Embedded Linux Development Using Yocto Project - Fourth Edition

Master the Yocto Project 6.0 (Wrynose) LTS and ship dependable embedded Linux products, from your first QEMU boot to GPL-compliant production builds backed by SBOMs, custom BSPs, and reproducible BitBake workflows

Free with your book: DRM-free PDF version + access to Packt's next-gen Reader*

Key Features:

- Bootstrap reproducible builds in minutes with bitbake-setup and BitBake Configuration Fragments

- Author custom layers, recipes, and distributions for production-grade embedded Linux

- Generate SPDX 3.0 SBOMs, scan CVEs, and ship GPL-compliant releases with confidence

Book Description:

The Yocto Project powers some of the world's most demanding embedded Linux products, from medical devices and industrial gateways to networking gear and consumer electronics. With this book, you join the engineers who rely on it every day to ship reliable, reproducible Linux systems.

Embedded Linux Development Using Yocto Project, 4th Edition, is your hands-on guide to the Yocto Project 6.0 (Wrynose) LTS release. You'll move from your first QEMU boot to a custom production distribution running on real hardware, mastering Poky and BitBake along the way. The book covers custom layers and recipes, the Standard and Extensible SDKs, Toaster, package feeds, Build History, devshell debugging, and GPL compliance backed by SPDX 3.0 SBOMs and CVE scanning.

A brand-new chapter on Managing BitBake Configuration walks through the bitbake-setup and bitbake-config-build workflows reshaping how teams bootstrap, share, and reproduce builds. You'll package BitBake Configuration Templates and Fragments, manage registries, and synchronize configurations across teams.

By the end, you'll be ready to bake images for BeagleBone Black, Raspberry Pi 4 and 5, and VisionFive RISC-V boards, generate SBOMs ready for EU CRA and U.S. EO 14028 reporting, speed up iteration with QEMU, and lead embedded Linux projects with confidence.

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What You Will Learn:

- Bootstrap projects with bitbake-setup and BitBake Configuration Fragments

- Drive builds from Toaster's web dashboard for full visibility

- Assemble packages and host package feeds for production rollouts

- Author custom layers, recipes, machines, and distributions

- Build applications and the Linux kernel with standard and extensible SDKs

- Pinpoint regressions with Build History, devshell, and Package Information

- Boot custom images on BeagleBone Black, Raspberry Pi 4/5, and VisionFive

- Generate SPDX 3.0 SBOMs, scan CVEs, and meet EU CRA reporting needs

Who this book is for:

This book is for embedded Linux developers, integrators, and engineering leads who want to ship dependable products with the Yocto Project. If you build embedded Linux for a living, or you're tired of fragile build scripts and one-off Linux distributions, this book is your production playbook. You'll get the most value if you're comfortable with Git, the Linux command line, cross-compilation, and shell scripting. No prior Yocto Project experience is required. Hardware hackers graduating from prototypes to maintainable, reproducible products will feel right at home.

Table of Contents

- Meeting the Yocto Project

- Baking Our First Yocto Project Image

- Using VS Code with the BitBake Extension

- Meeting the BitBake Tool

- Grasping the BitBake Tool

- Detailing the Temporary Build Directory

- Assimilating Packaging Support

- Understanding BitBake Metadata

- Developing with the Yocto Project

- Debugging with the Yocto Project

- Exploring External Layers

(N.B. Please use the Read Sample option to see further chapters)