Porting OE to new hardware

Porting OE to new hardware

[Bernard Mentink]

Hi All,

I am jumping across to this email list as the user one has very little
traffic.

I have just found OE and would like to use it to get Linux up and running on
some custom hardware. The hardware is currently running the logicloader
bootloader from LogicPD and a YAFFS2 filesystem.

I have found very little info on the steps necessary to port to new
hardware. As far as OE is concerned, I have built an image after altering
the MACHINE and DISTRO to something close to what I need.
I now have a zimage (kernel) and a rootFS.

However I have a number of questions:

1. To boot with zimage with  logicloader, I have to load the image into
memory at an address, and then execute it at the start code which I presume
is an offset the start of the image. Can anyone tell me how I can find
the relevant map file to work out
what offset I need to apply? I did a search for *.map files in the build/tmp
direcory and found nada ..

2. How do I do a kernel config? Is there an option to pass to bitbake to do
that, or do I have to find the kernel source and do it manually, then
rebuild with bitbake?

3. What src files in the kernel do I need to to maybe alter to get the
serial port and memory map right for my target hardware ..

4. Once I get the kernel booting, I need it to load the rootfs, initially I
can boot that from NFS, but I would like to eventually load it from my YAFFS
NAND partition, how do I do that?


Hope someone can give me some pointers in the right direction ... I would
love to kick off WinCE from this hardware ;-)

Cheers,
Bernie

-- 
You always have believers and scepticts.. A True inventor is always a
believer..

Re: Porting OE to new hardware

[Izak Burger]

Hi Bernard,

I found this page during my searches for similar info:

http://wiki.openembedded.net/index.php/Adding_a_new_Machine

Don't know how useful or up to date it is though, I'm still new to
these parts and to OE in general, but I thought I'd post that here in
case it is useful.

regards,
Izak

Re: Porting OE to new hardware

[Bernard Mentink]

Thanks, but doesn't help at all .... I think it requires a level of
understanding I don't have yet ...

Cheers,
Bernie

On Tue, Mar 30, 2010 at 8:33 AM, Izak Burger <isburger@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Bernard,
>
> I found this page during my searches for similar info:
>
> http://wiki.openembedded.net/index.php/Adding_a_new_Machine
>
> Don't know how useful or up to date it is though, I'm still new to
> these parts and to OE in general, but I thought I'd post that here in
> case it is useful.
>
> regards,
> Izak
>
> _______________________________________________
> Openembedded-devel mailing list
> Openembedded-devel@lists.openembedded.org
> http://lists.linuxtogo.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/openembedded-devel
>



-- 
You always have believers and scepticts.. A True inventor is always a
believer..

Re: Porting OE to new hardware

[Khem Raj]

On Mon, Mar 29, 2010 at 12:29 PM, Bernard Mentink <bmentink@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I am jumping across to this email list as the user one has very little
> traffic.
>
> I have just found OE and would like to use it to get Linux up and running on
> some custom hardware. The hardware is currently running the logicloader
> bootloader from LogicPD and a YAFFS2 filesystem.
>
> I have found very little info on the steps necessary to port to new
> hardware. As far as OE is concerned, I have built an image after altering
> the MACHINE and DISTRO to something close to what I need.
> I now have a zimage (kernel) and a rootFS.
>
> However I have a number of questions:
>
> 1. To boot with zimage with  logicloader, I have to load the image into
> memory at an address, and then execute it at the start code which I presume
> is an offset the start of the image. Can anyone tell me how I can find
> the relevant map file to work out
> what offset I need to apply? I did a search for *.map files in the build/tmp
> direcory and found nada ..

this post tells how to load linux kernel using logicloader. It might help you.
http://forums.freescale.com/t5/Other-Microcontrollers/load-zImage-or-vmlinux-using-LogicLoader/td-p/32749;jsessionid=F6F40E5BF81249CFF86028A7AB86DE29

>
> 2. How do I do a kernel config? Is there an option to pass to bitbake to do
> that, or do I have to find the kernel source and do it manually, then
> rebuild with bitbake?

You can copy the .config you want into
recipes/linux/<chosen-kernel-version>/<machine>/defconfig file and it
will use
it to build the kernel for you machine. You can also edit the .config
on fly search the ml on how to do it.

>
> 3. What src files in the kernel do I need to to maybe alter to get the
> serial port and memory map right for my target hardware ..
>

you can specify serial port in kernel commandline too unless your board needs
a special handling of serial port.

> 4. Once I get the kernel booting, I need it to load the rootfs, initially I
> can boot that from NFS, but I would like to eventually load it from my YAFFS
> NAND partition, how do I do that?

you can do that thru kernel commandline.

>
>
> Hope someone can give me some pointers in the right direction ... I would
> love to kick off WinCE from this hardware ;-)
>
> Cheers,
> Bernie
>
> --
> You always have believers and scepticts.. A True inventor is always a
> believer..
> _______________________________________________
> Openembedded-devel mailing list
> Openembedded-devel@lists.openembedded.org
> http://lists.linuxtogo.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/openembedded-devel
>

Re: Porting OE to new hardware

[Bernard Mentink]

Thanks Khem,

That helps a lot. On the kernel config issue there is one thing I don't
understand.

I have set up to do an ARM  i.mx31 build, but when I did a "make menuconfig"
in the /build/tmp/.../kernelxxxxx directory, it only shows x86 options, I
don't know where all the i.mx31 kernel options are.

Thanks,
Bernie

On Wed, Mar 31, 2010 at 7:03 AM, Khem Raj <raj.khem@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Mon, Mar 29, 2010 at 12:29 PM, Bernard Mentink <bmentink@gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > Hi All,
> >
> > I am jumping across to this email list as the user one has very little
> > traffic.
> >
> > I have just found OE and would like to use it to get Linux up and running
> on
> > some custom hardware. The hardware is currently running the logicloader
> > bootloader from LogicPD and a YAFFS2 filesystem.
> >
> > I have found very little info on the steps necessary to port to new
> > hardware. As far as OE is concerned, I have built an image after altering
> > the MACHINE and DISTRO to something close to what I need.
> > I now have a zimage (kernel) and a rootFS.
> >
> > However I have a number of questions:
> >
> > 1. To boot with zimage with  logicloader, I have to load the image into
> > memory at an address, and then execute it at the start code which I
> presume
> > is an offset the start of the image. Can anyone tell me how I can find
> > the relevant map file to work out
> > what offset I need to apply? I did a search for *.map files in the
> build/tmp
> > direcory and found nada ..
>
> this post tells how to load linux kernel using logicloader. It might help
> you.
>
> http://forums.freescale.com/t5/Other-Microcontrollers/load-zImage-or-vmlinux-using-LogicLoader/td-p/32749;jsessionid=F6F40E5BF81249CFF86028A7AB86DE29
>
> >
> > 2. How do I do a kernel config? Is there an option to pass to bitbake to
> do
> > that, or do I have to find the kernel source and do it manually, then
> > rebuild with bitbake?
>
> You can copy the .config you want into
> recipes/linux/<chosen-kernel-version>/<machine>/defconfig file and it
> will use
> it to build the kernel for you machine. You can also edit the .config
> on fly search the ml on how to do it.
>
> >
> > 3. What src files in the kernel do I need to to maybe alter to get the
> > serial port and memory map right for my target hardware ..
> >
>
> you can specify serial port in kernel commandline too unless your board
> needs
> a special handling of serial port.
>
> > 4. Once I get the kernel booting, I need it to load the rootfs, initially
> I
> > can boot that from NFS, but I would like to eventually load it from my
> YAFFS
> > NAND partition, how do I do that?
>
> you can do that thru kernel commandline.
>
> >
> >
> > Hope someone can give me some pointers in the right direction ... I would
> > love to kick off WinCE from this hardware ;-)
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Bernie
> >
> > --
> > You always have believers and scepticts.. A True inventor is always a
> > believer..
> > _______________________________________________
> > Openembedded-devel mailing list
> > Openembedded-devel@lists.openembedded.org
> > http://lists.linuxtogo.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/openembedded-devel
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> Openembedded-devel mailing list
> Openembedded-devel@lists.openembedded.org
> http://lists.linuxtogo.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/openembedded-devel
>



-- 
You always have believers and scepticts.. A True inventor is always a
believer..

Re: Porting OE to new hardware

[Gary Thomas]

On 03/30/2010 12:14 PM, Bernard Mentink wrote:
> Thanks Khem,
>
> That helps a lot. On the kernel config issue there is one thing I don't
> understand.
>
> I have set up to do an ARM  i.mx31 build, but when I did a "make menuconfig"
> in the /build/tmp/.../kernelxxxxx directory, it only shows x86 options, I
> don't know where all the i.mx31 kernel options are.

You didn't tell it - the default architecture is the one you build on (probably
x86).  Try this instead:
   % make ARCH=arm menuconfig

> On Wed, Mar 31, 2010 at 7:03 AM, Khem Raj<raj.khem@gmail.com>  wrote:
>
>> On Mon, Mar 29, 2010 at 12:29 PM, Bernard Mentink<bmentink@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>> Hi All,
>>>
>>> I am jumping across to this email list as the user one has very little
>>> traffic.
>>>
>>> I have just found OE and would like to use it to get Linux up and running
>> on
>>> some custom hardware. The hardware is currently running the logicloader
>>> bootloader from LogicPD and a YAFFS2 filesystem.
>>>
>>> I have found very little info on the steps necessary to port to new
>>> hardware. As far as OE is concerned, I have built an image after altering
>>> the MACHINE and DISTRO to something close to what I need.
>>> I now have a zimage (kernel) and a rootFS.
>>>
>>> However I have a number of questions:
>>>
>>> 1. To boot with zimage with  logicloader, I have to load the image into
>>> memory at an address, and then execute it at the start code which I
>> presume
>>> is an offset the start of the image. Can anyone tell me how I can find
>>> the relevant map file to work out
>>> what offset I need to apply? I did a search for *.map files in the
>> build/tmp
>>> direcory and found nada ..
>>
>> this post tells how to load linux kernel using logicloader. It might help
>> you.
>>
>> http://forums.freescale.com/t5/Other-Microcontrollers/load-zImage-or-vmlinux-using-LogicLoader/td-p/32749;jsessionid=F6F40E5BF81249CFF86028A7AB86DE29
>>
>>>
>>> 2. How do I do a kernel config? Is there an option to pass to bitbake to
>> do
>>> that, or do I have to find the kernel source and do it manually, then
>>> rebuild with bitbake?
>>
>> You can copy the .config you want into
>> recipes/linux/<chosen-kernel-version>/<machine>/defconfig file and it
>> will use
>> it to build the kernel for you machine. You can also edit the .config
>> on fly search the ml on how to do it.
>>
>>>
>>> 3. What src files in the kernel do I need to to maybe alter to get the
>>> serial port and memory map right for my target hardware ..
>>>
>>
>> you can specify serial port in kernel commandline too unless your board
>> needs
>> a special handling of serial port.
>>
>>> 4. Once I get the kernel booting, I need it to load the rootfs, initially
>> I
>>> can boot that from NFS, but I would like to eventually load it from my
>> YAFFS
>>> NAND partition, how do I do that?
>>
>> you can do that thru kernel commandline.
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Hope someone can give me some pointers in the right direction ... I would
>>> love to kick off WinCE from this hardware ;-)
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>> Bernie
>>>
>>> --
>>> You always have believers and scepticts.. A True inventor is always a
>>> believer..
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Openembedded-devel mailing list
>>> Openembedded-devel@lists.openembedded.org
>>> http://lists.linuxtogo.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/openembedded-devel
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Openembedded-devel mailing list
>> Openembedded-devel@lists.openembedded.org
>> http://lists.linuxtogo.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/openembedded-devel
>>
>
>
>

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------
Gary Thomas                 |  Consulting for the
MLB Associates              |    Embedded world
------------------------------------------------------------