Debian Edit Modify Build and Flash Kernel

DART-MX8M-MINI - Customizing Debian Linux Kernel

This section describes how to do menuconfig and build new kernel configuration and deploy it.

Configuring the kernel

The default kernel configuration file used by Debian is part of the kernel source tree and is located at:

~/var_mx8mm_dart_debian_buster/src/kernel/arch/arm64/configs/imx8_var_defconfig

To configure the kernel using Debian:

How-to: Modify the kernel configuration

To modify the kernel configuration (add/remove features and drivers) please follow the steps below:

$ cd ~/var_mx8mm_dart_debian_buster/src/kernel
$ sudo make ARCH=arm64 mrproper
$ sudo make ARCH=arm64 imx8_var_defconfig
$ sudo make ARCH=arm64 menuconfig

Navigate the menu and select the desired kernel functionality

Exit the menu and answer "Yes" when asked "Do you wish to save your new configuration?"

$ sudo make ARCH=arm64 savedefconfig
$ sudo cp arch/arm64/configs/imx8_var_defconfig arch/arm64/configs/imx8_var_defconfig.orig
$ sudo cp defconfig arch/arm64/configs/imx8_var_defconfig

Building New Kernel Configuration

Build kernel, dtb files and kernel modules

$ cd ~/var_mx8mm_dart_debian_buster
$ sudo MACHINE=imx8mm-var-dart ./var_make_debian.sh -c kernel
$ sudo MACHINE=imx8mm-var-dart ./var_make_debian.sh -c modules

Note: If you have modules newly added / removed, make sure you run below command.

$ sudo MACHINE=imx8mm-var-dart ./var_make_debian.sh -c rtar

This will create rootfs.tar.gz that contains your new modules.

Deploy Kernel and DTB

You can deploy the kernel and dtb or modules from any of the below methods,

Deploy Kernel, dtb via network

Updating Device tree to target

Transfer dtbs to target
On PC:

$ cd ~/var_mx8mm_dart_debian_buster
$ scp output/*.dtb root@<yourboard-ip>:/boot/

Once prompted give root as password. <yourboard-ip> is ipaddress of your board.
Once transfer is done, follow below commands
On Target Console:

# sync;reboot

Note: If you just intend to do dtb, then only follow this section and reboot the target

Updating kernel Image to target

Transfer the output/Image.gz kernel image to target
On PC:

$ scp output/Image.gz root@<yourboard-ip>:/boot/

Once prompted give root as password. <yourboard-ip> is ipaddress of your board.
Once transfer is done, follow below commands
On Target Console:

# sync;reboot