Introducing the HidaV layer

Introducing the HidaV layer

[Thilo Fromm]

Hello *.*,

There's a new layer in town. HidaV will provide a common platform
layer, development support, and firmware for our yet-to-come ti8148
based systems. The layer poses a symbiosis of a "board support" and a
"distribution" layer. HidaV integrates meta-ti, meta-openembedded,
meta-angstrom, and openembedded-core to a well-tailored distribution.
Although HidaV therefore heavily focuses on our own devices/boards we
hope to provide useful bug fixes and recipes for other projects/layers
as well.

The code is here: <https://github.com/DFE/HidaV>
Some initial documentation: <https://github.com/DFE/HidaV/wiki>

Finally, I would like to add HidaV to the openembedded layer index[1].
Is there some formality involved in this, or do I just create a wiki
account and then edit it in?

Regards,
Thilo

[1] http://www.openembedded.org/wiki/LayerIndex

-- 
Dipl.-Ing (FH) Thilo Fromm, MSc., Embedded Systems Architect
DResearch Fahrzeugelektronik GmbH
Otto-Schmirgal-Str. 3, D-10319 Berlin, Germany
Tel: +49 (30) 515 932 228   mailto:fromm@dresearch-fe.de
Fax: +49 (30) 515 932 77    http://www.dresearch.de
Amtsgericht: Berlin Charlottenburg, HRB 130120 B
Ust.-IDNr. DE273952058
Geschäftsführer: Dr. M. Weber, W. Mögle

Re: Introducing the HidaV layer

[Paul Eggleton]

On Friday 18 May 2012 10:09:42 Thilo Fromm wrote:
> There's a new layer in town. HidaV will provide a common platform
> layer, development support, and firmware for our yet-to-come ti8148
> based systems. The layer poses a symbiosis of a "board support" and a
> "distribution" layer. HidaV integrates meta-ti, meta-openembedded,
> meta-angstrom, and openembedded-core to a well-tailored distribution.
> Although HidaV therefore heavily focuses on our own devices/boards we
> hope to provide useful bug fixes and recipes for other projects/layers
> as well.
> 
> The code is here: <https://github.com/DFE/HidaV>
> Some initial documentation: <https://github.com/DFE/HidaV/wiki>

Great stuff!

> Finally, I would like to add HidaV to the openembedded layer index[1].
> Is there some formality involved in this, or do I just create a wiki
> account and then edit it in?

No formality in particular. I think you should be able to add it, or I'm more 
than happy to add it right now - in fact I was about to, but I'm not entirely 
sure where this fits. Does it belong in "Miscellaneous" or "Board / device 
support layers"?

Cheers,
Paul

-- 

Paul Eggleton
Intel Open Source Technology Centre

Re: Introducing the HidaV layer

[Thilo Fromm]

Hello Paul,

>> Finally, I would like to add HidaV to the openembedded layer index[1].
>> Is there some formality involved in this, or do I just create a wiki
>> account and then edit it in?
>
> No formality in particular. I think you should be able to add it, or I'm more
> than happy to add it right now - in fact I was about to, but I'm not entirely
> sure where this fits. Does it belong in "Miscellaneous" or "Board / device
> support layers"?

I think it fits best into "Board / Device support", since we are
working on a product (i.e. devices) which this layer aims to support.
The layer will also provide a distribution for these devices, not just
a BSP, but the "device" focus is stronger than the "distribution"
focus for now. I'll add it there.

Regards + Thanks,
Thilo

-- 
Dipl.-Ing (FH) Thilo Fromm, MSc., Embedded Systems Architect
DResearch Fahrzeugelektronik GmbH
Otto-Schmirgal-Str. 3, D-10319 Berlin, Germany
Tel: +49 (30) 515 932 228   mailto:fromm@dresearch-fe.de
Fax: +49 (30) 515 932 77    http://www.dresearch.de
Amtsgericht: Berlin Charlottenburg, HRB 130120 B
Ust.-IDNr. DE273952058
Geschäftsführer: Dr. M. Weber, W. Mögle

Re: Introducing the HidaV layer

[Denys Dmytriyenko]

On Fri, May 18, 2012 at 10:09:42AM +0200, Thilo Fromm wrote:
> Hello *.*,
> 
> There's a new layer in town. HidaV will provide a common platform
> layer, development support, and firmware for our yet-to-come ti8148
> based systems. The layer poses a symbiosis of a "board support" and a
> "distribution" layer. HidaV integrates meta-ti, meta-openembedded,
> meta-angstrom, and openembedded-core to a well-tailored distribution.
> Although HidaV therefore heavily focuses on our own devices/boards we
> hope to provide useful bug fixes and recipes for other projects/layers
> as well.
> 
> The code is here: <https://github.com/DFE/HidaV>
> Some initial documentation: <https://github.com/DFE/HidaV/wiki>
> 
> Finally, I would like to add HidaV to the openembedded layer index[1].
> Is there some formality involved in this, or do I just create a wiki
> account and then edit it in?

Just couple questions - wouldn't it be better to send fixes to the underlying 
layers that you integrate, instead of holding them in your own integration 
layer? And if it's for your unique ti8148-based board, then it's fine, it may 
warrant a separate BSP layer for that. But why did you chose to pre-integrate 
other layers into yours? Although you seem to be using sub-modules, but it's 
still pre-integration, a-la Yocto/Poky releases...

Ah, and BTW, I think your layer ordering and priorities[1] are slightly wrong, 
as usually BSP layers reside lower than Software layers (i.e. meta-oe), but 
Distro layers (i.e. angstrom) should probably be on top...

-- 
Denys

Re: Introducing the HidaV layer

[Thilo Fromm]

Hello Denys,

>> The code is here: <https://github.com/DFE/HidaV>
>> Some initial documentation: <https://github.com/DFE/HidaV/wiki>
>
> Just couple questions - wouldn't it be better to send fixes to the underlying
> layers that you integrate, instead of holding them in your own integration
> layer?

In my opinion it's best to have both. We certainly plan to integrate
our fixes and extensions with upstream layers and projects; actually,
that's what meta-hidav/recipes-upstream/ is for. Until they're
accepted, however, they will live in our own layer. This way we have
better tracking of changes requested by upstream.

Maintaining our own layer also allows for stunts like providing
continued support for gcc-4.5 with the current Angstrom even though
meta-oe/toolchain-layer deprecated and removed that version of gcc.

> And if it's for your unique ti8148-based board, then it's fine, it may
> warrant a separate BSP layer for that. But why did you chose to pre-integrate
> other layers into yours? Although you seem to be using sub-modules, but it's
> still pre-integration, a-la Yocto/Poky releases...

It is. The point is that HidaV is actually a BSP _and_ a distribution,
but it seems to be too small for now to be split into two separate
layers (hidav-bsp and hidav-dist). I do second your suggestion,
though. So the split might happen at a later point.

> Ah, and BTW, I think your layer ordering and priorities[1] are slightly wrong,
> as usually BSP layers reside lower than Software layers (i.e. meta-oe), but
> Distro layers (i.e. angstrom) should probably be on top...

You're right, it sure looks unusual. It's because of the Dist/BSP mashup.

Regards,
Thilo

-- 
Dipl.-Ing (FH) Thilo Fromm, MSc., Embedded Systems Architect
DResearch Fahrzeugelektronik GmbH
Otto-Schmirgal-Str. 3, D-10319 Berlin, Germany
Tel: +49 (30) 515 932 228   mailto:fromm@dresearch-fe.de
Fax: +49 (30) 515 932 77    http://www.dresearch.de
Amtsgericht: Berlin Charlottenburg, HRB 130120 B
Ust.-IDNr. DE273952058
Geschäftsführer: Dr. M. Weber, W. Mögle