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diff --git a/handbook/bsp.xml b/handbook/bsp.xml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..37dd166749 --- /dev/null +++ b/handbook/bsp.xml @@ -0,0 +1,287 @@ +<!DOCTYPE chapter PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.2//EN" +"http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.2/docbookx.dtd"> + +<chapter id='bsp'> + + <title>Board Support Packages (BSP) - Developers Guide</title> + + <para> + A Board Support Package (BSP) is a collection of information which together + defines how to support a particular hardware device, set of devices or + hardware platform. It will include information about the hardware features + present on the device, kernel configuration information along with any + additional hardware drivers required and also any additional software + components required in addition to a generic Linux software stack for both + essential and optional platform features. + </para> + + <para> + The intend of this document is to define a structure for these components + so that BSPs follow a commonly understood layout allowing them to be + provided in a common way that everyone understands. It also allows end + users to become familiar with one common format and encourages standardisation + of software support of hardware. + </para> + + <para> + The proposed format does have elements that are specific to the Poky and + OpenEmbedded build systems. It is intended that this information can be + used by other systems besides Poky/OpenEmbedded and that it will be simple + to extract information and convert to other formats if required. The format + descriped can be directly accepted as a layer by Poky using its standard + layers mechanism but its important to recognise that the BSP captures all + the hardware specific details in one place in a standard format which is + useful for any person wishing to use the hardware platform regardless of + the build system in use. + </para> + + <para> + The BSP specification does not include a build system or other tooling, + it is concerned with the hardware specific components only. At the end + distribution point the BSP may be shipped combined with a build system + and other tools but it is important to maintain the distinction that these + are separate components which may just be combined in certain end products. + </para> + + <section id='bsp-filelayout'> + <title>Example Filesystem Layout</title> + + <para> + The BSP consists of a file structure inside a base directory, meta-bsp in this example where "bsp" is a placeholder for the machine or platform name. Examples of some files that it could contain are: + </para> + + <para> + <programlisting> +meta-bsp/ +meta-bsp/binary/zImage +meta-bsp/binary/poky-image-minimal.directdisk +meta-bsp/conf/layer.conf +meta-bsp/conf/machine/*.conf +meta-bsp/conf/machine/include/tune-*.inc +meta-bsp/packages/bootloader/bootloader_0.1.bb +meta-bsp/packages/linux/linux-bsp-2.6.50/*.patch +meta-bsp/packages/linux/linux-bsp-2.6.50/defconfig-bsp +meta-bsp/packages/linux/linux-bsp_2.6.50.bb +meta-bsp/packages/modem/modem-driver_0.1.bb +meta-bsp/packages/modem/modem-daemon_0.1.bb +meta-bsp/packages/image-creator/image-creator-native_0.1.bb +meta-bsp/prebuilds/ + + </programlisting> + </para> + + <para> + The following sections detail what these files and directories could contain. + </para> + + </section> + + <section id='bsp-filelayout-binary'> + <title>Prebuilt User Binaries (meta-bsp/binary/*)</title> + + <para> + This optional area cotains useful prebuilt kernels and userspace filesystem + images appropriate to the target system. Users could use these to get a system + running and quickly get started on development tasks. The exact types of binaries + present will be highly hardware dependent but a README file should be present + explaining how to use them with the target hardware. If prebuilt binaries are + present, source code to meet licensing requirements must also be provided in + some form. + </para> + + </section> + + <section id='bsp-filelayout-layer'> + <title>Layer Configuration (meta-bsp/conf/layer.conf)</title> + + <para> + This file identifies the structure as a Poky layer. This file identifies the + contents of the layer and how contains information about how Poky should use + it. In general it will most likely be a standard boilerplate file consisting of: + </para> + + <para> + <programlisting> +# We have a conf directory, add to BBPATH +BBPATH := "${BBPATH}${LAYERDIR}" + +# We have a packages directory, add to BBFILES +BBFILES := "${BBFILES} ${LAYERDIR}/packages/*/*.bb" + +BBFILE_COLLECTIONS += "meta-bsp" +BBFILE_PATTERN_meta-bsp := "^${LAYERDIR}/" +BBFILE_PRIORITY_meta-bsp = "5" + </programlisting> + </para> + + <para> + which simply makes bitbake aware of the packages and conf directories. + </para> + + <para> + This file is required for recognition of the BSP by Poky. + </para> + + </section> + + <section id='bsp-filelayout-machine'> + <title>Hardware Configuration Options (meta-bsp/conf/machine/*.conf)</title> + + <para> + The machine files bind together all the information contained elsewhere + in the BSP into a format that Poky/OpenEmbedded can understand it in. If + the BSP supports multiple machines, multiple machine configuration files + can be present. These filenames correspond to the values users set the + MACHINE variable to. + </para> + + <para> + These files would define things like which kernel package to use + (PREFERRED_PROVIDER of virtual/kernel), which 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> + At least one machine file is required for a Poky BSP layer but more than one may be present. + </para> + + </section> + + <section id='bsp-filelayout-tune'> + <title>Hardware Optimisation Options (meta-bsp/conf/machine/include/tune-*.inc)</title> + + <para> + These are shared hardware "tuning" definitions and are commonly used to + pass specific optimisation flags to the compiler. An example is + tune-atom.inc: + </para> + <para> + <programlisting> +BASE_PACKAGE_ARCH = "core2" +TARGET_CC_ARCH = "-m32 -march=core2 -msse3 -mtune=generic -mfpmath=sse" + </programlisting> + </para> + <para> + which defines a new package architecture called "core2" and uses the + optimisation flags specified which are carefully chosen to give best + performance on atom cpus. + </para> + <para> + The tune file would be included by the machine definition and can be + contained in the BSP or reference one from the standard core set of + files included with Poky itself. + </para> + <para> + These files are optional for a Poky BSP layer. + </para> + </section> + <section id='bsp-filelayout-kernel'> + <title>Linux Kernel Configuration (meta-bsp/packages/linux/*)</title> + + <para> + These files make up the definition of a kernel to use with this + hardware. In this case its a complete self contained kernel with its own + configuration and patches but kernels can be shared between many + machines as well. Taking some specific example files: + </para> + <para> + <programlisting> +meta-bsp/packages/linux/linux-bsp_2.6.50.bb + </programlisting> + </para> + <para> + which is the core kernel recipe which firstly details where to get the kernel + source from. All standard source code locations are supported so this could + be a release tarball, some git repository or source included in + the directory within the BSP itself. It then contains information about which + patches to apply and how to configure and build it. It can reuse the main + Poky kernel build class meaning the definitions here can remain very simple. + </para> + <para> + <programlisting> +linux-bsp-2.6.50/*.patch + </programlisting> + </para> + <para> + which are patches which may be applied against the base kernel, wherever + that may have been obtained from. + </para> + <para> + <programlisting> +meta-bsp/packages/linux/linux-bsp-2.6.50/defconfig-bsp + </programlisting> + </para> + <para> + which is the configuration information to use to configure the kernel. + </para> + <para> + Examples of kernel recipes are available in Poky itself. These files are + optional since a kernel from Poky itself could be selected although it + would be unusual not to have a kernel configuration. + </para> + </section> + + <section id='bsp-filelayout-packages'> + <title>Other Software (meta-bsp/packages/*)</title> + + <para> + This area includes other pieces of software which the hardware may need for best + operation. These are just examples of the kind of things that may be + encountered. The are standard .bb file recipes in the usual Poky format + so for examples, see standard Poky recipes. The source can be included directly, + referred to in source control systems or release tarballs of external software projects. + </para> + <para> + <programlisting> +meta-bsp/packages/bootloader/bootloader_0.1.bb + </programlisting> + </para> + <para> + Some kind of bootloader recipe which may be used to generate a new + bootloader binary. Sometimes these are included in the final image + format and needed to reflash hardware. + </para> + <para> + <programlisting> +meta-bsp/packages/modem/modem-driver_0.1.bb +meta-bsp/packages/modem/modem-daemon_0.1.bb + </programlisting> + </para> + <para> + These are examples of a hardware driver and also a hardware daemon which + may need to be included in images to make the hardware useful. "modem" + is one example but there may be other components needed like firmware. + </para> + <para> + <programlisting> +meta-bsp/packages/image-creator/image-creator-native_0.1.bb + </programlisting> + </para> + <para> + Sometimes the device will need an image in a very specific format for + its update mechanism to accept and reflash with it. Recipes to build the + tools needed to do this can be included with the BSP. + </para> + <para> + These files only need be provided if the platform requires them. + </para> + </section> + + <section id='bsp-filelayout-prebuilds'> + <title>Prebuild Data (meta-bsp/prebuilds/*)</title> + + <para> + The location can contains a precompiled representation of the source code + contained elsewhere in the BSP layer. It can be processed and used by + Poky to provide much faster build times assuming a compatible configuration is used. + </para> + + <para> + These files are optional. + </para> + + </section> + +</chapter> |