poky/documentation/dev-manual/dev-manual-intro.xml

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<chapter id='dev-manual-intro'>

<title>The Yocto Project Development Manual</title>
    <section id='dev-intro'>
        <title>Introduction</title>

        <para>
            Welcome to the Yocto Project Development Manual!
            This manual provides information on how to use the Yocto Project to
            develop embedded Linux images and user-space applications that
            run on targeted devices.
            The manual provides an overview of image, kernel, and
            user-space application development using the Yocto Project.
            Because much of the information in this manual is general, it
            contains many references to other sources where you can find more
            detail.
            For example, you can find detailed information on Git, repositories,
            and open source in general in many places on the Internet.
            Another example specific to the Yocto Project is how to quickly
            set up your host development system and build an image, which you
            find in the
            <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_QS_URL;'>Yocto Project Quick Start</ulink>.
        </para>

        <para>
            The Yocto Project Development Manual does, however, provide
            guidance and examples on how to change the kernel source code,
            reconfigure the kernel, and develop an application using
            <filename>devtool</filename>.
        </para>

        <note>
            By default, using the Yocto Project creates a Poky distribution.
            However, you can create your own distribution by providing key
            <link linkend='metadata'>Metadata</link>.
            A good example is Angstrom, which has had a distribution
            based on the Yocto Project since its inception.
            Other examples include commercial distributions like
            <ulink url='https://www.yoctoproject.org/organization/wind-river-systems'>Wind River Linux</ulink>,
            <ulink url='https://www.yoctoproject.org/organization/mentor-graphics'>Mentor Embedded Linux</ulink>,
            <ulink url='https://www.yoctoproject.org/organization/enea-ab'>ENEA Linux</ulink>
            and <ulink url='https://www.yoctoproject.org/ecosystem/member-organizations'>others</ulink>.
            See the "<link linkend='creating-your-own-distribution'>Creating Your Own Distribution</link>"
            section for more information.
        </note>
    </section>

    <section id='what-this-manual-provides'>
        <title>What This Manual Provides</title>

        <para>
            The following list describes what you can get from this manual:
            <itemizedlist>
                <listitem><para>Information that lets you get set
                    up to develop using the Yocto Project.</para></listitem>
                <listitem><para>Information to help developers who are new to
                    the open source environment and to the distributed revision
                    control system Git, which the Yocto Project uses.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para>An understanding of common end-to-end
                    development models and tasks.</para></listitem>
                <listitem><para>Information about common development tasks
                    generally used during image development for
                    embedded devices.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para>Information on using the Yocto Project
                    integration of the QuickEMUlator (QEMU), which lets you
                    simulate running on hardware an image you have built using
                    the OpenEmbedded build system.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para>Many references to other sources of related
                    information.</para></listitem>
            </itemizedlist>
        </para>
    </section>

    <section id='what-this-manual-does-not-provide'>
        <title>What this Manual Does Not Provide</title>

        <para>
            This manual will not give you the following:
            <itemizedlist>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>Step-by-step instructions when those instructions exist in other Yocto
                    Project documentation:</emphasis>
                    For example, the
                    <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_SDK_URL;'>Yocto Project Software Development Kit (SDK) Developer's Guide</ulink>
                    manual contains detailed instructions on how to install an
                    SDK, which is used to develop applications for target
                    hardware.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>Reference material:</emphasis>
                    This type of material resides in an appropriate reference manual.
                    For example, system variables are documented in the
                    <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;'>Yocto Project Reference Manual</ulink>.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>Detailed public information that is not specific to the Yocto Project:</emphasis>
                    For example, exhaustive information on how to use Git is covered better through the
                    Internet than in this manual.
                    </para></listitem>
            </itemizedlist>
        </para>
    </section>

    <section id='other-information'>
        <title>Other Information</title>

        <para>
            Because this manual presents overview information for many different
            topics, supplemental information is recommended for full
            comprehension.
            The following list presents other sources of information you might find helpful:
            <itemizedlist>
                <listitem><para><emphasis><ulink url='&YOCTO_HOME_URL;'>Yocto Project Website</ulink>:
                    </emphasis> The home page for the Yocto Project provides lots of information on the project
                    as well as links to software and documentation.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>
                    <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_QS_URL;'>Yocto Project Quick Start</ulink>:</emphasis>
                    This short document lets you get started
                    with the Yocto Project and quickly begin building an image.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>
                    <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_REF_URL;'>Yocto Project Reference Manual</ulink>:</emphasis>
                    This manual is a reference
                    guide to the OpenEmbedded build system, which is based on BitBake.
                    The build system is sometimes referred to as "Poky".
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>
                    <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_SDK_URL;'>Yocto Project Software Development Kit (SDK) Developer's Guide</ulink>:</emphasis>
                    This guide provides information that lets you get going
                    with the standard or extensible SDK.
                    An SDK, with its cross-development toolchains, allows you
                    to develop projects inside or outside of the Yocto Project
                    environment.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>
                    <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_BSP_URL;'>Yocto Project Board Support Package (BSP) Developer's Guide</ulink>:</emphasis>
                    This guide defines the structure for BSP components.
                    Having a commonly understood structure encourages standardization.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>
                    <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_KERNEL_DEV_URL;'>Yocto Project Linux Kernel Development Manual</ulink>:</emphasis>
                    This manual describes how to work with Linux Yocto kernels as well as provides a bit
                    of conceptual information on the construction of the Yocto Linux kernel tree.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>
                    <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_PROF_URL;'>Yocto Project Profiling and Tracing Manual</ulink>:</emphasis>
                    This manual presents a set of common and generally useful tracing and
                    profiling schemes along with their applications (as appropriate) to each tool.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>
                    <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_TOAST_URL;'>Toaster User Manual</ulink>:</emphasis>
                    This manual introduces and describes how to set up and use
                    Toaster, which is a web interface to the Yocto Project's
                    <link linkend='build-system-term'>OpenEmbedded Build System</link>.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>
                    <ulink url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZlOu-gLsh0'>
                    Eclipse IDE Yocto Plug-in</ulink>:</emphasis>
                    A step-by-step instructional video that
                    demonstrates how an application developer uses Yocto Plug-in features within
                    the Eclipse IDE.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>
                    <ulink url='&YOCTO_WIKI_URL;/wiki/FAQ'>FAQ</ulink>:</emphasis>
                    A list of commonly asked questions and their answers.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>
                    <ulink url='&YOCTO_RELEASE_NOTES;'>Release Notes</ulink>:</emphasis>
                    Features, updates and known issues for the current
                    release of the Yocto Project.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>
                    <ulink url='&YOCTO_HOME_URL;/tools-resources/projects/toaster'>Toaster</ulink>:</emphasis>
                    An Application Programming Interface (API) and web-based
                    interface to the OpenEmbedded build system, which uses
                    BitBake, that reports build information.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>
                    <ulink url='&YOCTO_HOME_URL;/tools-resources/projects/build-appliance'>Build Appliance</ulink>:</emphasis>
                    A virtual machine that
                    enables you to build and boot a custom embedded Linux image
                    with the Yocto Project using a non-Linux development system.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>
                    <ulink url='&YOCTO_BUGZILLA_URL;'>Bugzilla</ulink>:</emphasis>
                    The bug tracking application the Yocto Project uses.
                    If you find problems with the Yocto Project, you should report them using this
                    application.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>Yocto Project Mailing Lists:</emphasis>
                    To subscribe to the Yocto Project mailing
                    lists, click on the following URLs and follow the instructions:
                    <itemizedlist>
                        <listitem><para><ulink url='&YOCTO_LISTS_URL;/listinfo/yocto'></ulink>
                            for a Yocto Project Discussions mailing list.
                            </para></listitem>
                        <listitem><para><ulink url='&YOCTO_LISTS_URL;/listinfo/poky'></ulink>
                            for a Yocto Project Discussions mailing list about the
                            OpenEmbedded build system (Poky).
                            </para></listitem>
                        <listitem><para><ulink url='&YOCTO_LISTS_URL;/listinfo/yocto-announce'></ulink>
                            for a mailing list to receive official Yocto Project announcements
                            as well as Yocto Project milestones.
                            </para></listitem>
                        <listitem><para><ulink url='&YOCTO_LISTS_URL;/listinfo'></ulink>
                            for a listing of all public mailing lists on
                            <filename>lists.yoctoproject.org</filename>.
                            </para></listitem>
                    </itemizedlist></para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>Internet Relay Chat (IRC):</emphasis>
                    Two IRC channels on freenode are available
                    for Yocto Project and Poky discussions: <filename>#yocto</filename> and
                    <filename>#poky</filename>, respectively.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>
                    <ulink url='&OE_HOME_URL;'>OpenEmbedded</ulink>:</emphasis>
                    The build system used by the Yocto Project.
                    This project is the upstream, generic, embedded distribution
                    from which the Yocto Project derives its build system (Poky)
                    and to which it contributes.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>
                    <ulink url='http://www.openembedded.org/wiki/BitBake'>BitBake</ulink>:</emphasis>
                    The tool used by the OpenEmbedded build system
                    to process project metadata.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>
                    <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_BB_URL;'>BitBake User Manual:</ulink></emphasis>
                    A comprehensive guide to the BitBake tool.
                    If you want information on BitBake, see this manual.
                    </para></listitem>
                <listitem><para><emphasis>
                    <ulink url='http://wiki.qemu.org/Index.html'>Quick EMUlator (QEMU)</ulink>:</emphasis>
                    An open-source machine emulator and virtualizer.
                    </para></listitem>
            </itemizedlist>
        </para>
    </section>
</chapter>
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