topic Re: Adding SPL to U-Boot config causes build error OOM 137 in i.MX Processors

Adding SPL to U-Boot config causes build error OOM 137

Gurban — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:15:28 GMT

I am creating Linux image for Colibri iMX8QXP SoM module and I wanted to include Falcon Mode for U-Boot. I used as a reference.

Build configuration I'm using:

Build Configuration: BB_VERSION = "2.8.1" BUILD_SYS = "x86_64-linux" NATIVELSBSTRING = "universal" TARGET_SYS = "aarch64-tdx-linux" MACHINE = "colibri-imx8x" DISTRO = "tdx-xwayland" DISTRO_VERSION = "7.6.0-devel-20260423064324+build.0" TUNE_FEATURES = "aarch64 armv8a crypto" TARGET_FPU = "" meta = "scarthgap:41597b5260fb5ca811d0fb4ae7e65246d61734eb" meta-yocto-bsp meta-poky = "scarthgap:c7c38663a1cafb1fa8593c0b246811e51d3bbe20" meta-freescale = "scarthgap:902dde8c5bd29bb507ac8d37772565a6c9ab77cd" meta-freescale-3rdparty = "scarthgap:70c83e96c7f75e73245cb77f1b0cada9ed4bbc6d" meta-oe meta-python meta-multimedia meta-networking meta-filesystems = "scarthgap:06f846a325fde423bb0a6d49d771d8c1e144d7eb" meta-toradex-bsp-common = "scarthgap-7.x.y:159b1b42c4c527a39ac0b41faad408d74299e2d6" meta-toradex-nxp = "scarthgap-7.x.y:1c108e5846f71a543e97327274afb53d136c16ae" meta-toradex-distro = "scarthgap-7.x.y:c55b5b491427ac1f129dcd905bb9956feecd31a4" meta-qt6 = "6.7.3:9e6928ef66bced84ec3eecfdac00a3540b0a6479" meta-splash workspace meta-imx-fastboot = "lf-6.6.52-2.2.0:5b3363688aac96e5e1e73ad73bcf9f074cfb1160"

After adding meta-imx-fastboot layer my build failed because it couldn't find SPL related bin file, so I added SPL support using menuconfig for virtual/bootloader.

It caused my build to crash with error 137 and without any additional information in logs. I have 64Gb RAM on my machine and for the experiment I added 256Gb more of swap space, that didn't help.

Information in the internet didn't help much either, all I've found was reducing parallel make variable and adding 8Gb swap, which didn't resolve my problem.

What can be a solution to this?

Re: Adding SPL to U-Boot config causes build error OOM 137

elena_popa — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 09:04:00 GMT

Hi @Gurban

Please use this layer instead: https://github.com/nxp-imx-support/meta-imx-fastboot/tree/lf-6.6.52-2.2.0

i.MX 8QXP is supported on lf-6.6.36-2.1.0 and lf-6.6.52-2.2.0 branches.

As a general rule for i.MX 8QXP, to generate the SPL binary, the following variables must be set:

UBOOT_MAKE_TARGET:mx8qxp-generic-bsp = ""
SPL_BINARY:mx8qxp-generic-bsp = "spl/u-boot-spl.bin"
IMXBOOT_TARGETS_SD:mx8qxp-generic-bsp = "flash_spl"

These are already defined in the conf/layer.conf: https://github.com/nxp-imx-support/meta-imx-fastboot/blob/lf-6.6.52-2.2.0/conf/layer.conf#L21C1-L25C66

Could you share the error log as well?

Please, let me know if you have further questions.

Regards,

Elena

Re: Adding SPL to U-Boot config causes build error OOM 137

Gurban — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:22:17 GMT

Hello @elena_popa,
I'm already using this branch you've mentioned, it matches the version in my build configuration in the last row.

I've checked variables too:

bitbake -e core-image-minimal | grep "^SPL_BINARY" SPL_BINARY="spl/u-boot-spl.bin" SPL_BINARY:mx8qxp-generic-bsp="spl/u-boot-spl.bin"

Error log if I try to build core-image-minimal without modifying virtual/bootloader and adding SPL support:

WARNING: /home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/meta-toradex-nxp/recipes-bsp/u-boot/u-boot-toradex_2024.04.bb:do_compile is tainted from a forced run | ETA: 0:00:00 Sstate summary: Wanted 930 Local 905 Mirrors 0 Missed 25 Current 2440 (97% match, 99% complete)################################################################################## | ETA: 0:00:00 Initialising tasks: 100% |#########################################################################################################################################################################| Time: 0:00:02 NOTE: Executing Tasks ERROR: u-boot-toradex-2024.04-r0 do_install: ExecutionError('/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/build/tmp/work/colibri_imx8x-tdx-linux/u-boot-toradex/2024.04/temp/run.do_install.43334', 1, None, None) ERROR: Logfile of failure stored in: /home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/build/tmp/work/colibri_imx8x-tdx-linux/u-boot-toradex/2024.04/temp/log.do_install.43334 Log data follows: | DEBUG: Executing python function extend_recipe_sysroot | NOTE: Direct dependencies are ['/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/openembedded-core/meta/recipes-core/glibc/glibc_2.39.bb:do_populate_sysroot', '/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/openembedded-core/meta/recipes-devtools/gcc/gcc-cross_13.4.bb:do_populate_sysroot', '/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/openembedded-core/meta/recipes-devtools/gcc/gcc-runtime_13.4.bb:do_populate_sysroot', '/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/openembedded-core/meta/recipes-devtools/quilt/quilt-native_0.67.bb:do_populate_sysroot', '/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/openembedded-core/meta/recipes-kernel/kern-tools/kern-tools-native_git.bb:do_populate_sysroot', 'virtual:native:/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/openembedded-core/meta/recipes-connectivity/openssl/openssl_3.5.5.bb:do_populate_sysroot', 'virtual:native:/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/openembedded-core/meta/recipes-devtools/bison/bison_3.8.2.bb:do_populate_sysroot', 'virtual:native:/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/openembedded-core/meta/recipes-devtools/flex/flex_2.6.4.bb:do_populate_sysroot', 'virtual:native:/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/openembedded-core/meta/recipes-devtools/patch/patch_2.7.6.bb:do_populate_sysroot', 'virtual:native:/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/openembedded-core/meta/recipes-devtools/pseudo/pseudo_git.bb:do_populate_sysroot', 'virtual:native:/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/openembedded-core/meta/recipes-devtools/python/python3-setuptools_69.1.1.bb:do_populate_sysroot', 'virtual:native:/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/openembedded-core/meta/recipes-devtools/python/python3_3.12.12.bb:do_populate_sysroot', 'virtual:native:/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/openembedded-core/meta/recipes-devtools/swig/swig_4.2.1.bb:do_populate_sysroot', 'virtual:native:/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/openembedded-core/meta/recipes-extended/bc/bc_1.07.1.bb:do_populate_sysroot', 'virtual:native:/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/openembedded-core/meta/recipes-kernel/dtc/dtc_1.7.0.bb:do_populate_sysroot'] | NOTE: Installed into sysroot: [] | NOTE: Skipping as already exists in sysroot: ['gettext-minimal-native', 'glibc', 'binutils-cross-aarch64', 'cmake-native', 'gcc-cross-aarch64', 'gcc-runtime', 'libgcc', 'libtool-native', 'm4-native', 'quilt-native', 'texinfo-dummy-native', 'kern-tools-native', 'linux-libc-headers', 'openssl-native', 'expat-native', 'ncurses-native', 'readline-native', 'util-linux-libuuid-native', 'zlib-native', 'bison-native', 'flex-native', 'git-native', 'gnu-config-native', 'libedit-native', 'make-native', 'patch-native', 'perl-native', 'pseudo-native', 'python3-build-native', 'python3-flit-core-native', 'python3-installer-native', 'python3-packaging-native', 'python3-pyproject-hooks-native', 'python3-setuptools-native', 'python3-wheel-native', 'python3-native', 'swig-native', 'bc-native', 'bzip2-native', 'libnsl2-native', 'libtirpc-native', 'unzip-native', 'xz-native', 'zstd-native', 'dtc-native', 'attr-native', 'ca-certificates-native', 'curl-native', 'gdbm-native', 'gmp-native', 'libffi-native', 'libmpc-native', 'libpcre2-native', 'mpfr-native', 'sqlite3-native'] | DEBUG: Python function extend_recipe_sysroot finished | DEBUG: Executing shell function do_install | install: cannot stat '/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/build/tmp/work/colibri_imx8x-tdx-linux/u-boot-toradex/2024.04/build/colibri-imx8x_defconfig/spl/u-boot-spl.bin': No such file or directory | WARNING: exit code 1 from a shell command. ERROR: Task (/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/meta-toradex-nxp/recipes-bsp/u-boot/u-boot-toradex_2024.04.bb:do_install) failed with exit code '1' NOTE: Tasks Summary: Attempted 3704 tasks of which 3699 didn't need to be rerun and 1 failed. NOTE: Writing buildhistory NOTE: Writing buildhistory took: 2 seconds Summary: 1 task failed: /home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/meta-toradex-nxp/recipes-bsp/u-boot/u-boot-toradex_2024.04.bb:do_install log: /home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/build/tmp/work/colibri_imx8x-tdx-linux/u-boot-toradex/2024.04/temp/log.do_install.43334 Summary: There were 2 WARNING messages. Summary: There was 1 ERROR message, returning a non-zero exit code.

After enabling SPL support in virtual/bootloader the build is stuck in do_compile part and finishes with error 137

Tell me if I need to provide more information.

Thank you in advance,

Arkadij

Re: Adding SPL to U-Boot config causes build error OOM 137

elena_popa — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 11:45:21 GMT

Hi @Gurban

For the 137 code error, could you please attach the U-Boot compile log file? You should find it in tmp/work/colibri_imx8x-tdx-linux/u-boot-toradex/2024.04/temp/log.do_compile

Re: Adding SPL to U-Boot config causes build error OOM 137

Gurban — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 03:42:17 GMT

Hello @elena_popa ,
Attached the last log file

Re: Adding SPL to U-Boot config causes build error OOM 137

Gurban — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 09:23:26 GMT

I've checked again and turns out log.do_compile file is exceeding 50Gb, but its all are repeating lines:

Maximum size in memory allocated to the SPL BSS (SPL_BSS_MAX_SIZE) [] (NEW)
Error in reading or end of file.

Re: Adding SPL to U-Boot config causes build error OOM 137

elena_popa — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 17:57:47 GMT

Hi @Gurban

Please use as reference our i.MX 8QXP MEK configuration file, which enables SPL by default. Since you are using the Toradex BSP, I recommend reaching out to Toradex for guidance on enabling SPL in their software.

Alternatively, you may also choose to keep U‑Boot proper and focus on optimizing it along with the Linux kernel. I suggest reviewing the article i.MX 6ULZ: How to boot Linux in under 2s, which provides some recommendations for reducing both U‑Boot and Linux kernel boot times.

Thanks,

Elena