beaglebone: Setup environment for Linux kernel development

Setup Docker

1. Setup docker repository:

# Add Docker's official GPG key:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ca-certificates curl
sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings
sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc

# Add the repository to Apt sources:
echo \
    "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu \
    $(. /etc/os-release && echo "$VERSION_CODENAME") stable" | \
    sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null
sudo apt-get update

1. Install docker packages:

sudo apt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

1. Verify docker installation:

sudo docker run hello-world

1. Configure docker runs with non-root users

# Add the docker group if it doesn't already exist.
sudo groupadd docker

# Add the connected user "$USER" to the docker group.
sudo gpasswd -a $USER docker

# run Docker without sudo.
docker run hello-world

Create Docker image to build Linux kernel

1. Create a docker file

• Docker image is based on ubuntu 22.04.

# Description: Docker image for building linux kernel for beaglebone black
# Author     : vnguyentrong
# Date       : Mar 14, 2024

FROM ubuntu:22.04

ENV BRANCH 2.2
ENV RSTUDIO 1.4.1103

ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND noninteractive

# Install.
RUN \
    apt-get update && \
    apt-get install -y make pkg-config locales apt-utils && \
    useradd -ms /bin/bash vinhnt && \
    apt-get install sudo vim git cmake tree bash-completion -y

RUN echo "root:1" | chpasswd

RUN echo "vinhnt:1" | chpasswd

RUN usermod -aG sudo vinhnt

# git configuration
RUN git config --global user.name "Vinh Nguyen Trong" && \
    git config --global user.email "vinhnt2410@gmail.com"

RUN echo "alias gs='git status'" >> /home/vinhnt/.bashrc && \
    echo "alias gb='git branch'" >> /home/vinhnt/.bashrc

# install dependencies
RUN \
    apt-get update && \
    apt-get install python3-pip -y && \
    apt-get install gcc-arm-linux-gnueabihf flex bison bc libssl-dev -y && \
    apt-get install kmod -y

Build and run docker image

# build docker image
docker build -t bb-kernel-build .

# run docker image
docker run --rm -it --hostname u22 --user vinhnt --name ubuntu -v $HOME:/home/vinhnt bb-kernel-build:latest /bin/bash

Build Linux kernel for beaglebone

1. Clone source code from github: Linux source for beaglebone

I’m using my forked repo: vnguyentrong/linux_bb

1. Build Linux kernel

First we need to run the docker Image, then go to the Linux folder to build Linux kernel

################################################################################
# export ARCH=arm
# export CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf-
# help 
# make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf- -h

# make .config
make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf- omap2plus_defconfig

# make image, modules, dtbs
make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf- zImage modules -j4
make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf- dtbs -j4
make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf- INSTALL_MOD_PATH=modules modules_install

1. Replace the kernel and modules to the beaglebone target