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+.. SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-SA-2.0-UK
+
+***********************************
+Setting Up to Use the Yocto Project
+***********************************
+
+This chapter provides guidance on how to prepare to use the Yocto
+Project. You can learn about creating a team environment to develop
+using the Yocto Project, how to set up a :ref:`build
+host <dev-manual/start:preparing the build host>`, how to locate
+Yocto Project source repositories, and how to create local Git
+repositories.
+
+Creating a Team Development Environment
+=======================================
+
+It might not be immediately clear how you can use the Yocto Project in a
+team development environment, or how to scale it for a large team of
+developers. You can adapt the Yocto Project to many different use cases
+and scenarios; however, this flexibility could cause difficulties if you
+are trying to create a working setup that scales effectively.
+
+To help you understand how to set up this type of environment, this
+section presents a procedure that gives you information that can help
+you get the results you want. The procedure is high-level and presents
+some of the project's most successful experiences, practices, solutions,
+and available technologies that have proved to work well in the past;
+however, keep in mind, the procedure here is simply a starting point.
+You can build off these steps and customize the procedure to fit any
+particular working environment and set of practices.
+
+1.  *Determine Who is Going to be Developing:* You first need to
+    understand who is going to be doing anything related to the Yocto
+    Project and determine their roles. Making this determination is
+    essential to completing subsequent steps, which are to get your
+    equipment together and set up your development environment's
+    hardware topology.
+
+    The following roles exist:
+
+    -  *Application Developer:* This type of developer does application
+       level work on top of an existing software stack.
+
+    -  *Core System Developer:* This type of developer works on the
+       contents of the operating system image itself.
+
+    -  *Build Engineer:* This type of developer manages Autobuilders and
+       releases. Depending on the specifics of the environment, not all
+       situations might need a Build Engineer.
+
+    -  *Test Engineer:* This type of developer creates and manages
+       automated tests that are used to ensure all application and core
+       system development meets desired quality standards.
+
+2.  *Gather the Hardware:* Based on the size and make-up of the team,
+    get the hardware together. Ideally, any development, build, or test
+    engineer uses a system that runs a supported Linux distribution.
+    These systems, in general, should be high performance (e.g. dual,
+    six-core Xeons with 24 Gbytes of RAM and plenty of disk space). You
+    can help ensure efficiency by having any machines used for testing
+    or that run Autobuilders be as high performance as possible.
+
+    .. note::
+
+       Given sufficient processing power, you might also consider
+       building Yocto Project development containers to be run under
+       Docker, which is described later.
+
+3.  *Understand the Hardware Topology of the Environment:* Once you
+    understand the hardware involved and the make-up of the team, you
+    can understand the hardware topology of the development environment.
+    You can get a visual idea of the machines and their roles across the
+    development environment.
+
+4.  *Use Git as Your Source Control Manager (SCM):* Keeping your
+    :term:`Metadata` (i.e. recipes,
+    configuration files, classes, and so forth) and any software you are
+    developing under the control of an SCM system that is compatible
+    with the OpenEmbedded build system is advisable. Of all of the SCMs
+    supported by BitBake, the Yocto Project team strongly recommends using
+    :ref:`overview-manual/overview-manual-development-environment:git`.
+    Git is a distributed system
+    that is easy to back up, allows you to work remotely, and then
+    connects back to the infrastructure.
+
+    .. note::
+
+       For information about BitBake, see the
+       :doc:`bitbake:index`.
+
+    It is relatively easy to set up Git services and create
+    infrastructure like :yocto_git:`/`, which is based on
+    server software called ``gitolite`` with ``cgit`` being used to
+    generate the web interface that lets you view the repositories. The
+    ``gitolite`` software identifies users using SSH keys and allows
+    branch-based access controls to repositories that you can control as
+    little or as much as necessary.
+
+    .. note::
+
+       The setup of these services is beyond the scope of this manual.
+       However, sites such as the following exist that describe how to
+       perform setup:
+
+       -  `Gitolite <https://gitolite.com>`__: Information for
+          ``gitolite``.
+
+       -  `Interfaces, frontends, and
+          tools <https://git.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Interfaces,_frontends,_and_tools>`__:
+          Documentation on how to create interfaces and frontends for
+          Git.
+
+5.  *Set up the Application Development Machines:* As mentioned earlier,
+    application developers are creating applications on top of existing
+    software stacks. Following are some best practices for setting up
+    machines used for application development:
+
+    -  Use a pre-built toolchain that contains the software stack
+       itself. Then, develop the application code on top of the stack.
+       This method works well for small numbers of relatively isolated
+       applications.
+
+    -  Keep your cross-development toolchains updated. You can do this
+       through provisioning either as new toolchain downloads or as
+       updates through a package update mechanism using ``opkg`` to
+       provide updates to an existing toolchain. The exact mechanics of
+       how and when to do this depend on local policy.
+
+    -  Use multiple toolchains installed locally into different
+       locations to allow development across versions.
+
+6.  *Set up the Core Development Machines:* As mentioned earlier, core
+    developers work on the contents of the operating system itself.
+    Following are some best practices for setting up machines used for
+    developing images:
+
+    -  Have the :term:`OpenEmbedded Build System` available on
+       the developer workstations so developers can run their own builds
+       and directly rebuild the software stack.
+
+    -  Keep the core system unchanged as much as possible and do your
+       work in layers on top of the core system. Doing so gives you a
+       greater level of portability when upgrading to new versions of
+       the core system or Board Support Packages (BSPs).
+
+    -  Share layers amongst the developers of a particular project and
+       contain the policy configuration that defines the project.
+
+7.  *Set up an Autobuilder:* Autobuilders are often the core of the
+    development environment. It is here that changes from individual
+    developers are brought together and centrally tested. Based on this
+    automated build and test environment, subsequent decisions about
+    releases can be made. Autobuilders also allow for "continuous
+    integration" style testing of software components and regression
+    identification and tracking.
+
+    See ":yocto_ab:`Yocto Project Autobuilder <>`" for more
+    information and links to buildbot. The Yocto Project team has found
+    this implementation works well in this role. A public example of
+    this is the Yocto Project Autobuilders, which the Yocto Project team
+    uses to test the overall health of the project.
+
+    The features of this system are:
+
+    -  Highlights when commits break the build.
+
+    -  Populates an :ref:`sstate
+       cache <overview-manual/overview-manual-concepts:shared state cache>` from which
+       developers can pull rather than requiring local builds.
+
+    -  Allows commit hook triggers, which trigger builds when commits
+       are made.
+
+    -  Allows triggering of automated image booting and testing under
+       the QuickEMUlator (QEMU).
+
+    -  Supports incremental build testing and from-scratch builds.
+
+    -  Shares output that allows developer testing and historical
+       regression investigation.
+
+    -  Creates output that can be used for releases.
+
+    -  Allows scheduling of builds so that resources can be used
+       efficiently.
+
+8.  *Set up Test Machines:* Use a small number of shared, high
+    performance systems for testing purposes. Developers can use these
+    systems for wider, more extensive testing while they continue to
+    develop locally using their primary development system.
+
+9.  *Document Policies and Change Flow:* The Yocto Project uses a
+    hierarchical structure and a pull model. Scripts exist to create and
+    send pull requests (i.e. ``create-pull-request`` and
+    ``send-pull-request``). This model is in line with other open source
+    projects where maintainers are responsible for specific areas of the
+    project and a single maintainer handles the final "top-of-tree"
+    merges.
+
+    .. note::
+
+       You can also use a more collective push model. The ``gitolite``
+       software supports both the push and pull models quite easily.
+
+    As with any development environment, it is important to document the
+    policy used as well as any main project guidelines so they are
+    understood by everyone. It is also a good idea to have
+    well-structured commit messages, which are usually a part of a
+    project's guidelines. Good commit messages are essential when
+    looking back in time and trying to understand why changes were made.
+
+    If you discover that changes are needed to the core layer of the
+    project, it is worth sharing those with the community as soon as
+    possible. Chances are if you have discovered the need for changes,
+    someone else in the community needs them also.
+
+10. *Development Environment Summary:* Aside from the previous steps,
+    some best practices exist within the Yocto Project development
+    environment. Consider the following:
+
+    -  Use :ref:`overview-manual/overview-manual-development-environment:git` as the source control
+       system.
+
+    -  Maintain your Metadata in layers that make sense for your
+       situation. See the ":ref:`overview-manual/overview-manual-yp-intro:the yocto project layer model`"
+       section in the Yocto Project Overview and Concepts Manual and the
+       ":ref:`dev-manual/common-tasks:understanding and creating layers`"
+       section for more information on layers.
+
+    -  Separate the project's Metadata and code by using separate Git
+       repositories. See the ":ref:`overview-manual/overview-manual-development-environment:yocto project source repositories`"
+       section in the Yocto Project Overview and Concepts Manual for
+       information on these repositories. See the "`Locating Yocto
+       Project Source Files <#locating-yocto-project-source-files>`__"
+       section for information on how to set up local Git repositories
+       for related upstream Yocto Project Git repositories.
+
+    -  Set up the directory for the shared state cache
+       (:term:`SSTATE_DIR`) where
+       it makes sense. For example, set up the sstate cache on a system
+       used by developers in the same organization and share the same
+       source directories on their machines.
+
+    -  Set up an Autobuilder and have it populate the sstate cache and
+       source directories.
+
+    -  The Yocto Project community encourages you to send patches to the
+       project to fix bugs or add features. If you do submit patches,
+       follow the project commit guidelines for writing good commit
+       messages. See the
+       ":ref:`dev-manual/common-tasks:submitting a change to the yocto project`"
+       section.
+
+    -  Send changes to the core sooner than later as others are likely
+       to run into the same issues. For some guidance on mailing lists
+       to use, see the list in the
+       ":ref:`dev-manual/common-tasks:submitting a change to the yocto project`"
+       section. For a description
+       of the available mailing lists, see the ":ref:`resources-mailinglist`" section in
+       the Yocto Project Reference Manual.
+
+Preparing the Build Host
+========================
+
+This section provides procedures to set up a system to be used as your
+:term:`Build Host` for
+development using the Yocto Project. Your build host can be a native
+Linux machine (recommended), it can be a machine (Linux, Mac, or
+Windows) that uses `CROPS <https://github.com/crops/poky-container>`__,
+which leverages `Docker Containers <https://www.docker.com/>`__ or it
+can be a Windows machine capable of running Windows Subsystem For Linux
+v2 (WSL).
+
+.. note::
+
+   The Yocto Project is not compatible with
+   `Windows Subsystem for Linux v1 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Subsystem_for_Linux>`__.
+   It is compatible but not officially supported nor validated with
+   WSLv2. If you still decide to use WSL please upgrade to
+   `WSLv2 <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-win10>`__.
+
+Once your build host is set up to use the Yocto Project, further steps
+are necessary depending on what you want to accomplish. See the
+following references for information on how to prepare for Board Support
+Package (BSP) development and kernel development:
+
+-  *BSP Development:* See the ":ref:`bsp-guide/bsp:preparing your build host to work with bsp layers`"
+   section in the Yocto Project Board Support Package (BSP) Developer's
+   Guide.
+
+-  *Kernel Development:* See the ":ref:`kernel-dev/kernel-dev-common:preparing the build host to work on the kernel`"
+   section in the Yocto Project Linux Kernel Development Manual.
+
+Setting Up a Native Linux Host
+------------------------------
+
+Follow these steps to prepare a native Linux machine as your Yocto
+Project Build Host:
+
+1. *Use a Supported Linux Distribution:* You should have a reasonably
+   current Linux-based host system. You will have the best results with
+   a recent release of Fedora, openSUSE, Debian, Ubuntu, RHEL or CentOS
+   as these releases are frequently tested against the Yocto Project and
+   officially supported. For a list of the distributions under
+   validation and their status, see the ":ref:`Supported Linux
+   Distributions <detailed-supported-distros>`"
+   section in the Yocto Project Reference Manual and the wiki page at
+   :yocto_wiki:`Distribution Support </Distribution_Support>`.
+
+2. *Have Enough Free Memory:* Your system should have at least 50 Gbytes
+   of free disk space for building images.
+
+3. *Meet Minimal Version Requirements:* The OpenEmbedded build system
+   should be able to run on any modern distribution that has the
+   following versions for Git, tar, Python and gcc.
+
+   -  Git 1.8.3.1 or greater
+
+   -  tar 1.28 or greater
+
+   -  Python 3.5.0 or greater.
+
+   -  gcc 5.0 or greater.
+
+   If your build host does not meet any of these three listed version
+   requirements, you can take steps to prepare the system so that you
+   can still use the Yocto Project. See the
+   ":ref:`ref-manual/ref-system-requirements:required git, tar, python and gcc versions`"
+   section in the Yocto Project Reference Manual for information.
+
+4. *Install Development Host Packages:* Required development host
+   packages vary depending on your build host and what you want to do
+   with the Yocto Project. Collectively, the number of required packages
+   is large if you want to be able to cover all cases.
+
+   For lists of required packages for all scenarios, see the
+   ":ref:`ref-manual/ref-system-requirements:required packages for the build host`"
+   section in the Yocto Project Reference Manual.
+
+Once you have completed the previous steps, you are ready to continue
+using a given development path on your native Linux machine. If you are
+going to use BitBake, see the
+":ref:`dev-manual/start:cloning the \`\`poky\`\` repository`"
+section. If you are going
+to use the Extensible SDK, see the ":doc:`/sdk-manual/sdk-extensible`" Chapter in the Yocto
+Project Application Development and the Extensible Software Development
+Kit (eSDK) manual. If you want to work on the kernel, see the :doc:`/kernel-dev/index`. If you are going to use
+Toaster, see the ":doc:`/toaster-manual/setup-and-use`"
+section in the Toaster User Manual.
+
+Setting Up to Use CROss PlatformS (CROPS)
+-----------------------------------------
+
+With `CROPS <https://github.com/crops/poky-container>`__, which
+leverages `Docker Containers <https://www.docker.com/>`__, you can
+create a Yocto Project development environment that is operating system
+agnostic. You can set up a container in which you can develop using the
+Yocto Project on a Windows, Mac, or Linux machine.
+
+Follow these general steps to prepare a Windows, Mac, or Linux machine
+as your Yocto Project build host:
+
+1. *Determine What Your Build Host Needs:*
+   `Docker <https://www.docker.com/what-docker>`__ is a software
+   container platform that you need to install on the build host.
+   Depending on your build host, you might have to install different
+   software to support Docker containers. Go to the Docker installation
+   page and read about the platform requirements in "`Supported
+   Platforms <https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/#supported-platforms>`__"
+   your build host needs to run containers.
+
+2. *Choose What To Install:* Depending on whether or not your build host
+   meets system requirements, you need to install "Docker CE Stable" or
+   the "Docker Toolbox". Most situations call for Docker CE. However, if
+   you have a build host that does not meet requirements (e.g.
+   Pre-Windows 10 or Windows 10 "Home" version), you must install Docker
+   Toolbox instead.
+
+3. *Go to the Install Site for Your Platform:* Click the link for the
+   Docker edition associated with your build host's native software. For
+   example, if your build host is running Microsoft Windows Version 10
+   and you want the Docker CE Stable edition, click that link under
+   "Supported Platforms".
+
+4. *Install the Software:* Once you have understood all the
+   pre-requisites, you can download and install the appropriate
+   software. Follow the instructions for your specific machine and the
+   type of the software you need to install:
+
+   -  Install `Docker CE for
+      Windows <https://docs.docker.com/docker-for-windows/install/#install-docker-desktop-on-windows>`__
+      for Windows build hosts that meet requirements.
+
+   -  Install `Docker CE for
+      MacOs <https://docs.docker.com/docker-for-mac/install/#install-and-run-docker-desktop-on-mac>`__
+      for Mac build hosts that meet requirements.
+
+   -  Install `Docker Toolbox for
+      Windows <https://docs.docker.com/toolbox/toolbox_install_windows/>`__
+      for Windows build hosts that do not meet Docker requirements.
+
+   -  Install `Docker Toolbox for
+      MacOS <https://docs.docker.com/toolbox/toolbox_install_mac/>`__
+      for Mac build hosts that do not meet Docker requirements.
+
+   -  Install `Docker CE for
+      CentOS <https://docs.docker.com/install/linux/docker-ce/centos/>`__
+      for Linux build hosts running the CentOS distribution.
+
+   -  Install `Docker CE for
+      Debian <https://docs.docker.com/install/linux/docker-ce/debian/>`__
+      for Linux build hosts running the Debian distribution.
+
+   -  Install `Docker CE for
+      Fedora <https://docs.docker.com/install/linux/docker-ce/fedora/>`__
+      for Linux build hosts running the Fedora distribution.
+
+   -  Install `Docker CE for
+      Ubuntu <https://docs.docker.com/install/linux/docker-ce/ubuntu/>`__
+      for Linux build hosts running the Ubuntu distribution.
+
+5. *Optionally Orient Yourself With Docker:* If you are unfamiliar with
+   Docker and the container concept, you can learn more here -
+   https://docs.docker.com/get-started/.
+
+6. *Launch Docker or Docker Toolbox:* You should be able to launch
+   Docker or the Docker Toolbox and have a terminal shell on your
+   development host.
+
+7. *Set Up the Containers to Use the Yocto Project:* Go to
+   https://github.com/crops/docker-win-mac-docs/wiki and follow
+   the directions for your particular build host (i.e. Linux, Mac, or
+   Windows).
+
+   Once you complete the setup instructions for your machine, you have
+   the Poky, Extensible SDK, and Toaster containers available. You can
+   click those links from the page and learn more about using each of
+   those containers.
+
+Once you have a container set up, everything is in place to develop just
+as if you were running on a native Linux machine. If you are going to
+use the Poky container, see the
+":ref:`dev-manual/start:cloning the \`\`poky\`\` repository`"
+section. If you are going to use the Extensible SDK container, see the
+":doc:`/sdk-manual/sdk-extensible`" Chapter in the Yocto
+Project Application Development and the Extensible Software Development
+Kit (eSDK) manual. If you are going to use the Toaster container, see
+the ":doc:`/toaster-manual/setup-and-use`"
+section in the Toaster User Manual.
+
+Setting Up to Use Windows Subsystem For Linux (WSLv2)
+-----------------------------------------------------
+
+With `Windows Subsystem for Linux
+(WSLv2) <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/wsl2-about>`__,
+you can create a Yocto Project development environment that allows you
+to build on Windows. You can set up a Linux distribution inside Windows
+in which you can develop using the Yocto Project.
+
+Follow these general steps to prepare a Windows machine using WSLv2 as
+your Yocto Project build host:
+
+1. *Make sure your Windows 10 machine is capable of running WSLv2:*
+   WSLv2 is only available for Windows 10 builds > 18917. To check which
+   build version you are running, you may open a command prompt on
+   Windows and execute the command "ver".
+   ::
+
+      C:\Users\myuser> ver
+
+      Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19041.153]
+
+   If your build is capable of running
+   WSLv2 you may continue, for more information on this subject or
+   instructions on how to upgrade to WSLv2 visit `Windows 10
+   WSLv2 <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/wsl2-install>`__
+
+2. *Install the Linux distribution of your choice inside Windows 10:*
+   Once you know your version of Windows 10 supports WSLv2, you can
+   install the distribution of your choice from the Microsoft Store.
+   Open the Microsoft Store and search for Linux. While there are
+   several Linux distributions available, the assumption is that your
+   pick will be one of the distributions supported by the Yocto Project
+   as stated on the instructions for using a native Linux host. After
+   making your selection, simply click "Get" to download and install the
+   distribution.
+
+3. *Check your Linux distribution is using WSLv2:* Open a Windows
+   PowerShell and run:
+   ::
+
+      C:\WINDOWS\system32> wsl -l -v
+      NAME    STATE   VERSION
+      *Ubuntu Running 2
+
+   Note the version column which says the WSL version
+   being used by your distribution, on compatible systems, this can be
+   changed back at any point in time.
+
+4. *Optionally Orient Yourself on WSL:* If you are unfamiliar with WSL,
+   you can learn more here -
+   https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/wsl2-about.
+
+5. *Launch your WSL Distibution:* From the Windows start menu simply
+   launch your WSL distribution just like any other application.
+
+6. *Optimize your WSLv2 storage often:* Due to the way storage is
+   handled on WSLv2, the storage space used by the undelying Linux
+   distribution is not reflected immedately, and since bitbake heavily
+   uses storage, after several builds, you may be unaware you are
+   running out of space. WSLv2 uses a VHDX file for storage, this issue
+   can be easily avoided by manually optimizing this file often, this
+   can be done in the following way:
+
+   1. *Find the location of your VHDX file:* First you need to find the
+      distro app package directory, to achieve this open a Windows
+      Powershell as Administrator and run:
+      ::
+
+         C:\WINDOWS\system32> Get-AppxPackage -Name "*Ubuntu*" | Select PackageFamilyName
+         PackageFamilyName
+         -----------------
+         CanonicalGroupLimited.UbuntuonWindows_79abcdefgh
+
+
+      You should now
+      replace the PackageFamilyName and your user on the following path
+      to find your VHDX file:
+      ::
+
+          ls C:\Users\myuser\AppData\Local\Packages\CanonicalGroupLimited.UbuntuonWindows_79abcdefgh\LocalState\
+          Mode                 LastWriteTime         Length Name
+          -a----         3/14/2020   9:52 PM    57418973184 ext4.vhdx
+
+      Your VHDX file path is:
+      ``C:\Users\myuser\AppData\Local\Packages\CanonicalGroupLimited.UbuntuonWindows_79abcdefgh\LocalState\ext4.vhdx``
+
+   2. *Optimize your VHDX file:* Open a Windows Powershell as
+      Administrator to optimize your VHDX file, shutting down WSL first:
+      ::
+
+         C:\WINDOWS\system32> wsl --shutdown
+         C:\WINDOWS\system32> optimize-vhd -Path C:\Users\myuser\AppData\Local\Packages\CanonicalGroupLimited.UbuntuonWindows_79abcdefgh\LocalState\ext4.vhdx -Mode full
+
+      A progress bar should be shown while optimizing the
+      VHDX file, and storage should now be reflected correctly on the
+      Windows Explorer.
+
+.. note::
+
+   The current implementation of WSLv2 does not have out-of-the-box
+   access to external devices such as those connected through a USB
+   port, but it automatically mounts your ``C:`` drive on ``/mnt/c/``
+   (and others), which you can use to share deploy artifacts to be later
+   flashed on hardware through Windows, but your build directory should
+   not reside inside this mountpoint.
+
+Once you have WSLv2 set up, everything is in place to develop just as if
+you were running on a native Linux machine. If you are going to use the
+Extensible SDK container, see the ":doc:`/sdk-manual/sdk-extensible`" Chapter in the Yocto
+Project Application Development and the Extensible Software Development
+Kit (eSDK) manual. If you are going to use the Toaster container, see
+the ":doc:`/toaster-manual/setup-and-use`"
+section in the Toaster User Manual.
+
+Locating Yocto Project Source Files
+===================================
+
+This section shows you how to locate, fetch and configure the source
+files you'll need to work with the Yocto Project.
+
+.. note::
+
+   -  For concepts and introductory information about Git as it is used
+      in the Yocto Project, see the ":ref:`overview-manual/overview-manual-development-environment:git`"
+      section in the Yocto Project Overview and Concepts Manual.
+
+   -  For concepts on Yocto Project source repositories, see the
+      ":ref:`overview-manual/overview-manual-development-environment:yocto project source repositories`"
+      section in the Yocto Project Overview and Concepts Manual."
+
+Accessing Source Repositories
+-----------------------------
+
+Working from a copy of the upstream :ref:`dev-manual/start:accessing source repositories` is the
+preferred method for obtaining and using a Yocto Project release. You
+can view the Yocto Project Source Repositories at
+:yocto_git:`/`. In particular, you can find the ``poky``
+repository at :yocto_git:`/poky`.
+
+Use the following procedure to locate the latest upstream copy of the
+``poky`` Git repository:
+
+1. *Access Repositories:* Open a browser and go to
+   :yocto_git:`/` to access the GUI-based interface into the
+   Yocto Project source repositories.
+
+2. *Select the Repository:* Click on the repository in which you are
+   interested (e.g. ``poky``).
+
+3. *Find the URL Used to Clone the Repository:* At the bottom of the
+   page, note the URL used to clone that repository
+   (e.g. :yocto_git:`/poky`).
+
+   .. note::
+
+      For information on cloning a repository, see the
+      ":ref:`dev-manual/start:cloning the \`\`poky\`\` repository`" section.
+
+Accessing Index of Releases
+---------------------------
+
+Yocto Project maintains an Index of Releases area that contains related
+files that contribute to the Yocto Project. Rather than Git
+repositories, these files are tarballs that represent snapshots in time
+of a given component.
+
+.. note::
+
+   The recommended method for accessing Yocto Project components is to
+   use Git to clone the upstream repository and work from within that
+   locally cloned repository. The procedure in this section exists
+   should you desire a tarball snapshot of any given component.
+
+Follow these steps to locate and download a particular tarball:
+
+1. *Access the Index of Releases:* Open a browser and go to
+   :yocto_dl:`Index of Releases </releases>`. The
+   list represents released components (e.g. ``bitbake``, ``sato``, and
+   so on).
+
+   .. note::
+
+      The ``yocto`` directory contains the full array of released Poky
+      tarballs. The ``poky`` directory in the Index of Releases was
+      historically used for very early releases and exists now only for
+      retroactive completeness.
+
+2. *Select a Component:* Click on any released component in which you
+   are interested (e.g. ``yocto``).
+
+3. *Find the Tarball:* Drill down to find the associated tarball. For
+   example, click on ``yocto-&DISTRO;`` to view files associated with the
+   Yocto Project &DISTRO; release (e.g.
+   ``&YOCTO_POKY;.tar.bz2``, which is the
+   released Poky tarball).
+
+4. *Download the Tarball:* Click the tarball to download and save a
+   snapshot of the given component.
+
+Using the Downloads Page
+------------------------
+
+The :yocto_home:`Yocto Project Website <>` uses a "DOWNLOADS" page
+from which you can locate and download tarballs of any Yocto Project
+release. Rather than Git repositories, these files represent snapshot
+tarballs similar to the tarballs located in the Index of Releases
+described in the "`Accessing Index of
+Releases <#accessing-index-of-releases>`__" section.
+
+.. note::
+
+   The recommended method for accessing Yocto Project components is to
+   use Git to clone a repository and work from within that local
+   repository. The procedure in this section exists should you desire a
+   tarball snapshot of any given component.
+
+1. *Go to the Yocto Project Website:* Open The
+   :yocto_home:`Yocto Project Website <>` in your browser.
+
+2. *Get to the Downloads Area:* Select the "DOWNLOADS" item from the
+   pull-down "SOFTWARE" tab menu near the top of the page.
+
+3. *Select a Yocto Project Release:* Use the menu next to "RELEASE" to
+   display and choose a recent or past supported Yocto Project release
+   (e.g. &DISTRO_NAME_NO_CAP;, &DISTRO_NAME_NO_CAP_MINUS_ONE;, and so forth).
+
+   .. note::
+
+      For a "map" of Yocto Project releases to version numbers, see the
+      :yocto_wiki:`Releases </Releases>` wiki page.
+
+   You can use the "RELEASE ARCHIVE" link to reveal a menu of all Yocto
+   Project releases.
+
+4. *Download Tools or Board Support Packages (BSPs):* From the
+   "DOWNLOADS" page, you can download tools or BSPs as well. Just scroll
+   down the page and look for what you need.
+
+Accessing Nightly Builds
+------------------------
+
+Yocto Project maintains an area for nightly builds that contains tarball
+releases at https://autobuilder.yocto.io//pub/nightly/. These builds include Yocto
+Project releases ("poky"), toolchains, and builds for supported
+machines.
+
+Should you ever want to access a nightly build of a particular Yocto
+Project component, use the following procedure:
+
+1. *Locate the Index of Nightly Builds:* Open a browser and go to
+   https://autobuilder.yocto.io//pub/nightly/ to access the Nightly Builds.
+
+2. *Select a Date:* Click on the date in which you are interested. If
+   you want the latest builds, use "CURRENT".
+
+3. *Select a Build:* Choose the area in which you are interested. For
+   example, if you are looking for the most recent toolchains, select
+   the "toolchain" link.
+
+4. *Find the Tarball:* Drill down to find the associated tarball.
+
+5. *Download the Tarball:* Click the tarball to download and save a
+   snapshot of the given component.
+
+Cloning and Checking Out Branches
+=================================
+
+To use the Yocto Project for development, you need a release locally
+installed on your development system. This locally installed set of
+files is referred to as the :term:`Source Directory`
+in the Yocto Project documentation.
+
+The preferred method of creating your Source Directory is by using
+:ref:`overview-manual/overview-manual-development-environment:git` to clone a local copy of the upstream
+``poky`` repository. Working from a cloned copy of the upstream
+repository allows you to contribute back into the Yocto Project or to
+simply work with the latest software on a development branch. Because
+Git maintains and creates an upstream repository with a complete history
+of changes and you are working with a local clone of that repository,
+you have access to all the Yocto Project development branches and tag
+names used in the upstream repository.
+
+Cloning the ``poky`` Repository
+-------------------------------
+
+Follow these steps to create a local version of the upstream
+:term:`Poky` Git repository.
+
+1. *Set Your Directory:* Change your working directory to where you want
+   to create your local copy of ``poky``.
+
+2. *Clone the Repository:* The following example command clones the
+   ``poky`` repository and uses the default name "poky" for your local
+   repository:
+   ::
+
+      $ git clone git://git.yoctoproject.org/poky
+      Cloning into 'poky'...
+      remote: Counting objects: 432160, done.
+      remote: Compressing objects: 100% (102056/102056), done.
+      remote: Total 432160 (delta 323116), reused 432037 (delta 323000)
+      Receiving objects: 100% (432160/432160), 153.81 MiB | 8.54 MiB/s, done.
+      Resolving deltas: 100% (323116/323116), done.
+      Checking connectivity... done.
+
+   Unless you
+   specify a specific development branch or tag name, Git clones the
+   "master" branch, which results in a snapshot of the latest
+   development changes for "master". For information on how to check out
+   a specific development branch or on how to check out a local branch
+   based on a tag name, see the "`Checking Out By Branch in
+   Poky <#checking-out-by-branch-in-poky>`__" and `Checking Out By Tag
+   in Poky <#checkout-out-by-tag-in-poky>`__" sections, respectively.
+
+   Once the local repository is created, you can change to that
+   directory and check its status. Here, the single "master" branch
+   exists on your system and by default, it is checked out:
+   ::
+
+      $ cd ~/poky
+      $ git status
+      On branch master
+      Your branch is up-to-date with 'origin/master'.
+      nothing to commit, working directory clean
+      $ git branch
+      * master
+
+   Your local repository of poky is identical to the
+   upstream poky repository at the time from which it was cloned. As you
+   work with the local branch, you can periodically use the
+   ``git pull --rebase`` command to be sure you are up-to-date
+   with the upstream branch.
+
+Checking Out by Branch in Poky
+------------------------------
+
+When you clone the upstream poky repository, you have access to all its
+development branches. Each development branch in a repository is unique
+as it forks off the "master" branch. To see and use the files of a
+particular development branch locally, you need to know the branch name
+and then specifically check out that development branch.
+
+.. note::
+
+   Checking out an active development branch by branch name gives you a
+   snapshot of that particular branch at the time you check it out.
+   Further development on top of the branch that occurs after check it
+   out can occur.
+
+1. *Switch to the Poky Directory:* If you have a local poky Git
+   repository, switch to that directory. If you do not have the local
+   copy of poky, see the
+   ":ref:`dev-manual/start:cloning the \`\`poky\`\` repository`"
+   section.
+
+2. *Determine Existing Branch Names:*
+   ::
+
+      $ git branch -a
+      * master
+      remotes/origin/1.1_M1
+      remotes/origin/1.1_M2
+      remotes/origin/1.1_M3
+      remotes/origin/1.1_M4
+      remotes/origin/1.2_M1
+      remotes/origin/1.2_M2
+      remotes/origin/1.2_M3
+      . . .
+      remotes/origin/thud
+      remotes/origin/thud-next
+      remotes/origin/warrior
+      remotes/origin/warrior-next
+      remotes/origin/zeus
+      remotes/origin/zeus-next
+      ... and so on ...
+
+3. *Check out the Branch:* Check out the development branch in which you
+   want to work. For example, to access the files for the Yocto Project
+   &DISTRO; Release (&DISTRO_NAME;), use the following command:
+   ::
+
+      $ git checkout -b &DISTRO_NAME_NO_CAP; 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;'
+
+   The previous command checks out the "&DISTRO_NAME_NO_CAP;" development
+   branch and reports that the branch is tracking the upstream
+   "origin/&DISTRO_NAME_NO_CAP;" branch.
+
+   The following command displays the branches that are now part of your
+   local poky repository. The asterisk character indicates the branch
+   that is currently checked out for work:
+   ::
+
+      $ git branch
+        master
+        * &DISTRO_NAME_NO_CAP;
+
+Checking Out by Tag in Poky
+---------------------------
+
+Similar to branches, the upstream repository uses tags to mark specific
+commits associated with significant points in a development branch (i.e.
+a release point or stage of a release). You might want to set up a local
+branch based on one of those points in the repository. The process is
+similar to checking out by branch name except you use tag names.
+
+.. note::
+
+   Checking out a branch based on a tag gives you a stable set of files
+   not affected by development on the branch above the tag.
+
+1. *Switch to the Poky Directory:* If you have a local poky Git
+   repository, switch to that directory. If you do not have the local
+   copy of poky, see the
+   ":ref:`dev-manual/start:cloning the \`\`poky\`\` repository`"
+   section.
+
+2. *Fetch the Tag Names:* To checkout the branch based on a tag name,
+   you need to fetch the upstream tags into your local repository:
+   ::
+
+      $ git fetch --tags
+      $
+
+3. *List the Tag Names:* You can list the tag names now:
+   ::
+
+      $ git tag
+      1.1_M1.final
+      1.1_M1.rc1
+      1.1_M1.rc2
+      1.1_M2.final
+      1.1_M2.rc1
+         .
+         .
+         .
+      yocto-2.5
+      yocto-2.5.1
+      yocto-2.5.2
+      yocto-2.5.3
+      yocto-2.6
+      yocto-2.6.1
+      yocto-2.6.2
+      yocto-2.7
+      yocto_1.5_M5.rc8
+
+
+4. *Check out the Branch:*
+   ::
+
+      $ git checkout tags/yocto-&DISTRO; -b my_yocto_&DISTRO;
+      Switched to a new branch 'my_yocto_&DISTRO;'
+      $ git branch
+        master
+      * my_yocto_&DISTRO;
+
+   The previous command creates and
+   checks out a local branch named "my_yocto_&DISTRO;", which is based on
+   the commit in the upstream poky repository that has the same tag. In
+   this example, the files you have available locally as a result of the
+   ``checkout`` command are a snapshot of the "&DISTRO_NAME_NO_CAP;"
+   development branch at the point where Yocto Project &DISTRO; was
+   released.