# Working with Advanced Metadata

## Overview

In addition to supporting configuration fragments and patches, the Yocto Project kernel tools also support rich Metadata that you can use to define complex policies and Board Support Package (BSP) support. The purpose of the Metadata and the tools that manage it, known as the kern-tools (`kern-tools-native_git.bb`), is to help you manage the complexity of the configuration and sources used to support multiple BSPs and Linux kernel types.

## Using Kernel Metadata in a Recipe

The kernel sources in the Yocto Project contain kernel Metadata, which is located in the `meta` branches of the kernel source Git repositories. This Metadata defines Board Support Packages (BSPs) that correspond to definitions in linux-yocto recipes for the same BSPs. A BSP consists of an aggregation of kernel policy and hardware-specific feature enablements. The BSP can be influenced from within the linux-yocto recipe.

Linux kernel source that contains kernel Metadata is said to be "linux-yocto style" kernel source. A Linux kernel recipe that inherits from the `linux-yocto.inc` include file is said to be a "linux-yocto style" recipe.

Every linux-yocto style recipe must define the `KMACHINE` variable. This variable is typically set to the same value as the `MACHINE` variable, which is used by BitBake (e.g. "edgerouter" or "fri2"). Multiple BSPs can reuse the same `KMACHINE` name if they are built using the same BSP description. The "fri2" and "fri2-noemgd" BSP combination in the `meta-intel` layer is a good example of two BSPs using the same `KMACHINE` value (i.e. "fri2"). See the BSP Descriptions section for more information.

The linux-yocto style recipes can optionally define the following variables:

         KBRANCH
         KERNEL_FEATURES
         KBRANCH_DEFAULT
         LINUX_KERNEL_TYPE

`KBRANCH_DEFAULT` defines the Linux kernel source repository's default branch to use to build the Linux kernel. The value is used as the default for `KBRANCH`, which can define an alternate branch typically with a machine override as follows:

         KBRANCH_fri2 = "standard/fri2"

Unless you specify otherwise, `KBRANCH_DEFAULT` initializes to "master".

`LINUX_KERNEL_TYPE` defines the kernel type to be used in assembling the configuration. If you do not specify a `LINUX_KERNEL_TYPE`, it defaults to "standard". Together with `KMACHINE`, `LINUX_KERNEL_TYPE` defines the search arguments used by the kernel tools to find the appropriate description within the kernel Metadata with which to build out the sources and configuration. The linux-yocto recipes define "standard", "tiny", and "preempt-rt" kernel types. See the Kernel Types section for more information on kernel types.

During the build, the kern-tools search for the BSP description file that most closely matches the `KMACHINE` and `LINUX_KERNEL_TYPE` variables passed in from the recipe. The tools use the first BSP description it finds that match both variables. If the tools cannot find a match, they issue a warning such as the following:

         WARNING: Can't find any BSP hardware or required configuration fragments.
         WARNING: Looked at meta/cfg/broken/fri2-broken/hdw_frags.txt and
                  meta/cfg/broken/fri2-broken/required_frags.txt in directory:
                  meta/cfg/broken/fri2-broken

In this example, `KMACHINE` was set to "fri2-broken" and `LINUX_KERNEL_TYPE` was set to "broken".

The tools first search for the `KMACHINE` and then for the `LINUX_KERNEL_TYPE`. If the tools cannot find a partial match, they will use the sources from the `KBRANCH` and any configuration specified in the `SRC_URI`.

You can use the `KERNEL_FEATURES` variable to include features (configuration fragments, patches, or both) that are not already included by the `KMACHINE` and `LINUX_KERNEL_TYPE` variable combination. For example, to include a feature specified as "features/netfilter.scc", specify:

         KERNEL_FEATURES += "features/netfilter.scc"

To include a feature called "cfg/sound.scc" just for the `qemux86` machine, specify:

         KERNEL_FEATURES_append_qemux86 = "cfg/sound.scc"

The value of the entries in `KERNEL_FEATURES` are dependent on their location within the kernel Metadata itself. The examples here are taken from the `linux-yocto-3.4` repository where "features" and "cfg" are subdirectories within the `meta/cfg/kernel-cache` directory. For more information, see the "Kernel Metadata Syntax" section.

The processing of the these variables has evolved some between the 0.9 and 1.3 releases of the Yocto Project and associated kern-tools sources. The descriptions in this section are accurate for 1.3 and later releases of the Yocto Project.

## Kernel Metadata Location

Kernel Metadata can be defined in either the kernel recipe (recipe-space) or in the kernel tree (in-tree). Where you choose to define the Metadata depends on what you want to do and how you intend to work. Regardless of where you define the kernel Metadata, the syntax used applies equally.

If you are unfamiliar with the Linux kernel and only wish to apply a configuration and possibly a couple of patches provided to you by others, the recipe-space method is recommended. This method is also a good approach if you are working with Linux kernel sources you do not control or if you just do not want to maintain a Linux kernel Git repository on your own. For partial information on how you can define kernel Metadata in the recipe-space, see the "Modifying an Existing Recipe" section.

Conversely, if you are actively developing a kernel and are already maintaining a Linux kernel Git repository of your own, you might find it more convenient to work with the kernel Metadata in the same repository as the Linux kernel sources. This method can make iterative development of the Linux kernel more efficient outside of the BitBake environment.

### Recipe-Space Metadata

When stored in recipe-space, the kernel Metadata files reside in a directory hierarchy below `FILESEXTRAPATHS`. For a linux-yocto recipe or for a Linux kernel recipe derived by copying and modifying `oe-core/meta-skeleton/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-yocto-custom.bb` to a recipe in your layer, `FILESEXTRAPATHS` is typically set to `${``THISDIR``}/${``PN``}`. See the "Modifying an Existing Recipe" section for more information.

Here is an example that shows a trivial tree of kernel Metadata stored in recipe-space within a BSP layer:

         meta-my_bsp_layer/
         `-- recipes-kernel
             `-- linux
                 `-- linux-yocto
                     |-- bsp-standard.scc
                     |-- bsp.cfg
                     `-- standard.cfg

When the Metadata is stored in recipe-space, you must take steps to ensure BitBake has the necessary information to decide what files to fetch and when they need to be fetched again. It is only necessary to specify the `.scc` files on the `SRC_URI`. BitBake parses them and fetches any files referenced in the `.scc` files by the `include`, `patch`, or `kconf` commands. Because of this, it is necessary to bump the recipe `PR` value when changing the content of files not explicitly listed in the `SRC_URI`.

### In-Tree Metadata

When stored in-tree, the kernel Metadata files reside in the `meta` directory of the Linux kernel sources. The `meta` directory can be present in the same repository branch as the sources, such as "master", or `meta` can be its own orphan branch.

An orphan branch in Git is a branch with unique history and content to the other branches in the repository. Orphan branches are useful to track Metadata changes independently from the sources of the Linux kernel, while still keeping them together in the same repository.

For the purposes of this document, we will discuss all in-tree Metadata as residing below the `meta/cfg/kernel-cache` directory.

Following is an example that shows how a trivial tree of Metadata is stored in a custom Linux kernel Git repository:

         meta/
         `-- cfg
             `-- kernel-cache
                 |-- bsp-standard.scc
                 |-- bsp.cfg
                 `-- standard.cfg

To use a branch different from where the sources reside, specify the branch in the `KMETA` variable in your Linux kernel recipe. Here is an example:

         KMETA = "meta"

To use the same branch as the sources, set `KMETA` to an empty string:

         KMETA = ""

If you are working with your own sources and want to create an orphan `meta` branch, use these commands from within your Linux kernel Git repository:

         $ git checkout --orphan meta
         $ git rm -rf .
         $ git commit --allow-empty -m "Create orphan meta branch"

If you modify the Metadata in the linux-yocto `meta` branch, you must not forget to update the `SRCREV` statements in the kernel's recipe. In particular, you need to update the `SRCREV_meta` variable to match the commit in the `KMETA` branch you wish to use. Changing the data in these branches and not updating the `SRCREV` statements to match will cause the build to fetch an older commit.

## Kernel Metadata Syntax

The kernel Metadata consists of three primary types of files: `scc` `scc` stands for Series Configuration Control, but the naming has less significance in the current implementation of the tooling than it had in the past. Consider `scc` files to be description files. description files, configuration fragments, and patches. The `scc` files define variables and include or otherwise reference any of the three file types. The description files are used to aggregate all types of kernel Metadata into what ultimately describes the sources and the configuration required to build a Linux kernel tailored to a specific machine.

The `scc` description files are used to define two fundamental types of kernel Metadata:

- Features

- Board Support Packages (BSPs)

Features aggregate sources in the form of patches and configuration fragments into a modular reusable unit. You can use features to implement conceptually separate kernel Metadata descriptions such as pure configuration fragments, simple patches, complex features, and kernel types. Kernel types define general kernel features and policy to be reused in the BSPs.

BSPs define hardware-specific features and aggregate them with kernel types to form the final description of what will be assembled and built.

While the kernel Metadata syntax does not enforce any logical separation of configuration fragments, patches, features or kernel types, best practices dictate a logical separation of these types of Metadata. The following Metadata file hierarchy is recommended:

         base/
            bsp/
            cfg/
            features/
            ktypes/
            patches/

The `bsp` directory contains the BSP descriptions. The remaining directories all contain "features". Separating `bsp` from the rest of the structure aids conceptualizing intended usage.

Use these guidelines to help place your `scc` description files within the structure:

- If your file contains only configuration fragments, place the file in the `cfg` directory.

- If your file contains only source-code fixes, place the file in the `patches` directory.

- If your file encapsulates a major feature, often combining sources and configurations, place the file in `features` directory.

- If your file aggregates non-hardware configuration and patches in order to define a base kernel policy or major kernel type to be reused across multiple BSPs, place the file in `ktypes` directory.

These distinctions can easily become blurred - especially as out-of-tree features slowly merge upstream over time. Also, remember that how the description files are placed is a purely logical organization and has no impact on the functionality of the kernel Metadata. There is no impact because all of `cfg`, `features`, `patches`, and `ktypes`, contain "features" as far as the kernel tools are concerned.

Paths used in kernel Metadata files are relative to `<base>`, which is either `FILESEXTRAPATHS` if you are creating Metadata in recipe-space, or `meta/cfg/kernel-cache/` if you are creating Metadata in-tree.

### Configuration

The simplest unit of kernel Metadata is the configuration-only feature. This feature consists of one or more Linux kernel configuration parameters in a configuration fragment file (`.cfg`) and an `.scc` file that describes the fragment.

The Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) fragment included in the `linux-yocto-3.4` Git repository consists of the following two files:

         cfg/smp.scc:
            define KFEATURE_DESCRIPTION "Enable SMP"
            kconf hardware smp.cfg

         cfg/smp.cfg:
            CONFIG_SMP=y
            CONFIG_SCHED_SMT=y

You can find information on configuration fragment files in the "Creating Configuration Fragments" section of the Yocto Project Development Manual and in the "Generating Configuration Files" section earlier in this manual.

`KFEATURE_DESCRIPTION` provides a short description of the fragment. Higher level kernel tools use this description.

The `kconf` command is used to include the actual configuration fragment in an `.scc` file, and the "hardware" keyword identifies the fragment as being hardware enabling, as opposed to general policy, which would use the "non-hardware" keyword. The distinction is made for the benefit of the configuration validation tools, which warn you if a hardware fragment overrides a policy set by a non-hardware fragment.

The description file can include multiple `kconf` statements, one per fragment.

As described in the "Generating Configuration Files" section, you can use the following BitBake command to audit your configuration:

         $ bitbake linux-yocto -c kernel_configcheck -f

### Patches

Patch descriptions are very similar to configuration fragment descriptions, which are described in the previous section. However, instead of a `.cfg` file, these descriptions work with source patches.

A typical patch includes a description file and the patch itself:

         patches/mypatch.scc:
            patch mypatch.patch

         patches/mypatch.patch:
            typical-patch

You can create the typical `.patch` file using `diff -Nurp` or `git format-patch`.

The description file can include multiple patch statements, one per patch.

### Features

Features are complex kernel Metadata types that consist of configuration fragments (`kconf`), patches (`patch`), and possibly other feature description files (`include`).

Here is an example that shows a feature description file:

         features/myfeature.scc
            define KFEATURE_DESCRIPTION "Enable myfeature"

            patch 0001-myfeature-core.patch
            patch 0002-myfeature-interface.patch

            include cfg/myfeature_dependency.scc
            kconf non-hardware myfeature.cfg

This example shows how the `patch` and `kconf` commands are used as well as how an additional feature description file is included.

Typically, features are less granular than configuration fragments and are more likely than configuration fragments and patches to be the types of things you want to specify in the `KERNEL_FEATURES` variable of the Linux kernel recipe. See the "Using Kernel Metadata in a Recipe" section earlier in the manual.

### Kernel Types

A kernel type defines a high-level kernel policy by aggregating non-hardware configuration fragments with patches you want to use when building a Linux kernels of a specific type. Syntactically, kernel types are no different than features as described in the "Features" section. The `LINUX_KERNEL_TYPE` variable in the kernel recipe selects the kernel type. See the "Using Kernel Metadata in a Recipe" section for more information.

As an example, the `linux-yocto-3.4` tree defines three kernel types: "standard", "tiny", and "preempt-rt":

- "standard": Includes the generic Linux kernel policy of the Yocto Project linux-yocto kernel recipes. This policy includes, among other things, which file systems, networking options, core kernel features, and debugging and tracing options are supported.

- "preempt-rt": Applies the `PREEMPT_RT` patches and the configuration options required to build a real-time Linux kernel. This kernel type inherits from the "standard" kernel type.

- "tiny": Defines a bare minimum configuration meant to serve as a base for very small Linux kernels. The "tiny" kernel type is independent from the "standard" configuration. Although the "tiny" kernel type does not currently include any source changes, it might in the future.

The "standard" kernel type is defined by `standard.scc`:

         # Include this kernel type fragment to get the standard features and
         # configuration values.

         # Include all standard features
         include standard-nocfg.scc

         kconf non-hardware standard.cfg

         # individual cfg block section
         include cfg/fs/devtmpfs.scc
         include cfg/fs/debugfs.scc
         include cfg/fs/btrfs.scc
         include cfg/fs/ext2.scc
         include cfg/fs/ext3.scc
         include cfg/fs/ext4.scc

         include cfg/net/ipv6.scc
         include cfg/net/ip_nf.scc
         include cfg/net/ip6_nf.scc
         include cfg/net/bridge.scc

As with any `.scc` file, a kernel type definition can aggregate other `.scc` files with `include` commands. These definitions can also directly pull in configuration fragments and patches with the `kconf` and `patch` commands, respectively.

It is not strictly necessary to create a kernel type `.scc` file. The Board Support Package (BSP) file can implicitly define the kernel type using a `define KTYPE myktype` line. See the "BSP Descriptions" section for more information.

### BSP Descriptions

BSP descriptions combine kernel types with hardware-specific features. The hardware-specific portion is typically defined independently, and then aggregated with each supported kernel type. Consider this simple BSP description that supports the "mybsp" machine:

         mybsp.scc:
            define KMACHINE mybsp
            define KTYPE standard
            define KARCH i386

            kconf mybsp.cfg

Every BSP description should define the `KMACHINE`, `KTYPE`, and `KARCH` variables. These variables allow the OpenEmbedded build system to identify the description as meeting the criteria set by the recipe being built. This simple example supports the "mybsp" machine for the "standard" kernel and the "i386" architecture.

Be aware that a hard link between the `KTYPE` variable and a kernel type description file does not exist. Thus, if you do not have kernel types defined in your kernel Metadata, you only need to ensure that the kernel recipe's `LINUX_KERNEL_TYPE` variable and the `KTYPE` variable in the BSP description file match.

Future versions of the tooling make the specification of `KTYPE` in the BSP optional.

If you did want to separate your kernel policy from your hardware configuration, you could do so by specifying a kernel type, such as "standard" and including that description file in the BSP description file. See the "Kernel Types" section for more information.

You might also have multiple hardware configurations that you aggregate into a single hardware description file that you could include in the BSP description file, rather than referencing a single `.cfg` file. Consider the following:

         mybsp.scc:
            define KMACHINE mybsp
            define KTYPE standard
            define KARCH i386

            include standard.scc
            include mybsp-hw.scc

In the above example, `standard.scc` aggregates all the configuration fragments, patches, and features that make up your standard kernel policy whereas `mybsp-hw.scc` aggregates all those necessary to support the hardware available on the "mybsp" machine. For information on how to break a complete `.config` file into the various configuration fragments, see the "Generating Configuration Files" section.

Many real-world examples are more complex. Like any other `.scc` file, BSP descriptions can aggregate features. Consider the Fish River Island 2 (fri2) BSP definition from the `linux-yocto-3.4` Git repository:

         fri2.scc:
            kconf hardware fri2.cfg

            include cfg/x86.scc
            include features/eg20t/eg20t.scc
            include cfg/dmaengine.scc
            include features/ericsson-3g/f5521gw.scc
            include features/power/intel.scc
            include cfg/efi.scc
            include features/usb/ehci-hcd.scc
            include features/usb/ohci-hcd.scc
            include features/iwlwifi/iwlwifi.scc

The `fri2.scc` description file includes a hardware configuration fragment (`fri2.cfg`) specific to the Fish River Island 2 BSP as well as several more general configuration fragments and features enabling hardware found on the machine. This description file is then included in each of the three "fri2" description files for the supported kernel types (i.e. "standard", "preempt-rt", and "tiny"). Consider the "fri2" description for the "standard" kernel type:

         fri2-standard.scc:
            define KMACHINE fri2
            define KTYPE standard
            define KARCH i386

            include ktypes/standard/standard.scc
            branch fri2

            git merge emgd-1.14

            include fri2.scc

            # Extra fri2 configs above the minimal defined in fri2.scc
            include cfg/efi-ext.scc
            include features/drm-emgd/drm-emgd.scc
            include cfg/vesafb.scc

            # default policy for standard kernels
            include cfg/usb-mass-storage.scc

The `include` command midway through the file includes the `fri2.scc` description that defines all hardware enablements for the BSP that is common to all kernel types. Using this command significantly reduces duplication.

This "fri2" standard description introduces a few more variables and commands that are worth further discussion. Notice the `branch fri2` command, which creates a machine-specific branch into which source changes are applied. With this branch set up, the `git merge` command uses Git to merge in a feature branch named "emgd-1.14". You could also handle this with the `patch` command. However, for commonly used features such as this, feature branches are a convenient mechanism. See the "Feature Branches" section for more information.

Now consider the "fri2" description for the "tiny" kernel type:

         fri2-tiny.scc:
            define KMACHINE fri2
            define KTYPE tiny
            define KARCH i386

            include ktypes/tiny/tiny.scc
            branch fri2

            include fri2.scc

As you might expect, the "tiny" description includes quite a bit less. In fact, it includes only the minimal policy defined by the "tiny" kernel type and the hardware-specific configuration required for booting the machine along with the most basic functionality of the system as defined in the base "fri2" description file.

Notice again the three critical variables: `KMACHINE`, `KTYPE`, and `KARCH`. Of these variables, only the `KTYPE` has changed. It is now set to "tiny".

## Organizing Your Source

Many recipes based on the `linux-yocto-custom.bb` recipe use Linux kernel sources that have only a single branch - "master". This type of repository structure is fine for linear development supporting a single machine and architecture. However, if you work with multiple boards and architectures, a kernel source repository with multiple branches is more efficient. For example, suppose you need a series of patches for one board to boot. Sometimes, these patches are works-in-progress or fundamentally wrong, yet they are still necessary for specific boards. In these situations, you most likely do not want to include these patches in every kernel you build (i.e. have the patches as part of the lone "master" branch). It is situations like these that give rise to multiple branches used within a Linux kernel sources Git repository.

Repository organization strategies exist that maximize source reuse, remove redundancy, and logically order your changes. This section presents strategies for the following cases:

- Encapsulating patches in a feature description and only including the patches in the BSP descriptions of the applicable boards.

- Creating a machine branch in your kernel source repository and applying the patches on that branch only.

- Creating a feature branch in your kernel source repository and merging that branch into your BSP when needed.

The approach you take is entirely up to you and depends on what works best for your development model.

### Encapsulating Patches

if you are reusing patches from an external tree and are not working on the patches, you might find the encapsulated feature to be appropriate. Given this scenario, you do not need to create any branches in the source repository. Rather, you just take the static patches you need and encapsulate them within a feature description. Once you have the feature description, you simply include that into the BSP description as described in the "BSP Descriptions" section.

You can find information on how to create patches and BSP descriptions in the "Patches" and "BSP Descriptions" sections.

### Machine Branches

When you have multiple machines and architectures to support, or you are actively working on board support, it is more efficient to create branches in the repository based on individual machines. Having machine branches allows common source to remain in the "master" branch with any features specific to a machine stored in the appropriate machine branch. This organization method frees you from continually reintegrating your patches into a feature.

Once you have a new branch, you can set up your kernel Metadata to use the branch a couple different ways. In the recipe, you can specify the new branch as the `KBRANCH` to use for the board as follows:

         KBRANCH = "mynewbranch"

Another method is to use the `branch` command in the BSP description:

         mybsp.scc:
            define KMACHINE mybsp
            define KTYPE standard
            define KARCH i386
            include standard.scc

            branch mynewbranch

            include mybsp-hw.scc

If you find yourself with numerous branches, you might consider using a hierarchical branching system similar to what the linux-yocto Linux kernel repositories use:

         common/kernel_type/machine

If you had two kernel types, "standard" and "small" for instance, three machines, and common as `mydir`, the branches in your Git repository might look like this:

         mydir/base
         mydir/standard/base
         mydir/standard/machine_a
         mydir/standard/machine_b
         mydir/standard/machine_c
         mydir/small/base
         mydir/small/machine_a

This organization can help clarify the branch relationships. In this case, `mydir/standard/machine_a` includes everything in `mydir/base` and `mydir/standard/base`. The "standard" and "small" branches add sources specific to those kernel types that for whatever reason are not appropriate for the other branches.

The "base" branches are an artifact of the way Git manages its data internally on the filesystem: Git will not allow you to use `mydir/standard` and `mydir/standard/machine_a` because it would have to create a file and a directory named "standard".

### Feature Branches

When you are actively developing new features, it can be more efficient to work with that feature as a branch, rather than as a set of patches that have to be regularly updated. The Yocto Project Linux kernel tools provide for this with the `git merge` command.

To merge a feature branch into a BSP, insert the `git merge` command after any `branch` commands:

         mybsp.scc:
            define KMACHINE mybsp
            define KTYPE standard
            define KARCH i386
            include standard.scc

            branch mynewbranch
            git merge myfeature

            include mybsp-hw.scc

## SCC Description File Reference

This section provides a brief reference for the commands you can use within an SCC description file (`.scc`):

- `branch [ref]`: Creates a new branch relative to the current branch (typically `${KTYPE}`) using the currently checked-out branch, or "ref" if specified.

- `define`: Defines variables, such as `KMACHINE`, `KTYPE`, `KARCH`, and `KFEATURE_DESCRIPTION`.

- `include SCC_FILE`: Includes an SCC file in the current file. The file is parsed as if you had inserted it inline.

- `kconf [hardware|non-hardware] CFG_FILE`: Queues a configuration fragment for merging into the final Linux `.config` file.

- `git merge GIT_BRANCH`: Merges the feature branch into the current branch.

- `patch PATCH_FILE`: Applies the patch to the current Git branch.