Current Open Source Toolchain for 1043A

[donberkowitz]

I just reviewed the release notes for the 1043A SDK which is at version 0.5.  It appears that all or most of the components are very out of date.  For example, Yocto itself is beyond 2.0 and you are including 1.6.  GCC is beyond 5.2 and you are distributing 4.8.  There are many similar examples.  Are people really using these very old versions or is everyone extracting just BSP source code and rebuilding against the current or stable releases of Open Source Linux?

I realize that you need to build against stable releases but this is a brand new product and its never going to be easier to get the open source components aligned around the most-recent long term stable open source projects.   I would have expected you to go to production with something as close to the current release as possible but then move forward very carefully from there... Please explain.

[michelle]

I don't believe that message is correct.

Our SDK's are being coupled with the latest Yocto releases which drive kernel version and tool chain versions which have typically been good LTS versions and good choices.  SDK 2.0, due in May will see the kernel move to 4.1.8 and use Yocto 2.0.  SDK 3.0 scheduled in 2017 has not yet settled on a version since Yocto is still in the process of working out the kernel details (which drives toolchain versions), but in general our plan of record is to follow them, so when they release 2.2 in the Fall of this year, that will be our baseline for our next SDK release typically.

Details for SDK 2.0 for LS1043a as I have them today are:

• Linux kernel 4.1.8 LTS
• U-Boot 2016.01
• GNU gcc 4.9.xglibc 2.21
• Yocto
• SDK 2.0

[bpe]

The main purpose of the SDK is to give customers a stable platform for

their projects. A new board SDK development starts well before the

hardware is released to the market and typically is based on something

existing and internally proven working on earlier products. Throughout

the internal development process, the versions of the kernel and other components are fixed

and the SDK is released with that kernel, Yocto, libraries etc. versions

plus a set of patches that are later, typically within six month, committed

to the mainstream repositories. Customers who want to always stay with

the most recent kernels and other software or to receive regular updates

are advised to purchase commercial, third-party Linux BSPs.

Have a great day,
Platon

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[donberkowitz]

So you are saying that you make no effort at all to align your BSP with future versions of Linux components?  I have had my share of problems with commercial suppliers and am not looking forward to the possibility that the BSP from the manufacturer never becomes aligned with future versions of Linux.