clone that BSP layer.</para>
<para>The process is identical to the process used for the
<filename>meta-intel</filename> layer except for the layer's
name.
For example, if you determine that your hardware most
closely matches the <filename>meta-raspberrypi</filename>,
clone that layer:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
$ git clone git://git.yoctoproject.org/meta-raspberrypi
Cloning into 'meta-raspberrypi'...
remote: Counting objects: 4743, done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (2185/2185), done.
remote: Total 4743 (delta 2447), reused 4496 (delta 2258)
Receiving objects: 100% (4743/4743), 1.18 MiB | 0 bytes/s, done.
Resolving deltas: 100% (2447/2447), done.
Checking connectivity... done.
</literallayout>
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Initialize the Build Environment:</emphasis>
While in the root directory of the Source Directory (i.e.
<filename>poky</filename>), run the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#structure-core-script'><filename>&OE_INIT_FILE;</filename></ulink>
environment setup script to define the OpenEmbedded
build environment on your build host.
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
$ source &OE_INIT_FILE;
</literallayout>
Among other things, the script creates the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#build-directory'>Build Directory</ulink>,
which is <filename>build</filename> in this case
and is located in the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#source-directory'>Source Directory</ulink>.
After the script runs, your current working directory
is set to the <filename>build</filename> directory.
</para></listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
</section>
<section id="bsp-filelayout">
<title>Example Filesystem Layout</title>
<para>
Defining a common BSP directory structure allows
end-users to understand and become familiar with
that standard.
A common format also encourages standardization
of software support for hardware.
</para>
<para>
The proposed form described in this section does
have elements that are specific to the OpenEmbedded
build system.
It is intended that developers can use this structure
with other build systems besides the OpenEmbedded build
system.
It is also intended that it will be be simple to extract
information and convert it to other formats if required.
The OpenEmbedded build system, through its standard
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_GS_URL;#the-yocto-project-layer-model'>layers mechanism</ulink>,
can directly accept the format described as a layer.
The BSP layer captures all the hardware-specific details
in one place using a standard format, which is useful
for any person wishing to use the hardware platform
regardless of the build system they are using.
</para>
<para>
The BSP specification does not include a build system
or other tools - the specification is concerned with
the hardware-specific components only.
At the end-distribution point, you can ship the BSP
layer combined with a build system and other tools.
Realize that it is important to maintain the distinction
that the BSP layer, a build system, and tools are
separate components that could to be combined in
certain end products.
</para>
<para>
Before looking at the common form for the file structure
inside a BSP Layer, you should be aware that some
requirements do exist in order for a BSP layer to
be considered compliant with the Yocto Project.
For that list of requirements, see the
"<link linkend='released-bsp-requirements'>Released BSP Requirements</link>"
section.
</para>
<para>
Below is the common form for the file structure
inside a BSP Layer.
While this basic form represents the standard,
realize that the actual file structures for specific
BSPs could differ.
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/<replaceable>bsp_license_file</replaceable>
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/README
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/README.sources
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/binary/<replaceable>bootable_images</replaceable>
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/conf/layer.conf
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/conf/machine/*.conf
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/recipes-bsp/*
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/recipes-core/*
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/recipes-graphics/*
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-yocto_<replaceable>kernel_rev</replaceable>.bbappend
</literallayout>
</para>
<para>
Below is an example of the Raspberry Pi BSP
layer that is available from the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_GIT_URL;'>Source Respositories</ulink>:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
meta-raspberrypi/COPYING.MIT
meta-raspberrypi/README.md
meta-raspberrypi/classes
meta-raspberrypi/classes/sdcard_image-rpi.bbclass
meta-raspberrypi/conf/
meta-raspberrypi/conf/layer.conf
meta-raspberrypi/conf/machine/
meta-raspberrypi/conf/machine/raspberrypi-cm.conf
meta-raspberrypi/conf/machine/raspberrypi-cm3.conf
meta-raspberrypi/conf/machine/raspberrypi.conf
meta-raspberrypi/conf/machine/raspberrypi0-wifi.conf
meta-raspberrypi/conf/machine/raspberrypi0.conf
meta-raspberrypi/conf/machine/raspberrypi2.conf
meta-raspberrypi/conf/machine/raspberrypi3-64.conf
meta-raspberrypi/conf/machine/raspberrypi3.conf
meta-raspberrypi/conf/machine/include
meta-raspberrypi/conf/machine/include/rpi-base.inc
meta-raspberrypi/conf/machine/include/rpi-default-providers.inc
meta-raspberrypi/conf/machine/include/rpi-default-settings.inc
meta-raspberrypi/conf/machine/include/rpi-default-versions.inc
meta-raspberrypi/conf/machine/include/tune-arm1176jzf-s.inc
meta-raspberrypi/docs
meta-raspberrypi/docs/Makefile
meta-raspberrypi/docs/conf.py
meta-raspberrypi/docs/contributing.md
meta-raspberrypi/docs/extra-apps.md
meta-raspberrypi/docs/extra-build-config.md
meta-raspberrypi/docs/index.rst
meta-raspberrypi/docs/layer-contents.md
meta-raspberrypi/docs/readme.md
meta-raspberrypi/files
meta-raspberrypi/files/custom-licenses
meta-raspberrypi/files/custom-licenses/Broadcom
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp/bootfiles
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp/bootfiles/bcm2835-bootfiles.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp/bootfiles/rpi-config_git.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp/common
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp/common/firmware.inc
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp/formfactor
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp/formfactor/formfactor
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp/formfactor/formfactor/raspberrypi
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp/formfactor/formfactor/raspberrypi/machconfig
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp/formfactor/formfactor_0.0.bbappend
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp/rpi-u-boot-src
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp/rpi-u-boot-src/files
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp/rpi-u-boot-src/files/boot.cmd.in
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp/rpi-u-boot-src/rpi-u-boot-scr.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp/u-boot
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp/u-boot/u-boot
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp/u-boot/u-boot/*.patch
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-bsp/u-boot/u-boot_%.bbappend
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-connectivity
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-connectivity/bluez5
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-connectivity/bluez5/bluez5
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-connectivity/bluez5/bluez5/*.patch
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-connectivity/bluez5/bluez5/BCM43430A1.hcd
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-connectivity/bluez5/bluez5brcm43438.service
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-connectivity/bluez5/bluez5_%.bbappend
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-core
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-core/images
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-core/images/rpi-basic-image.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-core/images/rpi-hwup-image.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-core/images/rpi-test-image.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-core/packagegroups
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-core/packagegroups/packagegroup-rpi-test.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-core/psplash
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-core/psplash/files
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-core/psplash/files/psplash-raspberrypi-img.h
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-core/psplash/psplash_git.bbappend
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-core/udev
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-core/udev/udev-rules-rpi
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-core/udev/udev-rules-rpi/99-com.rules
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-core/udev/udev-rules-rpi.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/bcm2835
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/bcm2835/bcm2835_1.52.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/pi-blaster
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/pi-blaster/files
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/pi-blaster/files/*.patch
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/pi-blaster/pi-blaster_git.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/python
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/python/python-rtimu
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/python/python-rtimu/*.patch
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/python/python-rtimu_git.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/python/python-sense-hat_2.2.0.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/python/rpi-gpio
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/python/rpi-gpio/*.patch
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/python/rpi-gpio_0.6.3.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/python/rpio
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/python/rpio/*.patch
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/python/rpio_0.10.0.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/wiringPi
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/wiringPi/files
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/wiringPi/files/*.patch
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-devtools/wiringPi/wiringpi_git.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/eglinfo
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/eglinfo/eglinfo-fb_%.bbappend
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/eglinfo/eglinfo-x11_%.bbappend
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/mesa
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/mesa/mesa-gl_%.bbappend
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/mesa/mesa_%.bbappend
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/userland
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/userland/userland
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/userland/userland/*.patch
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/userland/userland_git.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/vc-graphics
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/vc-graphics/files
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/vc-graphics/files/egl.pc
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/vc-graphics/files/vchiq.sh
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/vc-graphics/vc-graphics-hardfp.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/vc-graphics/vc-graphics.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/vc-graphics/vc-graphics.inc
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/wayland
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/wayland/weston_%.bbappend
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/xorg-xserver
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/xorg-xserver/xserver-xf86-config
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/xorg-xserver/xserver-xf86-config/rpi
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/xorg-xserver/xserver-xf86-config/rpi/xorg.conf
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/xorg-xserver/xserver-xf86-config/rpi/xorg.conf.d
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/xorg-xserver/xserver-xf86-config/rpi/xorg.conf.d/10-evdev.conf
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/xorg-xserver/xserver-xf86-config/rpi/xorg.conf.d/98-pitft.conf
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/xorg-xserver/xserver-xf86-config/rpi/xorg.conf.d/99-calibration.conf
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/xorg-xserver/xserver-xf86-config_0.1.bbappend
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-graphics/xorg-xserver/xserver-xorg_%.bbappend
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-kernel
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-kernel/linux-firmware
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-kernel/linux-firmware/files
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-kernel/linux-firmware/files/brcmfmac43430-sdio.bin
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-kernel/linux-firmware/files/brcfmac43430-sdio.txt
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-kernel/linux-firmware/linux-firmware_%.bbappend
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-kernel/linux
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-raspberrypi-dev.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-raspberrypi.inc
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-raspberrypi_4.14.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-raspberrypi_4.9.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-multimedia
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-multimedia/gstreamer
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-multimedia/gstreamer/gstreamer1.0-omx
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-multimedia/gstreamer/gstreamer1.0-omx/*.patch
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-multimedia/gstreamer/gstreamer1.0-omx_%.bbappend
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-multimedia/gstreamer/gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad_%.bbappend
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-multimedia/gstreamer/gstreamer1.0-omx-1.12
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-multimedia/gstreamer/gstreamer1.0-omx-1.12/*.patch
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-multimedia/omxplayer
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-multimedia/omxplayer/omxplayer
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-multimedia/omxplayer/omxplayer/*.patch
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-multimedia/omxplayer/omxplayer_git.bb
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-multimedia/x264
meta-raspberrypi/recipes-multimedia/x264/x264_git.bbappend
meta-raspberrypi/wic
meta-raspberrypi/wic/sdimage-raspberrypi.wks
</literallayout>
</para>
<para>
The following sections describe each part of the proposed
BSP format.
</para>
<section id="bsp-filelayout-license">
<title>License Files</title>
<para>
You can find these files in the BSP Layer at:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/<replaceable>bsp_license_file</replaceable>
</literallayout>
</para>
<para>
These optional files satisfy licensing requirements
for the BSP.
The type or types of files here can vary depending
on the licensing requirements.
For example, in the Raspberry Pi BSP all licensing
requirements are handled with the
<filename>COPYING.MIT</filename> file.
</para>
<para>
Licensing files can be MIT, BSD, GPLv*, and so forth.
These files are recommended for the BSP but are
optional and totally up to the BSP developer.
For information on how to maintain license
compliance, see the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#maintaining-open-source-license-compliance-during-your-products-lifecycle'>Maintaining Open Source License Compliance During Your Product's Lifecycle</ulink>"
section in the Yocto Project Development Tasks
Manual.
</para>
</section>
<section id="bsp-filelayout-readme">
<title>README File</title>
<para>
You can find this file in the BSP Layer at:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/README
</literallayout>
</para>
<para>
This file provides information on how to boot the live
images that are optionally included in the
<filename>binary/</filename> directory.
The <filename>README</filename> file also provides
information needed for building the image.
</para>
<para>
At a minimum, the <filename>README</filename> file must
contain a list of dependencies, such as the names of
any other layers on which the BSP depends and the name of
the BSP maintainer with his or her contact information.
</para>
</section>
<section id="bsp-filelayout-readme-sources">
<title>README.sources File</title>
<para>
You can find this file in the BSP Layer at:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/README.sources
</literallayout>
</para>
<para>
This file provides information on where to locate the BSP
source files used to build the images (if any) that
reside in
<filename>meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/binary</filename>.
Images in the <filename>binary</filename> would be images
released with the BSP.
The information in the <filename>README.sources</filename>
file also helps you find the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#metadata'>Metadata</ulink>
used to generate the images that ship with the BSP.
<note>
If the BSP's <filename>binary</filename> directory is
missing or the directory has no images, an existing
<filename>README.sources</filename> file is
meaningless and usually does not exist.
</note>
</para>
</section>
<section id="bsp-filelayout-binary">
<title>Pre-built User Binaries</title>
<para>
You can find these files in the BSP Layer at:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/binary/<replaceable>bootable_images</replaceable>
</literallayout>
</para>
<para>
This optional area contains useful pre-built kernels
and user-space filesystem images released with the
BSP that are appropriate to the target system.
This directory typically contains graphical (e.g. Sato)
and minimal live images when the BSP tarball has been
created and made available in the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_HOME_URL;'>Yocto Project</ulink>
website.
You can use these kernels and images to get a system
running and quickly get started on development tasks.
</para>
<para>
The exact types of binaries present are highly
hardware-dependent.
The
<link linkend='bsp-filelayout-readme'><filename>README</filename></link>
file should be present in the BSP Layer and it
explains how to use the images with the target hardware.
Additionally, the
<link linkend='bsp-filelayout-readme-sources'><filename>README.sources</filename></link>
file should be present to locate the sources used to
build the images and provide information on the
Metadata.
</para>
</section>
<section id='bsp-filelayout-layer'>
<title>Layer Configuration File</title>
<para>
You can find this file in the BSP Layer at:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/conf/layer.conf
</literallayout>
</para>
<para>
The <filename>conf/layer.conf</filename> file
identifies the file structure as a layer,
identifies the contents of the layer, and
contains information about how the build system should
use it.
Generally, a standard boilerplate file such as the
following works.
In the following example, you would replace
<replaceable>bsp</replaceable> with the actual
name of the BSP (i.e.
<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable> from the example
template).
</para>
<para>
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
# We have a conf and classes directory, add to BBPATH
BBPATH .= ":${LAYERDIR}"
# We have a recipes directory, add to BBFILES
BBFILES += "${LAYERDIR}/recipes-*/*/*.bb \
${LAYERDIR}/recipes-*/*/*.bbappend"
BBFILE_COLLECTIONS += "<replaceable>bsp</replaceable>"
BBFILE_PATTERN_<replaceable>bsp</replaceable> = "^${LAYERDIR}/"
BBFILE_PRIORITY_<replaceable>bsp</replaceable> = "6"
LAYERDEPENDS_<replaceable>bsp</replaceable> = "intel"
</literallayout>
</para>
<para>
To illustrate the string substitutions, here are
the corresponding statements from the Raspberry
Pi <filename>conf/layer.conf</filename> file:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
# We have a conf and classes directory, append to BBPATH
BBPATH .= ":${LAYERDIR}"
# We have a recipes directory containing .bb and .bbappend files, add to BBFILES
BBFILES += "${LAYERDIR}/recipes*/*/*.bb \
${LAYERDIR}/recipes*/*/*.bbappend"
BBFILE_COLLECTIONS += "raspberrypi"
BBFILE_PATTERN_raspberrypi := "^${LAYERDIR}/"
BBFILE_PRIORITY_raspberrypi = "9"
# Additional license directories.
LICENSE_PATH += "${LAYERDIR}/files/custom-licenses"
.
.
.
</literallayout>
</para>
<para>
This file simply makes
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#bitbake-term'>BitBake</ulink>
aware of the recipes and configuration directories.
The file must exist so that the OpenEmbedded build system
can recognize the BSP.
</para>
</section>
<section id="bsp-filelayout-machine">
<title>Hardware Configuration Options</title>
<para>
You can find these files in the BSP Layer at:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/conf/machine/*.conf
</literallayout>
</para>
<para>
The machine files bind together all the information
contained elsewhere in the BSP into a format that
the build system can understand.
Each BSP Layer requires at least one machine file.
If the BSP supports multiple machines, multiple
machine configuration files can exist.
These filenames correspond to the values to which
users have set the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#var-MACHINE'><filename>MACHINE</filename></ulink> variable.
</para>
<para>
These files define things such as the kernel package
to use
(<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#var-PREFERRED_PROVIDER'><filename>PREFERRED_PROVIDER</filename></ulink>
of
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#metadata-virtual-providers'>virtual/kernel</ulink>),
the hardware drivers to include in different types
of images, any special software components that are
needed, any bootloader information, and also any
special image format requirements.
</para>
<para>
This configuration file could also include a hardware
"tuning" file that is commonly used to define the
package architecture and specify optimization flags,
which are carefully chosen to give best performance
on a given processor.
</para>
<para>
Tuning files are found in the
<filename>meta/conf/machine/include</filename>
directory within the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#source-directory'>Source Directory</ulink>.
For example, many <filename>tune-*</filename> files
(e.g. <filename>tune-arm1136jf-s.inc</filename>,
<filename>tun-1586-nlp.inc</filename>, and so forth)
reside in the
<filename>poky/meta/conf/machine/include</filename>
directory.
</para>
<para>
To use an include file, you simply include them in the
machine configuration file.
For example, the Raspberry Pi BSP
<filename>raspberrypi3.conf</filename> contains the
following statement:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
include conf/machine/include/rpi-base.inc
</literallayout>
</para>
</section>
<section id='bsp-filelayout-misc-recipes'>
<title>Miscellaneous BSP-Specific Recipe Files</title>
<para>
You can find these files in the BSP Layer at:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/recipes-bsp/*
</literallayout>
</para>
<para>
This optional directory contains miscellaneous recipe
files for the BSP.
Most notably would be the formfactor files.
For example, in the Raspberry Pi BSP there is the
<filename>formfactor_0.0.bbappend</filename> file,
which is an append file used to augment the recipe
that starts the build.
Furthermore, there are machine-specific settings used
during the build that are defined by the
<filename>machconfig</filename> file further down in
the directory.
Here is the <filename>machconfig</filename> file for
the Raspberry Pi BSP:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
HAVE_TOUCHSCREEN=0
HAVE_KEYBOARD=1
DISPLAY_CAN_ROTATE=0
DISPLAY_ORIENTATION=0
DISPLAY_DPI=133
</literallayout>
</para>
<note><para>
If a BSP does not have a formfactor entry, defaults
are established according to the formfactor
configuration file that is installed by the main
formfactor recipe
<filename>meta/recipes-bsp/formfactor/formfactor_0.0.bb</filename>,
which is found in the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#source-directory'>Source Directory</ulink>.
</para></note>
</section>
<section id='bsp-filelayout-recipes-graphics'>
<title>Display Support Files</title>
<para>
You can find these files in the BSP Layer at:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/recipes-graphics/*
</literallayout>
</para>
<para>
This optional directory contains recipes for the
BSP if it has special requirements for graphics
support.
All files that are needed for the BSP to support
a display are kept here.
</para>
</section>
<section id='bsp-filelayout-kernel'>
<title>Linux Kernel Configuration</title>
<para>
You can find these files in the BSP Layer at:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/recipes-kernel/linux/linux*.bbappend
meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/recipes-kernel/linux/*.bb
</literallayout>
</para>
<para>
Append files (<filename>*.bbappend</filename>) modify
the main kernel recipe being used to build the image.
The <filename>*.bb</filename> files would be a
developer-supplied kernel recipe.
This area of the BSP hierarchy can contain both these
types of files, although in practice, it is likely that
you would have one or the other.
</para>
<para>
For your BSP, you typically want to use an existing Yocto
Project kernel recipe found in the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#source-directory'>Source Directory</ulink>
at <filename>meta/recipes-kernel/linux</filename>.
You can append machine-specific changes to the
kernel recipe by using a similarly named append
file, which is located in the BSP Layer for your
target device (e.g. the
<filename>meta-<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>/recipes-kernel/linux</filename> directory).
</para>
<para>
Suppose you are using the
<filename>linux-yocto_4.4.bb</filename> recipe to
build the kernel.
In other words, you have selected the kernel in your
<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable><filename>.conf</filename>
file by adding
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#var-PREFERRED_PROVIDER'><filename>PREFERRED_PROVIDER</filename></ulink>
and
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#var-PREFERRED_VERSION'><filename>PREFERRED_VERSION</filename></ulink>
statements as follows:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
PREFERRED_PROVIDER_virtual/kernel ?= "linux-yocto"
PREFERRED_VERSION_linux-yocto ?= "4.4%"
</literallayout>
<note>
When the preferred provider is assumed by
default, the
<filename>PREFERRED_PROVIDER</filename>
statement does not appear in the
<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable><filename>.conf</filename> file.
</note>
You would use the
<filename>linux-yocto_4.4.bbappend</filename>
file to append specific BSP settings to the kernel,
thus configuring the kernel for your particular BSP.
</para>
<para>
You can find more information on what your append file
should contain in the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_KERNEL_URL;#creating-the-append-file'>Creating the Append File</ulink>"
section in the Yocto Project Linux Kernel Development
Manual.
</para>
<para>
An alternate scenario is when you create your own
kernel recipe for the BSP.
A good example of this is the Raspberry Pi BSP.
If you examine the
<filename>recipes-kernel/linux</filename> directory
you see the following:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
linux-raspberrypi-dev.bb
linux-raspberrypi.inc
linux-raspberrypi_4.14.bb
linux-raspberrypi_4.9.bb
</literallayout>
The directory contains three kernel recipes and a
common include file.
</para>
</section>
</section>
<section id='developing-a-board-support-package-bsp'>
<title>Developing a Board Support Package (BSP)</title>
<para>
This section contains the high-level procedure you can
follow to create a BSP.
Although not required for BSP creation, the
<filename>meta-intel</filename> repository, which
contains many BSPs supported by the Yocto Project,
is part of the example.
</para>
<para>
For an example that shows how to create a new
layer using the tools, see the
"<link linkend='creating-a-new-bsp-layer-using-the-bitbake-layers-script'>Creating a New BSP Layer Using the <filename>bitbake-layers</filename> Script</link>"
section.
</para>
<para>
The following illustration and list summarize the BSP
creation general workflow.
</para>
<para>
<imagedata fileref="figures/bsp-dev-flow.png" width="7in" depth="5in" align="center" scalefit="1" />
</para>
<para>
<orderedlist>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Set up Your Host Development System
to Support Development Using the Yocto
Project</emphasis>:
See the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#setting-up-the-development-host-to-use-the-yocto-project'>Setting Up the Development Host to Use the Yocto Project</ulink>"
section in the Yocto Project Development Tasks
Manual for options on how to get a system ready
to use the Yocto Project.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Establish the
<filename>meta-intel</filename>
Repository on Your System:</emphasis>
Having local copies of these supported BSP layers
on your system gives you access to layers you
might be able to leverage when creating your BSP.
For information on how to get these files, see the
"<link linkend='preparing-your-build-host-to-work-with-bsp-layers'>Preparing Your Build Host to Work with BSP Layers</link>"
section.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Create Your Own BSP Layer Using the
<filename>bitbake-layers</filename>
Script:</emphasis>
Layers are ideal for isolating and storing work
for a given piece of hardware.
A layer is really just a location or area in which you
place the recipes and configurations for your BSP.
In fact, a BSP is, in itself, a special type of layer.
The simplest way to create a new BSP layer that is
compliant with the Yocto Project is to use the
<filename>bitbake-layers</filename> script.
For information about that script, see the
"<link linkend='creating-a-new-bsp-layer-using-the-bitbake-layers-script'>Creating a New BSP Layer Using the <filename>bitbake-layers</filename> Script</link>"
section.</para>
<para>Another example that illustrates a layer
is an application.
Suppose you are creating an application that has
library or other dependencies in order for it to
compile and run.
The layer, in this case, would be where all the
recipes that define those dependencies are kept.
The key point for a layer is that it is an
isolated area that contains all the relevant
information for the project that the
OpenEmbedded build system knows about.
For more information on layers, see the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_GS_URL;#the-yocto-project-layer-model'>The Yocto Project Layer Model</ulink>"
section in the Getting Started With Yocto Project
Manual.
You can also reference the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#understanding-and-creating-layers'>Understanding and Creating Layers</ulink>"
section in the Yocto Project Development Tasks
Manual.
For more information on BSP layers, see the
"<link linkend='bsp-layers'>BSP Layers</link>"
section.
<note><title>Notes</title>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para>
Five hardware reference BSPs exist
that are part of the Yocto Project release
and are located in the
<filename>poky/meta-yocto-bsp</filename> BSP
layer:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para>
Texas Instruments Beaglebone
(<filename>beaglebone-yocto</filename>)
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
Freescale MPC8315E-RDB
(<filename>mpc8315e-rdb</filename>)
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
Ubiquiti Networks EdgeRouter Lite
(<filename>edgerouter</filename>)
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
Two general IA platforms
(<filename>genericx86</filename> and
<filename>genericx86-64</filename>)
</para></listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
Three core Intel BSPs exist as part of
the Yocto Project release in the
<filename>meta-intel</filename> layer:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para>
<filename>intel-core2-32</filename>,
which is a BSP optimized for the Core2
family of CPUs as well as all CPUs
prior to the Silvermont core.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<filename>intel-corei7-64</filename>,
which is a BSP optimized for Nehalem
and later Core and Xeon CPUs as well
as Silvermont and later Atom CPUs,
such as the Baytrail SoCs.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<filename>intel-quark</filename>,
which is a BSP optimized for the
Intel Galileo gen1 & gen2
development boards.
</para></listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para></listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</note></para>
<para>When you set up a layer for a new BSP,
you should follow a standard layout.
This layout is described in the
"<link linkend='bsp-filelayout'>Example Filesystem Layout</link>"
section.
In the standard layout, notice the suggested
structure for recipes and configuration
information.
You can see the standard layout for a BSP
by examining any supported BSP found in the
<filename>meta-intel</filename> layer inside
the Source Directory.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Make Configuration Changes to Your New
BSP Layer:</emphasis>
The standard BSP layer structure organizes the
files you need to edit in
<filename>conf</filename> and several
<filename>recipes-*</filename> directories
within the BSP layer.
Configuration changes identify where your new
layer is on the local system and identifies the
kernel you are going to use.
When you run the
<filename>bitbake-layers</filename> script,
you are able to interactively configure many
things for the BSP (e.g. keyboard, touchscreen,
and so forth).
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Make Recipe Changes to Your New BSP
Layer:</emphasis>
Recipe changes include altering recipes
(<filename>*.bb</filename> files), removing
recipes you do not use, and adding new recipes
or append files (<filename>.bbappend</filename>)
that support your hardware.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Prepare for the Build:</emphasis>
Once you have made all the changes to your BSP
layer, there remains a few things you need to
do for the OpenEmbedded build system in order
for it to create your image.
You need to get the build environment ready by
sourcing an environment setup script
(i.e. <filename>oe-init-build-env</filename>)
and you need to be sure two key configuration
files are configured appropriately: the
<filename>conf/local.conf</filename> and the
<filename>conf/bblayers.conf</filename> file.
You must make the OpenEmbedded build system aware
of your new layer.
See the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#enabling-your-layer'>Enabling Your Layer</ulink>"
section in the Yocto Project Development Tasks Manual
for information on how to let the build system
know about your new layer.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Build the Image:</emphasis>
The OpenEmbedded build system uses the BitBake tool
to build images based on the type of image you want to
create.
You can find more information about BitBake in the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_BB_URL;'>BitBake User Manual</ulink>.
</para>
<para>The build process supports several types of
images to satisfy different needs.
See the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#ref-images'>Images</ulink>"
chapter in the Yocto Project Reference Manual for
information on supported images.
</para></listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
</section>
<section id='requirements-and-recommendations-for-released-bsps'>
<title>Requirements and Recommendations for Released BSPs</title>
<para>
Certain requirements exist for a released BSP to be
considered compliant with the Yocto Project.
Additionally, recommendations also exist.
This section describes the requirements and
recommendations for released BSPs.
</para>
<section id='released-bsp-requirements'>
<title>Released BSP Requirements</title>
<para>
Before looking at BSP requirements, you should consider
the following:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para>
The requirements here assume the BSP layer
is a well-formed, "legal" layer that can be
added to the Yocto Project.
For guidelines on creating a layer that meets
these base requirements, see the
"<link linkend='bsp-layers'>BSP Layers</link>"
section in this manual and the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#understanding-and-creating-layers'>Understanding and Creating Layers"</ulink>"
section in the Yocto Project Development Tasks
Manual.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
The requirements in this section apply
regardless of how you package a BSP.
You should consult the packaging and distribution
guidelines for your specific release process.
For an example of packaging and distribution
requirements, see the
"<ulink url='https://wiki.yoctoproject.org/wiki/Third_Party_BSP_Release_Process'>Third Party BSP Release Process</ulink>"
wiki page.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
The requirements for the BSP as it is made
available to a developer are completely
independent of the released form of the BSP.
For example, the BSP Metadata can be contained
within a Git repository and could have a directory
structure completely different from what appears
in the officially released BSP layer.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
It is not required that specific packages or
package modifications exist in the BSP layer,
beyond the requirements for general
compliance with the Yocto Project.
For example, no requirement exists dictating
that a specific kernel or kernel version be
used in a given BSP.
</para></listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
<para>
Following are the requirements for a released BSP
that conform to the Yocto Project:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Layer Name:</emphasis>
The BSP must have a layer name that follows
the Yocto Project standards.
For information on BSP layer names, see the
"<link linkend='bsp-layers'>BSP Layers</link>" section.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>File System Layout:</emphasis>
When possible, use the same directory names
in your BSP layer as listed in the
<filename>recipes.txt</filename> file, which
is found in <filename>poky/meta</filename>
directory of the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#source-directory'>Source Directory</ulink>
or in the OpenEmbedded Core Layer
(<filename>openembedded-core</filename>) at
<ulink url='http://git.openembedded.org/openembedded-core/tree/meta'></ulink>.
</para>
<para>You should place recipes
(<filename>*.bb</filename> files) and recipe
modifications (<filename>*.bbappend</filename>
files) into <filename>recipes-*</filename>
subdirectories by functional area as outlined
in <filename>recipes.txt</filename>.
If you cannot find a category in
<filename>recipes.txt</filename> to fit a
particular recipe, you can make up your own
<filename>recipes-*</filename> subdirectory.
</para>
<para>Within any particular
<filename>recipes-*</filename> category, the
layout should match what is found in the
OpenEmbedded Core Git repository
(<filename>openembedded-core</filename>)
or the Source Directory (<filename>poky</filename>).
In other words, make sure you place related
files in appropriately related
<filename>recipes-*</filename> subdirectories
specific to the recipe's function, or within
a subdirectory containing a set of closely-related
recipes.
The recipes themselves should follow the general
guidelines for recipes used in the Yocto Project
found in the
"<ulink url='http://openembedded.org/wiki/Styleguide'>OpenEmbedded Style Guide</ulink>".
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>License File:</emphasis>
You must include a license file in the
<filename>meta-</filename><replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>
directory.
This license covers the BSP Metadata as a whole.
You must specify which license to use since no
default license exists when one not specified.
See the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_GIT_URL;/cgit.cgi/meta-raspberrypi/tree/COPYING.MIT'><filename>COPYING.MIT</filename></ulink>
file for the Raspberry Pi BSP in the
<filename>meta-raspberrypi</filename> BSP layer
as an example.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>README File:</emphasis>
You must include a <filename>README</filename>
file in the
<filename>meta-</filename><replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>
directory.
See the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_GIT_URL;/cgit.cgi/meta-raspberrypi/tree/README'><filename>README</filename></ulink>
file for the Raspberry Pi BSP in the
<filename>meta-raspberrypi</filename> BSP layer
as an example.</para>
<para>At a minimum, the <filename>README</filename>
file should contain the following:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para>
A brief description about the hardware the BSP
targets.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
A list of all the dependencies
on which a BSP layer depends.
These dependencies are typically a list
of required layers needed to build the
BSP.
However, the dependencies should also
contain information regarding any other
dependencies the BSP might have.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
Any required special licensing information.
For example, this information includes
information on special variables needed
to satisfy a EULA, or instructions on
information needed to build or distribute
binaries built from the BSP Metadata.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
The name and contact information for the
BSP layer maintainer.
This is the person to whom patches and
questions should be sent.
For information on how to find the right
person, see the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#how-to-submit-a-change'>Submitting a Change to the Yocto Project</ulink>"
section in the Yocto Project Development
Tasks Manual.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
Instructions on how to build the BSP using
the BSP layer.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
Instructions on how to boot the BSP build
from the BSP layer.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
Instructions on how to boot the binary
images contained in the
<filename>binary</filename> directory,
if present.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
Information on any known bugs or issues
that users should know about when either
building or booting the BSP binaries.
</para></listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>README.sources File:</emphasis>
If you BSP contains binary images in the
<filename>binary</filename> directory, you must
include a <filename>README.sources</filename>
file in the
<filename>meta-</filename><replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>
directory.
This file specifies exactly where you can find
the sources used to generate the binary images.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Layer Configuration File:</emphasis>
You must include a
<filename>conf/layer.conf</filename> file in
the
<filename>meta-</filename><replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>
directory.
This file identifies the
<filename>meta-</filename><replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>
BSP layer as a layer to the build system.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Machine Configuration File:</emphasis>
You must include one or more
<filename>conf/machine/</filename><replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable><filename>.conf</filename>
files in the
<filename>meta-</filename><replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>
directory.
These configuration files define machine targets
that can be built using the BSP layer.
Multiple machine configuration files define
variations of machine configurations that the
BSP supports.
If a BSP supports multiple machine variations,
you need to adequately describe each variation
in the BSP <filename>README</filename> file.
Do not use multiple machine configuration files
to describe disparate hardware.
If you do have very different targets, you should
create separate BSP layers for each target.
<note>
It is completely possible for a developer to
structure the working repository as a
conglomeration of unrelated BSP files, and to
possibly generate BSPs targeted for release
from that directory using scripts or some
other mechanism
(e.g. <filename>meta-yocto-bsp</filename> layer).
Such considerations are outside the scope of
this document.
</note>
</para></listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
</section>
<section id='released-bsp-recommendations'>
<title>Released BSP Recommendations</title>
<para>
Following are recommendations for released BSPs that
conform to the Yocto Project:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Bootable Images:</emphasis>
Released BSPs can contain one or more bootable
images.
Including bootable images allows users to easily
try out the BSP using their own hardware.</para>
<para>In some cases, it might not be convenient
to include a bootable image.
If so, you might want to make two versions of the
BSP available: one that contains binary images, and
one that does not.
The version that does not contain bootable images
avoids unnecessary download times for users not
interested in the images.</para>
<para>If you need to distribute a BSP and include
bootable images or build kernel and filesystems
meant to allow users to boot the BSP for evaluation
purposes, you should put the images and artifacts
within a
<filename>binary/</filename> subdirectory located
in the
<filename>meta-</filename><replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>
directory.
<note>
If you do include a bootable image as part
of the BSP and the image was built by software
covered by the GPL or other open source licenses,
it is your responsibility to understand
and meet all licensing requirements, which could
include distribution of source files.
</note>
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Use a Yocto Linux Kernel:</emphasis>
Kernel recipes in the BSP should be based on a
Yocto Linux kernel.
Basing your recipes on these kernels reduces
the costs for maintaining the BSP and increases
its scalability.
See the <filename>Yocto Linux Kernel</filename>
category in the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_GIT_URL;/cgit.cgi'>Source Repositories</ulink>
for these kernels.
</para></listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
</section>
</section>
<section id='customizing-a-recipe-for-a-bsp'>
<title>Customizing a Recipe for a BSP</title>
<para>
If you plan on customizing a recipe for a particular BSP,
you need to do the following:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para>
Create a <filename>*.bbappend</filename> file for
the modified recipe.
For information on using append files, see the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#using-bbappend-files'>Using .bbappend Files in Your Layer</ulink>"
section in the Yocto Project Development Tasks
Manual.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
Ensure your directory structure in the BSP layer
that supports your machine is such that the
OpenEmbedded build system can find it.
See the example later in this section for more
information.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
Put the append file in a directory whose name matches
the machine's name and is located in an appropriate
sub-directory inside the BSP layer (i.e.
<filename>recipes-bsp</filename>,
<filename>recipes-graphics</filename>,
<filename>recipes-core</filename>, and so forth).
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
Place the BSP-specific files in the proper
directory inside the BSP layer.
How expansive the layer is affects where you must
place these files.
For example, if your layer supports several
different machine types, you need to be sure your
layer's directory structure includes hierarchy
that separates the files according to machine.
If your layer does not support multiple machines,
the layer would not have that additional hierarchy
and the files would obviously not be able to reside
in a machine-specific directory.
</para></listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
<para>
Following is a specific example to help you better understand
the process.
This example customizes customizes a recipe by adding a
BSP-specific configuration file named
<filename>interfaces</filename> to the
<filename>init-ifupdown_1.0.bb</filename> recipe for machine
"xyz" where the BSP layer also supports several other
machines:
<orderedlist>
<listitem><para>
Edit the
<filename>init-ifupdown_1.0.bbappend</filename> file
so that it contains the following:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
FILESEXTRAPATHS_prepend := "${THISDIR}/files:"
</literallayout>
The append file needs to be in the
<filename>meta-xyz/recipes-core/init-ifupdown</filename>
directory.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
Create and place the new
<filename>interfaces</filename> configuration file in
the BSP's layer here:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
meta-xyz/recipes-core/init-ifupdown/files/xyz-machine-one/interfaces
</literallayout>
<note>
If the <filename>meta-xyz</filename> layer did
not support multiple machines, you would place
the <filename>interfaces</filename> configuration
file in the layer here:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
meta-xyz/recipes-core/init-ifupdown/files/interfaces
</literallayout>
</note>
The
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#var-FILESEXTRAPATHS'><filename>FILESEXTRAPATHS</filename></ulink>
variable in the append files extends the search path
the build system uses to find files during the build.
Consequently, for this example you need to have the
<filename>files</filename> directory in the same
location as your append file.
</para></listitem>
</orderedlist>
</para>
</section>
<section id='bsp-licensing-considerations'>
<title>BSP Licensing Considerations</title>
<para>
In some cases, a BSP contains separately licensed
Intellectual Property (IP) for a component or components.
For these cases, you are required to accept the terms
of a commercial or other type of license that requires
some kind of explicit End User License Agreement (EULA).
Once you accept the license, the OpenEmbedded build system
can then build and include the corresponding component
in the final BSP image.
If the BSP is available as a pre-built image, you can
download the image after agreeing to the license or EULA.
</para>
<para>
You could find that some separately licensed components
that are essential for normal operation of the system might
not have an unencumbered (or free) substitute.
Without these essential components, the system would be
non-functional.
Then again, you might find that other licensed components
that are simply 'good-to-have' or purely elective do have
an unencumbered, free replacement component that you can
use rather than agreeing to the separately licensed
component.
Even for components essential to the system, you might
find an unencumbered component that is not identical but
will work as a less-capable version of the licensed version
in the BSP recipe.
</para>
<para>
For cases where you can substitute a free component and
still maintain the system's functionality, the "DOWNLOADS"
selection from the "SOFTWARE" tab on the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_HOME_URL;'>Yocto Project website</ulink>
makes available de-featured BSPs that are completely free
of any IP encumbrances.
For these cases, you can use the substitution directly and
without any further licensing requirements.
If present, these fully de-featured BSPs are named
appropriately different as compared to the names of their
respective encumbered BSPs.
If available, these substitutions are your simplest and
most preferred options.
Obviously, use of these substitutions assumes the resulting
functionality meets system requirements.
<note>
If however, a non-encumbered version is unavailable or
it provides unsuitable functionality or quality, you can
use an encumbered version.
</note>
</para>
<para>
A couple different methods exist within the OpenEmbedded
build system to satisfy the licensing requirements for an
encumbered BSP.
The following list describes them in order of preference:
<orderedlist>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Use the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#var-LICENSE_FLAGS'><filename>LICENSE_FLAGS</filename></ulink>
Variable to Define the Recipes that Have Commercial
or Other Types of Specially-Licensed Packages:</emphasis>
For each of those recipes, you can specify a
matching license string in a
<filename>local.conf</filename> variable named
<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#var-LICENSE_FLAGS_WHITELIST'><filename>LICENSE_FLAGS_WHITELIST</filename></ulink>.
Specifying the matching license string signifies
that you agree to the license.
Thus, the build system can build the corresponding
recipe and include the component in the image.
See the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_CM_URL;#enabling-commercially-licensed-recipes'>Enabling Commercially Licensed Recipes</ulink>"
section in the Yocto Project Concepts Manual for
details on how to use these variables.</para>
<para>If you build as you normally would, without
specifying any recipes in the
<filename>LICENSE_FLAGS_WHITELIST</filename>, the
build stops and provides you with the list of recipes
that you have tried to include in the image that
need entries in the
<filename>LICENSE_FLAGS_WHITELIST</filename>.
Once you enter the appropriate license flags into
the whitelist, restart the build to continue where
it left off.
During the build, the prompt will not appear again
since you have satisfied the requirement.</para>
<para>Once the appropriate license flags are on the
white list in the
<filename>LICENSE_FLAGS_WHITELIST</filename> variable,
you can build the encumbered image with no change
at all to the normal build process.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Get a Pre-Built Version of the BSP:</emphasis>
You can get this type of BSP by selecting the
"DOWNLOADS" item from the "SOFTWARE" tab on the
<ulink url='&YOCTO_HOME_URL;'>Yocto Project website</ulink>.
You can download BSP tarballs that contain
proprietary components after agreeing to the
licensing requirements of each of the individually
encumbered packages as part of the download process.
Obtaining the BSP this way allows you to access an
encumbered image immediately after agreeing to the
click-through license agreements presented by the
website.
If you want to build the image yourself using
the recipes contained within the BSP tarball,
you will still need to create an appropriate
<filename>LICENSE_FLAGS_WHITELIST</filename>
to match the encumbered recipes in the BSP.
</para></listitem>
</orderedlist>
<note>
Pre-compiled images are bundled with a time-limited
kernel that runs for a predetermined amount of time
(10 days) before it forces the system to reboot.
This limitation is meant to discourage direct
redistribution of the image.
You must eventually rebuild the image if you want
to remove this restriction.
</note>
</para>
</section>
<section id='creating-a-new-bsp-layer-using-the-bitbake-layers-script'>
<title>Creating a new BSP Layer Using the <filename>bitbake-layers</filename> Script</title>
<para>
[INTRODUCE THE PROCEDURE AND LINK BACK TO <link linkend='bsp-layers'>BSP layer</link>.
IF THERE IS A LAUNDRY LIST OF ITEMS THAT NEED DEFINITION OR GET SET
UP AS A RESULT OF THIS PROCEDURE, LIST THEM HERE.]
<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para>[PARAMETER 1]</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>[PARAMETER 2]</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>[PARAMETER 3]</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>[PARAMETER 4]</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>[PARAMETER 5]</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>[PARAMETER 6]</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>[PARAMETER 7]</para></listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
<para>
The following procedure creates a BSP layer:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Create General Layer:</emphasis>
Use the <filename>bitbake-layers</filename> script with the
<filename>create-layer</filename> subcommand to create a
new general layer.
For instructions on how to create a general layer using the
<filename>bitbake-layers</filename> script, see the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#creating-a-general-layer-using-the-bitbake-layers-script'>Creating a General Layer Using the <filename>bitbake-layers</filename> Script</ulink>"
section in the Yocto Project Development Tasks Manual.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Create a Machine Configuration File:</emphasis>
Create a <filename>conf/machine/>machine<.conf</filename>
file.
See <filename>meta-yocto-bsp/conf/machine</filename> for sample
<filename>>machine.conf<</filename> files.
Other samples exist from other vendors such as
<filename>meta-intel</filename>, <filename>meta-ti</filename>,
and <filename>meta-freescale</filename> that have more specific machine
and tuning examples.
</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>
<emphasis>Create a Kernel Recipe:</emphasis>
Create a kernel recipe in <filename>recipes-kernel/linux</filename>
either using a linux-yocto kernel with a <filename>.bbappend</filename>
file or a new custom kernel recipe file (i.e. <filename>.bb</filename>
file).
The BSP layers mentioned in the previous step also contain different
kernel examples.
You can start with the linux-yocto or use a custom kernel.
See the
"<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_KERNEL_DEV_URL;#modifying-an-existing-recipe'>Modifying an Existing Recipe</ulink>"
section in the Yocto Project Linux Kernel Development Manual
for information on how to create a custom kernel.
</para></listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
<para>
[THERE IS MORE INFORMATION THAT NEEDS TO BE FILLED IN HERE. THIS NEEDS TO
BE PROVIDED BY ENGINEERS.]
</para>
<para>
The remainder of this section presents an example that uses
<filename>myarm</filename> as the machine name and <filename>qemu</filename>
as the machine architecture.
Of the available architectures, <filename>qemu</filename> is the only architecture
that causes the script to prompt you further for an actual architecture.
In every other way, this architecture is representative of how creating a BSP for
an actual machine would work.
The reason the example uses this architecture is because it is an emulated architecture
and can easily be followed without requiring actual hardware.
</para>
<para>
Following is a complete example:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
[INSERT EXAMPLE - NEED EXAMPLE]
</literallayout>
</para>
<para>
Once the BSP Layer is created, you must add it to your
<filename>bblayers.conf</filename> file.
Here is an example:
<literallayout class='monospaced'>
BBLAYERS = ? " \
/usr/local/src/yocto/meta \
/usr/local/src/yocto/meta-poky \
/usr/local/src/yocto/meta-yocto-bsp \
/usr/local/src/yocto/meta-myarm \
"
</literallayout>
Adding the layer to this file allows the build system to build the BSP and
find the layer along with other Metadata it needs.
</para>
</section>
</chapter>
|