Difference between revisions of "BeagleBoard/GSoC/2022 Proposal/Building Bela Images"

From eLinux.org
Jump to: navigation, search
m (Timeline)
m
Line 87: Line 87:
 
|-
 
|-
 
| July 25 || Milestone #3 ||  
 
| July 25 || Milestone #3 ||  
*Disable some unneeded systemd services
 
*Build a Bela Image by using the functionalities of BeagleBoard Image repo
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| July 29 - 18:00 UTC || Phase 1 Evaluation deadline ||
 
| July 29 - 18:00 UTC || Phase 1 Evaluation deadline ||
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Aug 01 || Milestone #4 ||  
 
| Aug 01 || Milestone #4 ||  
 +
*Disable some unneeded systemd services
 +
*Build a Bela Image by using the functionalities of BeagleBoard Image repo
 +
*After build test the Image and debug if it needs
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Aug 08 || Milestone #5 ||
 
| Aug 08 || Milestone #5 ||
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Aug 15 || Milestone #6 ||
 
| Aug 15 || Milestone #6 ||
*Add the features of the bela-Image-builder repo (minimal clutter, custom kernel, custom software, custom systemd configuration) to the Image-builder repo
+
*Add the features of the bela-Image-builder repo (minimal clutter, custom kernel, custom software, custom systemd configuration) and make changes to the Image-builder repo
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Aug 22 || Milestone #7 ||
 
| Aug 22 || Milestone #7 ||

Revision as of 10:38, 11 April 2022


Proposal-Building Bela Images

[Youtube Video]
About
Student: Kurva Prashanth
Mentors: Giulio Moro
Code: https://github.com/BelaPlatform/bela-image-builder https://github.com/beagleboard/image-builder
Wiki: https://elinux.org/BeagleBoard/GSoC/2022_Proposal/Building_Bela_Images
GSoC: [GSoC entry]

Status

This project is currently just a proposal.

Proposal

Completed all the requirements listed on the ideas page.
The code for the cross-compilation task can be found here submitted through pull request #161.

About you

IRC Nick: krvprashanth
Matrix: @krvprashanth:matrix.org
Github: https://github.com/krvprashanth
Gitlab: https://code.swecha.org/krvprashanth
School: Vidya Jyothi Institute of Technology
Country: India
Primary language: English, Telugu
Typical work hours: 6AM-11AM, 4PM-10PM (UTC +5:30)
Previous GSoC participation: First time applying for GSOC.

About your project

Project name: Building Bela Images

Project Outcomes:

  1. Semantic rebase of the functionalities in Bela-Image-builder repo to the Image-builder one.
  2. Add features of the Bela-Image-builder repo to Image-builder repo.
  3. Improve the maintainability of the Bela Image Development and minimise future development effort.

Description

Project Abstract

Bela is an open hardware and software platform for ultra-low latency audio and sensor processing. The main goal of this project is to Improve the maintainability of the Bela Image development by adding the functionalities of the Bela Image builder repo to the BeagleBoard Image builder repo.

Overview of Bela Platform

Basic Overview of Building Embedded Linux Distributions

Why Building Bela Image again?

Bela Image development repo is heavily based and which was initially inspired by Beagleboard Image-builder scripts. Currently, the Beagle board Image development repo diverged greatly from a common functionalities of building Images.

Now, there is a requirement to "rebase" the functionalities of the Bela Image builder repo to the Beagleboard Image builder one. As the two codebases are drastically different we need to understand and “semantic rebase” the features of the Bela Image builder repo (xenomai kernel building scripts along with a bunch of other stuff) to Beagleboard Image builder repo. After these changes the Bela Image development will follow more closely with the Beagleboard Image development and as a result Bela Image will be updated more often and it minimizes future development effort.

Tech Stack

Proposed method of Implementation

Timeline

I plan to complete all the tasks before the GSoC 2022 coding period ends. Apart from this, I’ll write blogs weekly, reporting my progress and also the experiences I had while contributing this project.

During the GSoC 2022 coding period, I’ll do the following things:

  • Discuss ideas with the mentors, take feedback and work on
  • On an average i will be able to dedicate 30 to 35 hours per week
  • I'm ready to adapt whatever my mentor suggests me and i'll try my best to complete proposed work
  • Find other features to be added to the Bela Image

The GSoC official coding period begins on June 13, 2022, and ends on November 21, 2022.

NOTE : I plan to do most of the work in the second half of the coding period due to my semester exams in June for a maximum period of two weeks. I can’t work during the exam period. I’ll make sure to compensate for this by putting extra hours in the remaining period.

April 4 - 18:00 UTC Applications open, Students register with GSoC, work on proposal with mentors
April 19 - 18:00 UTC Proposal complete, Submitted to https://summerofcode.withgoogle.com
May 20 Proposal accepted or rejected
  • Community bonding period and discussion on the project and resource available
  • Read about U-Boot, Buildroot and Building Beagle-based embedded linux systems
Jun 13 Pre-work complete, Coding officially begins!
Jun 20 Milestone #1
  • Introductory YouTube video
June 27 Final Exam No Code
July 4 Final Exam No Code
July 11 Milestone #2
July 25 Milestone #3
July 29 - 18:00 UTC Phase 1 Evaluation deadline
Aug 01 Milestone #4
  • Disable some unneeded systemd services
  • Build a Bela Image by using the functionalities of BeagleBoard Image repo
  • After build test the Image and debug if it needs
Aug 08 Milestone #5
Aug 15 Milestone #6
  • Add the features of the bela-Image-builder repo (minimal clutter, custom kernel, custom software, custom systemd configuration) and make changes to the Image-builder repo
Aug 22 Milestone #7
  • Create detailed Documentation about the changes made in Bela Image development and guide about contributing to Bela Image
Aug 29 Milestone #8
  • Write the overall project summary and outcomes.
September 5 - 12, 18:00 UTC Final week: GSoC contributors submit their final work product and their final mentor evaluation
September 12 - 19, 18:00 UTC Mentors submit final GSoC contributor evaluations
Nov 21 - 18:00 UTC Final date for all GSoC contributors to submit their final work product

Experience and approach

To work on this project, it requires experience with bash scripting, build systems and linux management. I have an experience with Debian live build system and customized my low end machine with robotics and networking packages in which it has 2GB RAM and 30GB hard disk installed Debian 11 "Bullseye" with XFCE Desktop environment on it and I'm just curious to work on low end hardware, optimise software to make run very well on resource constrained devices.

I’m mostly into Systems Programming, Embedded Linux, and Robotics. I use programming languages such as Assembly (x86, RISC-V), C, C++, Python and shell scripting for Installing different packages and applications which I use. I prefer to work in a terminal over GUI and also mostly I use robotics, networking, embedded linux development tools like cross-compiler toolchains, emulators, Assemblers, Debugger, mininet, ns3, ROS, OpenCV, Wireshark, etc.

I also write good reports and blogs, I’ve previously written some blogs about free software and open hardware and experiences I had. Check here

Contributions

Here are technical and non-technical ways where I contributed.

Free Software Movement of India
  • Hacktivist: Actively contributing to free software projects, gave talks on Free Software & Open Hardware, Git, Mobile & Desktop Freedom, Dark Patterns
  • Speaker, International Debian Conference 2021
Swecha Telangana
  • Designed, optimized, and sliced 3D models and maintained production line of 3D printed projects and open hardware prototyping equipment.
  • In Mobile Autonomous Cart project using ROS + Docker, development tools to advance robotic software design and deployment by utilizing advances in Linux containers.
  • Organised Debian Bullseye Release Party
  • Course Manager and Teaching Assistant for Liberating Devices course ( Mobile & Desktop Freedom )
    • Utilized Android Tools ( adb, fastboot ), Bash scripts and command-line tools to remove proprietary malware from mobiles/watches and desktops.
  • Porting and Enabling the Government School Computer labs in our locality to specific use of free softwares and Installing BalaSwecha OS( A GNU/Linux distribution based on Debian ).

Contingency

If I get stuck on my project and my mentor isn’t around, I will use the following resources:

  1. Ask on the Bela and BeagleBoard forum
  • BelaPlatform Repositories:
  1. https://github.com/BelaPlatform
  • Documentation and Repositories on Building Images:
  1. Beagleboard: BeagleBoneBlack Rebuilding Software Image
  2. https://rcn-ee.com/
  3. https://github.com/RobertCNelson/omap-image-builder
  4. http://www.denx.de/wiki/U-Boot
  5. http://www.angstrom-distribution.org/building-angstrom
  • Mailing lists:
  1. debian-arm
  2. linux-arm

Benefit

Upon successful completion of this project the Bela Image will follow more closely with BeagleBoard Images. I mean after Bela specific changes made conditional to the Image-builder repository. The Bela Image development will be updated more often, more easily in parallel with BeagleBoard Images.

Misc

Emulation is a necessary aspect of embedded system development and QEMU is the right tool to do so for linux based SBCs. As I tried some ways to boot Bela Image using QEMU emulator and that didn't worked out. After completion of this project I'll work on building qemu-bela-kernel. So, that the ready-made kernel can be used to emulate a Bela.