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Customizing ARTIK Linux Build

Having compiled, loaded, and played with the base version of your Linux build for verification, you have the option of customizing it to use your chosen configurations. Although you could manually edit the configuration files, we recommend you use the kconfig-frontends tool to add and remove drivers and features.

From time to time, you may also need to install patches.

Configuration Overview

The system is highly configurable through Kconfig files. Each file contains declarations for the required configuration variables and provides configuration options. Main Kconfig file entries point to Kconfig files in subdirectories, giving a sub-menu of choices related to the main entry option.

Installing Kconfig Tools

You'll need to do a quick tool installation on your Linux development PC.

  1. Open a bash terminal window.

  2. Change to your working directory, such as
    cd ~/ARTIK710s

  3. Install the Kconfig-frontend tool for menu configuration.

    git clone https://bitbucket.org/nuttx/tools.git tools

    cd tools/kconfig-frontends

    ./configure --enable-mconf --disable-gconf --prefix=/usr

    make

    sudo make install

We chose the mconf frontend, giving you the menu style seen in the example image we show.

Adding/Removing/Configuring Modules

Using the Kconfig tool is fairly intuitive once you get familiar with it. The best way to do so is to open up the tool and view the selections.

There are two configurable entities:

  • u-boot-artik – the U-Boot code
  • linux-artik – the Linux kernel

cd into the directory you want to configure, then issue the make menuconfig command to use the tool. You will need to specify your CPU architecture on the command line as shown in the instructions.

Example: Add PPP Module

The point-to-point protocol (PPP) is used to establish a communications connection between two nodes. The Cellular Modem project requires that this driver module be built into the Linux kernel, so it provides a good example of using the Kconfig tool to enable PPP in the kernel.

  1. Start Kconfig to configure the Linux kernel.
    cd linux-artik
    make ARCH=arm artik530_raptor_defconfig
    make ARCH=arm menuconfig
    cd linux-artik
    make ARCH=arm64 artik710_raptor_defconfig
    make ARCH=arm64 menuconfig
  2. Within the menu, use the down arrow to arrive at the selections noted.
    1. Go to
      Device Drivers --->
      and hit Enter to select.
    2. Go to
      [*] Network device support --->
      and hit Enter.
    3. Go to
      < > PPP (point-to-point protocol) support
      and hit Space to select (so it shows < M >).
    4. Enabling PPP displays the following options. Select all of them, one at a time, using the space bar. Verify that your selections match the image below.

    5. Use the right arrow to select `Save` (Enter), then use the arrow keys (or hit the ESC key twice) to exit each menu until you are out of `Kconfig`.
  3. Make each module.
    make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf- Image -j4
    make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf- dtbs -j4
    make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabihf- modules -j4
    make ARCH=arm64 CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-linux-gnu- Image -j4
    make ARCH=arm64 CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-linux-gnu- dtbs -j4
    make ARCH=arm64 CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-linux-gnu- modules -j4
  4. Save your configuration file.
    make ARCH=arm savedefconfig
    mv defconfig arch/arm/configs/artik530_raptor_defconfig
    make ARCH=arm64 savedefconfig
    mv defconfig arch/arm64/configs/artik710_raptor_defconfig
  5. Build the complete image, or just the kernel.
    cd ../build-artik

    ./release.sh ... (use your usual command line here)
    -- OR --
    ./build_kernel.sh -b artikXXXs_ubuntu (replace XXX with 530, 710)
  6. To move the updated modules, follow the directions in Updating Device Firmware.
  7. On the first boot, type
    modprobe ppp_generic
    to load the new driver module.

Example: Add GSM modem support

Using menuconfig, you can also enable GSM modem support over USB. Refer to the Cellular Modem project for an example.

Follow the same procedure as in the previous example (step 2). This time, under:

Device Drivers --->  
	USB support --->  
		USB Serial Converter support --->

choose

< > USB driver for GSM and CDMA modems

by pressing the M key so that it will 'make' as a module.

On your first boot after loading the new images, run
modprobe option
to include the new module.

Updating Device Firmware

To incorporate the updated modules on your ARTIK device, you have multiple choices.

Patches

Patch files are supplied to enable specific configuration features. They are simple to install.

  1. Set up and clean your build environment as always, using the base code revision specified for use with your patch.

  2. Go to the linux-artik directory within the environment.

  3. Save your patch file, such as patchfile.patch, to this location.

  4. Run patch < patchfile.patch to apply each patch.

  5. Compile and load the image as always.

Click here for an example of why you would use patch code.
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