Select the version of your OS from the tabs below. If you don't know the version you are using, run the command cat /etc/os-release or cat /etc/issue on the board.
Remember that you can always refer to the Torizon Documentation, there you can find a lot of relevant articles that might help you in the application development.
It is often necessary to add a kernel module to a TorizonCore image. There are two possibilities:
Some examples where this is necessary:
You'll need to compile the kernel module's source code against the kernel source to make it compatible.
The typical way to do this in embedded Linux would be to add your kernel module via the Yocto Project/OpenEmbedded build system. However, this requires quite a bit of knowledge, and as we deliver TorizonCore as a binary distribution, we try to simplify this process greatly in a way that you don't need to fall back to a Yocto build.
This article complies to the Typographic Conventions for Torizon Documentation.
The pre-requisite to complete these instructions are:
To install TorizonCore Builder, read our statements on OS and shell compatibility, then follow the instructions below, in order.
Create and enter a working directory where your customization will be stored:
$ mkdir ~/tcbworkdir
$ cd ~/tcbworkdir
Use the setup script named tcb-env-setup.sh, available on the Toradex Github, to setup TorizonCore Builder:
$ wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/toradex/tcb-env-setup/master/tcb-env-setup.sh
$ source tcb-env-setup.sh
For advanced usage, run source tcb-env-setup.sh -h, or see the project README.
If using Windows, you must pass extra parameters to the script when using the following commands:
ostree serve: consult the ostree serve reference.Tip: The setup script installs a bash completion script for TorizonCore Builder, making it possible to autocomplete commands and parameters by just pressing the TAB key.
Verify that the command torizoncore-builder is available:
$ torizoncore-builder --help
Warning: Make sure to: (1) source the script, (2) every time you open a new terminal, (3) inside the working directory you have previously created. Otherwise, it will not work as intended and, most importantly, the torizoncore-builder alias will not be created properly.
Begin by organizing your kernel module source code into a single directory; let's call this your hello-mod. At a minimum, your source code should have at least one source C file and one Makefile.
To get the kernel module example, called hello-mod, from our Github repository, run the command below:
$ git clone https://github.com/toradex/hello-mod
Ihe files below are the source C file and the Makefile, respectively, contained in this hello-mod example:
hello.c#include <linux/module.h> int init_module(void) { printk("Hello World!\n"); return 0; } void cleanup_module(void) { printk("Goodbye Cruel World!\n"); } MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");
Take extra notice of the Makefile. In particular, notice the environment variable $(KERNEL_SRC). The TorizonCore Builder tool uses this variable, so include this in your Makefile as shown below. Alternatively, you can also use $(KDIR) instead. You do not need to define both these variables, but including at least one is mandatory.
Makefileobj-m := hello.o SRC := $(shell pwd) all: $(MAKE) -C $(KERNEL_SRC) M=$(SRC) modules clean: $(MAKE) -C $(KERNEL_SRC) M=$(SRC) clean
There are two possible approaches to apply the customization and generate a custom Toradex Easy Installer image, described in the next two sections Approach 1 and Approach 2. These approaches in some cases are interchangeable and in some not as described in the next sections.
To learn about TorizonCore Builder workflow and the different approaches to use the tool, with explanatory diagrams, please refer to the TorizonCore Builder - Workflow article.
Attention: Both approaches generate a custom Toradex Easy Installer image as output, so the approaches should be followed alternatively and not in sequence.
TorizonCore Builder build command generates a custom TorizonCore image with the external kernel module built, ready to be installed with Toradex Easy Installer, named torizon-core-docker-colibri-imx6-Tezi_5.3.0.CUSTOM in the example below. This is achieved using a configuration YAML file, tcbuild.yaml as default.
This is the recommended approach on production programming and on CI/CD (continuous integration / continuous development) pipelines.
To learn about TorizonCore Builder workflow and the different approaches to use the tool, with explanatory diagrams, please refer to the TorizonCore Builder - Workflow article.
It requires a Toradex Easy Installer image of TorizonCore (preferably without containers), torizon-core-docker-colibri-imx6-Tezi_5.3.0+build.7.tar in this case, as input. The directory with the kernel module source code is passed as customization: kernel: modules: source-dir.
tcbuild.yaml# Sample configuration file: input: easy-installer: local: images/torizon-core-docker-colibri-imx6-Tezi_5.3.0+build.7.tar # Sample customization: build hello-mod module into the image customization: kernel: modules: - source-dir: hello-mod/ autoload: no output: easy-installer: local: torizon-core-docker-colibri-imx6-Tezi_5.3.0.CUSTOM
Notice the kernel: modules: autoload parameter of the hello-mod kernel module defined to no. This means that the kernel module will not be automatically loaded on boot time. To enable loading on boot time just change this parameter to yes.
The directory with the kernel module source code hello-mod should be available before running the build command.
To generate the TorizonCore image, run the command below, in the same directory where the tcbuild.yaml file is:
$ torizoncore-builder build
...
1091 metadata, 12741 content objects imported; 412.2 MB content written
Pulling done.
Deploying OSTree with checksum 58629613a342197c31c5911d0874aac1b0fcb46b68a63f59760c03bacc4df08a
Deploying done.
Copy files not under OSTree control from original deployment.
Packing rootfs...
Packing rootfs done.
=>> Build command successfully executed!
In case of using a configuration file with a different name than tcbuild.yaml, run the command specifying the configuration file name:
$ torizoncore-builder build --file <configuration_file_name>
To deploy the custom Toradex Easy Installer image to the board, click on the link below and choose between the available options.
In this second approach, instead of using a configuration YAML file and a one-step command, the generation of the custom TorizonCore with the external kernel modules is done using standalone commands, each performing one step towards this generation.
This approach is especially useful when making incremental changes, generating multiple images with different external kernel modules (or other customizations like different device tree overlays). As you will see, including an external kernel module on an image of TorizonCore that has other customizations (including other external kernel modules) is just a matter of performing the apply, merge and deploy stages. If you want to remove one or more kernel modules, it is also necessary to come back to the initial image of TorizonCore by executing the images unpack command again.
To learn about TorizonCore Builder workflow and the different approaches to use the tool, with explanatory diagrams, please refer to the TorizonCore Builder - Workflow article.
To generate a custom Toradex Easy Installer image with the desired external kernel modules follow the sequence of steps below.
You just need to execute this again if you want to remove one or more kernel modules that you have applied before to the image. Then, you are ready to apply multiple changes to the image. For example, in addition to applying external kernel modules, you can also apply a custom splash screen, a new device tree, among other possibilities.
If you have not unpacked an image yet, download a base TorizonCore image (preferably without containers) inside the TorizonCore Builder working directory, then run the command below to unpack it. In the example below the torizon-core-docker-colibri-imx6-Tezi_5.3.0+build.7.tar image is used as a reference:
$ torizoncore-builder images unpack torizon-core-docker-colibri-imx6-Tezi_5.3.0+build.7.tar
If you want to change the TorizonCore base image, download the new image and run the images unpack command again, passing the new image as the argument.
For more details about the images unpack command, please check the images unpack command in the commands manual.
Instead of using the images unpack you can use the images download command. This command checks which is the connected Toradex SoM, downloads the compatible latest quarterly release of a TorizonCore image without containers, and unpacks this image.
$ torizoncore-builder images download --remote-host 192.168.1.117 --remote-username torizon --remote-password torizon
Change the arguments --remote-host,--remote-username and --remote-password to your board IP Address, username and password, respectively.
For more details on how the images download command works, please check the images download command in the commands manual.
To build a kernel module from a directory with the kernel source code, hello-mod in this case, run the command kernel build_module below. After some time, if the compilation was successful, you'll see output similar to the following:
$ torizoncore-builder kernel build_module hello-mod
make: Entering directory '/workdir/hello-mod'
make -C /storage/linux M=/workdir/hello-mod
make[1]: Entering directory '/storage/linux'
AR /workdir/hello-mod/built-in.a
CC [M] /workdir/hello-mod/hello.o
Building modules, stage 2.
MODPOST 1 modules
CC [M] /workdir/hello-mod/hello.mod.o
LD [M] /workdir/hello-mod/hello.ko
make[1]: Leaving directory '/storage/linux'
make: Leaving directory '/workdir/hello-mod'
Kernel module(s) successfully built and ready to deploy.
All kernel module(s) have been built and prepared.
It is important to notice that the example directory with the kernel module source code named hello-mod builds a module named hello, as it can be seen in the line below, taken from the output of the kernel build_module command:
LD [M] /workdir/hello-mod/hello.ko
If you're building from two or more different sets of source code, you can run kernel build_module multiple times targeting each source directory separately. Each kernel module will be added in succession.
If you want a kernel module to load on boot, you should pass the argument --autoload to the kernel build_module command.
For more details about the kernel build_module command, please check the kernel build_module command in the commands manual.
Merge the external kernel modules (as well as other customizations like a splash screen or a new device tree) into the base Toradex Easy Installer image of TorizonCore - use whatever branch name you want.
As an example, to commit changes into a branch named custom-branch use the command below, accordingly with the TorizonCore Builder version:
$ torizoncore-builder union custom-branch
Applying changes from STORAGE/dt.
Commit 58629613a342197c31c5911d0874aac1b0fcb46b68a63f59760c03bacc4df08a has been generated for changes and is ready to be deployed.
$ torizoncore-builder union --union-branch=custom-branch
Warning: We recommend that you switch to the latest version of TorizonCore Builder to enjoy its simpler and more consistent user interface besides other improvements and bug fixes.
For more details about the union command, please check the union command in the commands manual.
To deploy the custom Toradex Easy Installer image to the board, click on the link below and choose between the available options.
After rebooting, in your target device's terminal, verify that your new custom image of TorizonCore is active on the device with the command below:
# sudo ostree admin status
Password:
* torizon 58629613a342197c31c5911d0874aac1b0fcb46b68a63f59760c03bacc4df08a.0
Version: 5.3.0+build.7-tcbuilder.20211008140217
origin refspec: tcbuilder:58629613a342197c31c5911d0874aac1b0fcb46b68a63f59760c03bacc4df08a
torizon 36ad904617b170339b6ded7b9dce87ed8cf0f76473b897fdd832d91e82eb1ddc.0 (rollback)
Version: 5.3.0+build.7
origin refspec: tcbuilder:36ad904617b170339b6ded7b9dce87ed8cf0f76473b897fdd832d91e82eb1ddc
Where 58629613a342197c31c5911d0874aac1b0fcb46b68a63f59760c03bacc4df08a is the OSTree commit hash and should be the same as:
union command in the case of the standalone commandsbuild command.After deploying the image, you should be able to use the modprobe command on the board to load your kernel module. As a note, by default, the kernel module will not load on boot. If you are using the interactive approach, you can change this behavior by adding the --autoload argument to the build_module command. If you are using the build command approach, you can set the autoload parameter to yes in the configuration file.
To load your kernel module, run the command below. It is important to notice that the example directory with the kernel module source code named hello-mod builds a module named hello, therefore we should enable a module named hello and not hello-mod.
# sudo modprobe hello
Note: Differently from defining the kernel module to autoload on TorizonCore Builder, every time you reboot the device you should execute the modprobe command to load the kernel module.
After deploying the image and loading the kernel module, you should be able to see your kernel module in the loaded kernel modules list. To do it, you can use the command below:
# lsmod
Module Size Used by
joydev 20480 0
stmpe_adc 16384 0
industrialio 65536 1 stmpe_adc
imx_sdma 28672 2
virt_dma 16384 1 imx_sdma
coda_vpu 73728 0
imx_vdoa 16384 1 coda_vpu
videobuf2_vmalloc 16384 1 coda_vpu
uio_pdrv_genirq 16384 0
uio 16384 1 uio_pdrv_genirq
hello 16384 0
openvswitch 110592 0
nsh 16384 1 openvswitch
nf_conncount 16384 1 openvswitch
nf_nat 36864 1 openvswitch
libcomposite 53248 0
