EMB-110 · Embedded Linux & BSP · Advanced
Custom BSP Layers — full syllabus
Writing a board support layer from scratch: machine configuration, kernel recipe, bootloader and device tree.
Duration4 full days in person · 8 half-days online
Cohortmax 14 in person · 20 online
Pricefrom SAR 12,000 in person · local pricing per city
Delivery35% principles · 20% guided investigation · 45% engineering studio
Who this course is for
BSP and platform engineers who must turn a vendor's scattered kernel, bootloader and device tree into a single Yocto layer that boots — and survives the next Yocto upgrade.
Prerequisites
- EMB-101 or equivalent working Yocto experience
- Kernel configuration and device tree basics
- Serial console experience on real hardware (lab boards provided)
Course outline
Day 1 — Machine configuration
- Anatomy of a machine .conf: what must be set and what is inherited
- MACHINE_FEATURES and MACHINE_ESSENTIAL_EXTRA_* and what they actually change
- Tune files, DEFAULTTUNE and ABI selection
- Choosing kernel and bootloader providers with PREFERRED_PROVIDER
- A minimal machine that parses and builds
Day 2 — The kernel inside the layer
- linux-yocto style recipes vs a plain custom kernel recipe
- Defconfig handling and configuration fragments
- Patch management: SRC_URI patches, devtool and the patch queue
- Out-of-tree kernel modules as layer recipes
- Kernel version policy: tracking a vendor tree vs tracking LTS
Day 3 — Bootloader and image assembly
- U-Boot recipes, machine-specific configuration and SPL artifacts
- Device tree handling: kernel DTBs, U-Boot DTBs and overlays
- WIC and .wks kickstart files: partition layout as code
- Image fstypes and what the bootloader actually loads
- Signing hooks and where image assembly can be extended
Day 4 — Layer hygiene for the long term
- LAYERSERIES_COMPAT and the layer index
- Separating BSP, DISTRO and product policy into different layers
- CI for layer builds: what to build and how often
- Upgrade rehearsal: moving a layer to the next Yocto LTS
- Documenting a BSP so the next engineer does not call you
Hands-on labs
- Lab: Create meta-labboard with bitbake-layers, write a machine .conf for the lab board and get a first image building
- Lab: Integrate a custom kernel: defconfig fragment plus one patch, verified in the final .config and on the booted board
- Lab: Wire U-Boot into the layer and assemble a WIC image whose partition layout matches the board's boot requirements
- Lab: Boot the assembled image on the lab board to a network login, capturing the serial log as evidence
- Lab: Run an upgrade rehearsal: point the layer at a newer release, fix what LAYERSERIES_COMPAT and parsing surface, and record the delta
Capstone project
Deliver a complete BSP layer for the lab board: machine configuration, kernel recipe with fragment-managed config, bootloader integration and a WIC image that boots to networked userspace on real hardware — with the layer repository, pinned revisions, image manifest, serial boot log and a README sufficient for a stranger to reproduce the build.
What you leave with
- A bootable BSP layer you built from scratch, on hardware
- Machine, kernel and bootloader recipe patterns you can reuse
- WIC partition layouts and image assembly under your control
- A structure for BSP vs distro vs product layers that survives upgrades
- A documented upgrade-rehearsal method for the next Yocto release
Upcoming dates
| Dates | Where | Seats | Early bird | Regular | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Oct – 28 Oct 20264 full days | RiyadhIn person · KAFD Conference Centre | 12 of 14 | — | SAR 12,000 | |
| 1 Nov – 4 Nov 20264 full days | Kuwait CityIn person · Al Hamra Tower | 7 of 14 | — | KWD 990 | |
| 8 Nov – 11 Nov 20264 full days | MuscatIn person · Knowledge Oasis Muscat | 12 of 14 | OMR 1,110until 9 Oct | ||
| 8 Nov – 17 Nov 20268 half-days | Gulf bandLive online · 09:00–13:00 GMT+3 | 16 of 20 | US$2,070until 9 Oct | ||
| 9 Nov – 12 Nov 20264 full days | OttawaIn person · Kanata North Tech Park | 7 of 14 | CAD 3,920until 10 Oct | ||
| 16 Nov – 19 Nov 20264 full days | TorontoIn person · MaRS Discovery District | 12 of 14 | CAD 3,920until 17 Oct | ||
| 16 Nov – 25 Nov 20268 half-days | Europe bandLive online · 09:00–13:00 CET | 5 of 20 | US$2,070until 17 Oct | ||
| 23 Nov – 26 Nov 20264 full days | LondonIn person · Shoreditch Works | 7 of 14 | GBP 2,250until 24 Oct | ||
| 23 Nov – 26 Nov 20264 full days | BerlinIn person · Factory Görlitzer Park | 12 of 14 | EUR 2,650until 24 Oct | ||
| 23 Nov – 2 Dec 20268 half-days | Americas bandLive online · 13:00–17:00 ET | 10 of 20 | US$2,070until 24 Oct |
Book a seat, or bring this course to your team
Seats can be reserved online; private delivery runs on-site or live online, adapted to your stack.
Questions about fit or prerequisites? Email hello@kernelsystems.academy. To save this syllabus, print this page to PDF from your browser.