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|  | <appendix id='kernel-dev-maint-appx'> | 
|  | <title>Kernel Maintenance</title> | 
|  |  | 
|  | <section id='tree-construction'> | 
|  | <title>Tree Construction</title> | 
|  | <para> | 
|  | This section describes construction of the Yocto Project kernel source repositories | 
|  | as accomplished by the Yocto Project team to create kernel repositories. | 
|  | These kernel repositories are found under the heading "Yocto Linux Kernel" at | 
|  | <ulink url='&YOCTO_GIT_URL;/cgit.cgi'>&YOCTO_GIT_URL;/cgit.cgi</ulink> | 
|  | and can be shipped as part of a Yocto Project release. | 
|  | The team creates these repositories by | 
|  | compiling and executing the set of feature descriptions for every BSP | 
|  | and feature in the product. | 
|  | Those feature descriptions list all necessary patches, | 
|  | configuration, branching, tagging and feature divisions found in a kernel. | 
|  | Thus, the Yocto Project kernel repository (or tree) is built. | 
|  | </para> | 
|  | <para> | 
|  | The existence of this tree allows you to access and clone a particular | 
|  | Yocto Project kernel repository and use it to build images based on their configurations | 
|  | and features. | 
|  | </para> | 
|  | <para> | 
|  | You can find the files used to describe all the valid features and BSPs | 
|  | in the Yocto Project kernel in any clone of the Yocto Project kernel source repository | 
|  | Git tree. | 
|  | For example, the following command clones the Yocto Project baseline kernel that | 
|  | branched off of <filename>linux.org</filename> version 3.19: | 
|  | <literallayout class='monospaced'> | 
|  | $ git clone git://git.yoctoproject.org/linux-yocto-3.19 | 
|  | </literallayout> | 
|  | For another example of how to set up a local Git repository of the Yocto Project | 
|  | kernel files, see the | 
|  | "<ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#local-kernel-files'>Yocto Project Kernel</ulink>" bulleted | 
|  | item in the Yocto Project Development Manual. | 
|  | </para> | 
|  | <para> | 
|  | Once you have cloned the kernel Git repository on your local machine, you can | 
|  | switch to the <filename>meta</filename> branch within the repository. | 
|  | Here is an example that assumes the local Git repository for the kernel is in | 
|  | a top-level directory named <filename>linux-yocto-3.19</filename>: | 
|  | <literallayout class='monospaced'> | 
|  | $ cd linux-yocto-3.19 | 
|  | $ git checkout -b meta origin/meta | 
|  | </literallayout> | 
|  | Once you have checked out and switched to the <filename>meta</filename> branch, | 
|  | you can see a snapshot of all the kernel configuration and feature descriptions that are | 
|  | used to build that particular kernel repository. | 
|  | These descriptions are in the form of <filename>.scc</filename> files. | 
|  | </para> | 
|  | <para> | 
|  | You should realize, however, that browsing your local kernel repository | 
|  | for feature descriptions and patches is not an effective way to determine what is in a | 
|  | particular kernel branch. | 
|  | Instead, you should use Git directly to discover the changes in a branch. | 
|  | Using Git is an efficient and flexible way to inspect changes to the kernel. | 
|  | <note> | 
|  | Ground up reconstruction of the complete kernel tree is an action only taken by the | 
|  | Yocto Project team during an active development cycle. | 
|  | When you create a clone of the kernel Git repository, you are simply making it | 
|  | efficiently available for building and development. | 
|  | </note> | 
|  | </para> | 
|  | <para> | 
|  | The following steps describe what happens when the Yocto Project Team constructs | 
|  | the Yocto Project kernel source Git repository (or tree) found at | 
|  | <ulink url='&YOCTO_GIT_URL;/cgit.cgi'></ulink> given the | 
|  | introduction of a new top-level kernel feature or BSP. | 
|  | These are the actions that effectively create the tree | 
|  | that includes the new feature, patch or BSP: | 
|  | <orderedlist> | 
|  | <listitem><para>A top-level kernel feature is passed to the kernel build subsystem. | 
|  | Normally, this feature is a BSP for a particular kernel type.</para></listitem> | 
|  | <listitem><para>The file that describes the top-level feature is located by searching | 
|  | these system directories: | 
|  | <itemizedlist> | 
|  | <listitem><para>The in-tree kernel-cache directories, which are located | 
|  | in <filename>meta/cfg/kernel-cache</filename></para></listitem> | 
|  | <listitem><para>Areas pointed to by <filename>SRC_URI</filename> statements | 
|  | found in recipes</para></listitem> | 
|  | </itemizedlist> | 
|  | For a typical build, the target of the search is a | 
|  | feature description in an <filename>.scc</filename> file | 
|  | whose name follows this format: | 
|  | <literallayout class='monospaced'> | 
|  | <replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable>-<replaceable>kernel_type</replaceable>.scc | 
|  | </literallayout> | 
|  | </para></listitem> | 
|  | <listitem><para>Once located, the feature description is either compiled into a simple script | 
|  | of actions, or into an existing equivalent script that is already part of the | 
|  | shipped kernel.</para></listitem> | 
|  | <listitem><para>Extra features are appended to the top-level feature description. | 
|  | These features can come from the | 
|  | <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#var-KERNEL_FEATURES'><filename>KERNEL_FEATURES</filename></ulink> | 
|  | variable in recipes.</para></listitem> | 
|  | <listitem><para>Each extra feature is located, compiled and appended to the script | 
|  | as described in step three.</para></listitem> | 
|  | <listitem><para>The script is executed to produce a series of <filename>meta-*</filename> | 
|  | directories. | 
|  | These directories are descriptions of all the branches, tags, patches and configurations that | 
|  | need to be applied to the base Git repository to completely create the | 
|  | source (build) branch for the new BSP or feature.</para></listitem> | 
|  | <listitem><para>The base repository is cloned, and the actions | 
|  | listed in the <filename>meta-*</filename> directories are applied to the | 
|  | tree.</para></listitem> | 
|  | <listitem><para>The Git repository is left with the desired branch checked out and any | 
|  | required branching, patching and tagging has been performed.</para></listitem> | 
|  | </orderedlist> | 
|  | </para> | 
|  | <para> | 
|  | The kernel tree is now ready for developer consumption to be locally cloned, | 
|  | configured, and built into a Yocto Project kernel specific to some target hardware. | 
|  | <note><para>The generated <filename>meta-*</filename> directories add to the kernel | 
|  | as shipped with the Yocto Project release. | 
|  | Any add-ons and configuration data are applied to the end of an existing branch. | 
|  | The full repository generation that is found in the | 
|  | official Yocto Project kernel repositories at | 
|  | <ulink url='&YOCTO_GIT_URL;/cgit.cgi'>http://git.yoctoproject.org/cgit.cgi</ulink> | 
|  | is the combination of all supported boards and configurations.</para> | 
|  | <para>The technique the Yocto Project team uses is flexible and allows for seamless | 
|  | blending of an immutable history with additional patches specific to a | 
|  | deployment. | 
|  | Any additions to the kernel become an integrated part of the branches.</para> | 
|  | </note> | 
|  | </para> | 
|  | </section> | 
|  |  | 
|  | <section id='build-strategy'> | 
|  | <title>Build Strategy</title> | 
|  |  | 
|  | <!-- | 
|  | <para> | 
|  | <emphasis>AR - Darren Hart:</emphasis>  Some parts of this section | 
|  | need to be in the | 
|  | "<link linkend='using-an-iterative-development-process'>Using an Iterative Development Process</link>" | 
|  | section. | 
|  | Darren needs to figure out which parts and identify them. | 
|  | </para> | 
|  | --> | 
|  |  | 
|  | <para> | 
|  | Once a local Git repository of the Yocto Project kernel exists on a development system, | 
|  | you can consider the compilation phase of kernel development - building a kernel image. | 
|  | Some prerequisites exist that are validated by the build process before compilation | 
|  | starts: | 
|  | </para> | 
|  |  | 
|  | <itemizedlist> | 
|  | <listitem><para>The | 
|  | <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;#var-SRC_URI'><filename>SRC_URI</filename></ulink> points | 
|  | to the kernel Git repository.</para></listitem> | 
|  | <listitem><para>A BSP build branch exists. | 
|  | This branch has the following form: | 
|  | <literallayout class='monospaced'> | 
|  | <replaceable>kernel_type</replaceable>/<replaceable>bsp_name</replaceable> | 
|  | </literallayout></para></listitem> | 
|  | </itemizedlist> | 
|  |  | 
|  | <para> | 
|  | The OpenEmbedded build system makes sure these conditions exist before attempting compilation. | 
|  | Other means, however, do exist, such as as bootstrapping a BSP. | 
|  | </para> | 
|  |  | 
|  | <para> | 
|  | Before building a kernel, the build process verifies the tree | 
|  | and configures the kernel by processing all of the | 
|  | configuration "fragments" specified by feature descriptions in the <filename>.scc</filename> | 
|  | files. | 
|  | As the features are compiled, associated kernel configuration fragments are noted | 
|  | and recorded in the <filename>meta-*</filename> series of directories in their compilation order. | 
|  | The fragments are migrated, pre-processed and passed to the Linux Kernel | 
|  | Configuration subsystem (<filename>lkc</filename>) as raw input in the form | 
|  | of a <filename>.config</filename> file. | 
|  | The <filename>lkc</filename> uses its own internal dependency constraints to do the final | 
|  | processing of that information and generates the final <filename>.config</filename> file | 
|  | that is used during compilation. | 
|  | </para> | 
|  |  | 
|  | <para> | 
|  | Using the board's architecture and other relevant values from the board's template, | 
|  | kernel compilation is started and a kernel image is produced. | 
|  | </para> | 
|  |  | 
|  | <para> | 
|  | The other thing that you notice once you configure a kernel is that | 
|  | the build process generates a build tree that is separate from your kernel's local Git | 
|  | source repository tree. | 
|  | This build tree has a name that uses the following form, where | 
|  | <filename>${MACHINE}</filename> is the metadata name of the machine (BSP) and "kernel_type" is one | 
|  | of the Yocto Project supported kernel types (e.g. "standard"): | 
|  | <literallayout class='monospaced'> | 
|  | linux-${MACHINE}-<replaceable>kernel_type</replaceable>-build | 
|  | </literallayout> | 
|  | </para> | 
|  |  | 
|  | <para> | 
|  | The existing support in the <filename>kernel.org</filename> tree achieves this | 
|  | default functionality. | 
|  | </para> | 
|  |  | 
|  | <para> | 
|  | This behavior means that all the generated files for a particular machine or BSP are now in | 
|  | the build tree directory. | 
|  | The files include the final <filename>.config</filename> file, all the <filename>.o</filename> | 
|  | files, the <filename>.a</filename> files, and so forth. | 
|  | Since each machine or BSP has its own separate | 
|  | <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#build-directory'>Build Directory</ulink> | 
|  | in its own separate branch | 
|  | of the Git repository, you can easily switch between different builds. | 
|  | </para> | 
|  | </section> | 
|  | </appendix> | 
|  | <!-- | 
|  | vim: expandtab tw=80 ts=4 | 
|  | --> |