Continuation:

This branch will be developed further and will receive some updates and improvements only in this repository.

If you use this branch, then please open bug reports only in this repository and please do not discuss it on the Armbian forum.

Table of contents

• What this project does?
• Getting started
• Project structure
• Contribution
• License

What this project does?

• Builds custom kernel, image or a distribution optimized for low resource HW such as single board computers,
• Include filesystem generation, low-level control software, kernel image and bootloader compilation,
• Provides a consistent user experience by keeping system standards across different platforms.

Getting started

Basic requirements

• x86_64 or aarch64 machine with at least 2GB of memory and ~45GB of disk space for a virtual machine, container or bare metal installation
• Ubuntu Jammy 22.04.x amd64 or aarch64 for native building or any Docker capable amd64 / aarch64 Linux for containerised
• Superuser rights (configured sudo or root access).

Simply start with the build script

apt-get -y install git
git clone --depth=1 --branch=pbs-master https://github.com/The-going/armbian-build
cd build
./compile.sh

• Interactive graphical interface.
• The workspace will be prepared by installing the necessary dependencies and sources.
• It guides the entire process until a kernel package or ready-to-use image of the SD card is created.

Build parameter examples

Show work in progress areas in interactive mode:

./compile.sh EXPERT="yes"

Run build framework inside Docker container:

./compile.sh docker

Build minimal CLI Armbian Focal image for Orangepi Zero. Use modern kernel and write image to the SD card:

./compile.sh \
BOARD=orangepizero \
BRANCH=current \
RELEASE=focal \
BUILD_MINIMAL=yes \
BUILD_DESKTOP=no \
BUILD_ONLY=default \
KERNEL_CONFIGURE=no \
CARD_DEVICE="/dev/sdX"

Build or rebuild the system source package in an isolated chroot environment Exampe for htop:

mkdir -p userpatches/packages/deb-build/htop
./compile.sh BUILD_ONLY="chroot,htop"

There is a command line option for debugging:

./compile.sh BUILD_ONLY="chroot,htop" CMDLINE="yes"
...
cd /root
./build.sh
...

Project structure

├── cache                                Work / cache directory
│   ├── rootfs                           Compressed userspace packages cache
│   ├── sources                          Kernel, u-boot and various drivers sources.
│   ├── toolchains                       External cross compilers from Linaro™ or ARM™
├── config                               Packages repository configurations
│   ├── targets.conf                     Board build target configuration
│   ├── boards                           Board configurations
│   ├── bootenv                          Initial boot loaders environments per family
│   ├── bootscripts                      Initial Boot loaders scripts per family
│   ├── cli                              CLI packages configurations per distribution
│   ├── desktop                          Desktop packages configurations per distribution
│   ├── distributions                    Distributions settings
│   ├── kernel                           Kernel build configurations per family
│   ├── sources                          Kernel and u-boot sources locations and scripts
│   ├── templates                        User configuration templates which populate userpatches
│   └── torrents                         External compiler and rootfs cache torrents
├── extensions                           extend build system with specific functionality
├── lib                                  Main build framework libraries
├── output                               Build artifact
│   └── deb                              Deb packages
│   └── images                           Bootable images - RAW or compressed
│   └── debug                            Patch and build logs
│   └── config                           Kernel configuration export location
│   └── patch                            Created patches location
├── packages                             Support scripts, binary blobs, packages
│   ├── blobs                            Wallpapers, various configs, closed source bootloaders
│   ├── bsp-cli                          Automatically added to armbian-bsp-cli package 
│   ├── bsp-desktop                      Automatically added to armbian-bsp-desktopo package
│   ├── bsp                              Scripts and configs overlay for rootfs
│   └── deb-build                        Source packages in expanded form or rules
├── patch                                Collection of patches
│   ├── atf                              ARM trusted firmware
│   ├── kernel                           Linux kernel patches
|   |   └── family-branch                Per kernel family and branch
│   ├── misc                             Linux kernel packaging patches
│   └── u-boot                           Universal boot loader patches
|       ├── u-boot-board                 For specific board
|       └── u-boot-family                For entire kernel family
├── tools                                Tools for dealing with kernel patches and configs
└── userpatches                          User: configuration patching area
    ├── lib.config                       User: framework common config/override file
    ├── config-default.conf              User: default user config file
    ├── customize-image.sh               User: script will execute just before closing the image
    ├── packages
    |   └── deb-build                    User: Source packages in expanded form or archive or rules
    ├── atf                              User: ARM trusted firmware
    ├── kernel                           User: Linux kernel per kernel family
    ├── misc                             User: various
    └── u-boot                           User: universal boot loader patches

Contribution

You are an ordinary user who wants to assemble an image for his board.

But you get an error when assembling or the image is not working properly. Please open a question/issues.

You are a software developer.

And you need additional functionality in the image assembly system for a small board.

Create a discussion/issues and/or add your changes and make a pull request.

License

This software is published under the GPL-2.0 License license.