Add, Modify and Reset the source in Yocto/Petalinux

The cornerstone of the extensible SDK(eSDK) is a command-line tool called devtool. This tool provides a number of features that help to build, test and package software within the eSDK, and optionally integrate it into an image built by the Yocto/Petalinux(OpenEmbedded build system).

The devtool command line is organized similarly to Git which has a number of sub-commands for each function. Run devtool –help to see all the commands. As with the OpenEmbedded build system, “recipes” represents software packages within devtool.

Below are such example devtool subcommands provided for the development:

To add new recipe to be built
- Yocto command : devtool add <source_link> (i.e. devtool add https://github.com/GStreamer/gst-plugins-good.git)
- Petalinux command : petalinux-devtool add <source_link> (i.e. petalinux-devtool add https://github.com/GStreamer/gst-plugins-good.git)
- Description : When devtool add used, a recipe is automatically created within the workspace directory.

To set up an environment to modify the source of an existing recipe
- Yocto command : devtool modify <recipe_name> <local_path_to_extarct_source> (i.e. devtool modify gstreamer1.0-plugins-good devtool_gstreamer1.0-plugins-good)
- Petalinux command : petalinux-devtool modify <recipe_name> <local_path_to_extarct_source> (i.e. petalinux-devtool modify gstreamer1.0-plugins-good devtool_gstreamer1.0-plugins-good)
- Description : When devtool modify is used,  the specified existing recipe is used in order to determine where to get the source code and how to patch it

To remove a recipe from the workspace
- Yocto command : devtool reset <recipe_name> (i.e. devtool reset gstreamer1.0-plugins-good)
- Petalinux command : petalinux-devtool reset <recipe_name> (i.e. petalinux-devtool reset gstreamer1.0-plugins-good)
- Description : When devtool reset is used, a recipe is automatically removed from the workspace directory

Success stories:
- Xilinx FPGAs 
- Customized Hardware (NXP chipsets: i.MX6ULL, i.MX8MQ)

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