Yocto is the build environment for creating customized Linux boot disks for embedded systems, such as the Overo.
As an experiment, I created a build machine "in the cloud" using AWS (Amazon). I named it vekolako, and it has been a spectacular success so far. I can rebuild the Yocto environment and build the Linux boot disk from scratch in just over an hour, using a high-powered build machine that would cost me well over a thousand dollars to own, but instead costs me about fifty cents per build.
JUST REMEMBER: I am paying for vekolako by the microsecond, so I need to shut it down (stop, not terminate!) when I am not actively using it. Shutting down takes about a minute, restarting takes about 45 seconds.
Mar 1 2016
The remote server makes a good production build machine, but it does not work as a development platform. I still need a local build environment while I am making things work. The Gumstix yocto environment is found in the Nirvana7 VM. The current version is (as of Mar 1 2016) on the MiniMe6 SSD USB drive.
11:45> After spending half an hour copying the VM around, it appears I never actually built gumstix locally -- even though I distinctly remember doing so. My goal is to create a development environment for DbgOut, not necessarily to rebuild the boot disk. However, trying to copy just the headers and libraries is a task fraught with hidden snags. It is better to have a complete local environment that can be easily updated and rebuilt. Since the first build is mostly downloading stuff, I should pack everything up and do this at the Felton office.
Before packing up, I am restarting busidavy (sign in to AWS, start the instance, update the inbound SSH security rule, telnet in usiny the Tuliny key) to determine the magnitude of the task of downloading the yocto environment rather than rebuilding it. The overo directory is 28GB (unpacked).
12:30> I search through a bunch of disk drives and could not find a local copy of overo/yocto, so I am taking the dogs for a walk and then pack up to go to Felton.
Gumstix uses poky branch fido. Everything can be reverted by:
poky> git fetch yocto fido
git checkout -f fido
Some key recipes:
bitbake gumstix-console-image
bitbake -c devshell linux-gumstix
Yocto mailing list: yocto@qxk7.com / kyhyziny
sudo apt-get install "PyGtk*"