LOFT-Q Quick Guide for Lebacy Kernel¶

About sunxi-build¶

sunxi-build contains the srcipts and tools for building uboot, linux, android, and packing system image.

Before accurately building, we will have to import the building environments to current working command line.

source sunxi-build/mixtile_loftq_env.sh

After environment importing, we can start compiling instructions, such as building uboot for linux:

linux_build_uboot

About mixtile_loftq_env¶

mixtile_loftq_env.sh is the env importing script for LOFT-Q, working as the lunch script for Android. it will import environment variables and compiling instructions to current working shell.

At the front, it’s the definations of the repository paths for uboot, linux, buildroot and android, developers could make some modifitations according to their own configurations. The following the the original configs:

export BUILD_TRUNK=$(pwd)
export BUILD_TRUNK_OUT=$BUILD_TRUNK/out_loftq

# envs for sunxi tools
export SUNXI_TOOLS_PATH=$(pwd)/sunxi-build
export SUNXI_LINUX_PATH=$(pwd)/a31-linux
export SUNXI_UBOOT_PATH=$(pwd)/a31-uboot
export SUNXI_TOOLCHAIN_PATH=${SUNXI_TOOLS_PATH}/toolschain/gcc-linaro/bin/

# envs for android
export ANDROID_TRUNK=$(pwd)/android
export ANDROID_DEVICE=loftq
export ANDROID_DEVICE_TRUNK=${ANDROID_TRUNK}/device/mixtile/${ANDROID_DEVICE}

# envs for ubuntu touch
# only used if we have android base sdk released by ubuntu touch team
# Note: now we can build this image but can't burn it to disk with PhoenixTool
export UBUNTU_OUTPUT=$BUILD_TRUNK_OUT/ubuntu
export UBUNTU_TARBALL=$UBUNTU_OUTPUT/vivid-preinstalled-touch-armhf.tar.gz

# commom env
export ANDROID_OUT=${ANDROID_TRUNK}/out
export ANDROID_DEVICE_OUT=${ANDROID_OUT}/target/product/${ANDROID_DEVICE}

export LINARO_GCC_PATH=$SUNXI_TOOLCHAIN_PATH
export PATH=$PATH:$LINARO_GCC_PATH

And developers can also add their own compiling instructions, sample as linux_build_uboot :

function linux_build_uboot()
{
    CURDIR=$PWD

    cd $SUNXI_UBOOT_PATH
    make distclean
    make sun6i_config
    make -j4
    cd $CURDIR
}

Predefined building¶

we have predefined building instructions uboot for android and linux.

• Uboot for Linux

  linux_build_uboot
  

• Uboot for Android

  android_build_uboot
  

Manually building¶

Manually building is just the seperate instructions of predefined instruction. Commands as below:

make distclean
make sun6i_defconfig
make -j4

Predefined building¶

sunxi-build also provides predefined instructions for kernel building.

• kernel for GNU/Linux

  linux_build_kernel
  

• kernel for Android

  android_build_kernel
  

Manually building¶

Manually building for kernel will be a little complex, which needs external toolchain support.

• toolchain importing

  export SUNXI_TOOLS_PATH=$(pwd)/sunxi-build
  export SUNXI_TOOLCHAIN_PATH=$SUNXI_TOOLS_PATH/toolschain/gcc-linaro/bin/
  export PATH=$PATH:$SUNXI_TOOLCHAIN_PATH
  

  Developers can add these variables according to own path definations.

• kernel building for GNU/Linux

  cd a31-linux
  make distclean
  ./build.sh -p sun6i
  

• kernel building for Android

  cd a31-linux
  make distclean
  ./build.sh -p sun6i_fiber
  

Getting source¶

Now we have the latest buildroot support, developers can download the code from our github repository, which will bee updated with the official repository.

git clone https://github.com/mixtile/buildroot.git

Compiling buildroot¶

After downloading source, we can begin compiling buildroot.

make mixtile_loftq_defconfig
make

Packing image¶

This step is packing image, we will have to put rootfs.ext4 generated in previous step into the specified directory $BUILD_TRUNK/out/linux and then run cmds:

linux_pack

As for linux image packing, it will show one prompt session as below:

nano@vps:~/mixtile/loftq$ linux_pack
Generating linux out directory!
Copiing uboot!
Copying linux kernel and modules!
Packing final image!
Start packing for Lichee system

All valid chips:
0. sun6i
Please select a chip:

then enter 0 for choosing sun6i, the next session for os :

All valid platforms:
0. android
1. dragonboard
2. linux
Please select a platform:

Now, we use linux, so enter 2 for linux, and then:

All valid boards:
0. aw_w01
1. aw_w02
2. evb
3. loftq
4. loftq_suse
5. qc
Please select a board:

we use loftq, so enter 3, maybe the options list will vary with time. so choose the specified option according to your request. and then it will continue packing according to your selections, screen info as below:

....

c:\bat
c:\magic.bin
find magic !!
RealLen=0x5A5C00
CPlugin Free lib
CPlugin Free lib
get rootfs from ../../../out/linux
compute signature for datafile /home/nano/mixtile/loftq/sunxi-build/pack/out/boot.fex
/home/nano/mixtile/loftq/sunxi-build/pack/pctools/linux/eDragonEx/
/home/nano/mixtile/loftq/sunxi-build/pack/out
Begin Parse sys_partion.fex
Add partion bootloader.fex BOOTLOADER_FEX00
Add partion very bootloader.fex BOOTLOADER_FEX00
FilePath: bootloader.fex
FileLength=5a5c00 FileSizeHigh=0
Add partion env.fex ENV_FEX000000000
Add partion very env.fex ENV_FEX000000000
FilePath: env.fex
FileLength=20000 FileSizeHigh=0
Add partion boot.fex BOOT_FEX00000000
Add partion very boot.fex BOOT_FEX00000000
FilePath: boot.fex
FileLength=dac800 FileSizeHigh=0
Add partion rootfs.fex ROOTFS_FEX000000
Add partion very rootfs.fex ROOTFS_FEX000000
FilePath: rootfs.fex
FileLength=8327800 FileSizeHigh=0
BuildImg 0
Dragon execute image.cfg SUCCESS !
---------image is at-------------

 /home/nano/mixtile/loftq/sunxi-build/pack/sun6i_linux_loftq.img

pack finish

/home/nano/mixtile/loftq/sunxi-build/pack/sun6i_linux_loftq.img is the target image that we need. And next, we can burn this image to sdcard for installing or booting with PhoenixCard.

Customizing¶

We have preadded packages in configuration file, also developers can add or delete them according to requirement. Commands as below:

make menuconfig

menuconfig needs some extra libs or commands support, it you have been warned something missed, you can install them according to the prompting infomation.

More Information¶

Sites of Buildroot:

• Official site: http://buildroot.uclibc.org
• Documents: http://buildroot.uclibc.org/docs.html