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

[Gurban]

I am creating Linux image for Colibri iMX8QXP SoM module and I wanted to include Falcon Mode for U-Boot. I used Fast Boot for i.MX 8QXP Using U-Boot Falcon Mode  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? 

[elena_popa]

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-L25C...

Could you share the error log as well?

Please, let me know if you have further questions.

Regards,

Elena

[Gurban]

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

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 929 Local 904 Mirrors 0 Missed 25 Current 2441 (97% match, 99% complete)################################################################################## | ETA: 0:00:00
Initialising tasks: 100% |#########################################################################################################################################################################| Time: 0:00:01
NOTE: Executing Tasks
ERROR: Task (/home/yocto/bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/meta-toradex-nxp/recipes-bsp/u-boot/u-boot-toradex_2024.04.bb:do_compile) failed with exit code '137'
NOTE: Tasks Summary: Attempted 2992 tasks of which 2991 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_compile
Summary: There were 2 WARNING messages.

Tell me if I need to provide more information.

Thank you in advance,

Arkadij

[elena_popa]

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

[Gurban]

Hello @elena_popa ,
Attached the last log file

[Gurban]

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.

[elena_popa · Accepted solution]

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