We have bought 2 toradex verdin imx8mp SoM with mallow carrier board . We have another reference board from variscite as well . For a specific software package we must use the Kirkstone Branch . Our Build System is yocto . So far the evaluation with toradex board has been going great. kernel version is 5.15 .
Now we are testing the software upgrade compatibility . Yes we have seen the Torizon Core option but we would like to use RAUC software upgrade because of past experience. In Variscite we have seen support of OTA using swupdate. And we were expecting RAUC support from Toradex but still have not found any official documentation in this regard . We have checked the meta-rauc-community layer as well but there the Kirkstone branch is not supported for nxp .
would you kindly give us any guideline on this ? will we have to write the support for imx8mp at kirkstone branch by ourselves ? Other than torizon core Do Toradex provide any software upgrade functionality support using frameworks such as rauc, swupdate /mender ? Please note our preference is RAUC
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Hello,
Thank you for reaching out with your question about RAUC support on the Verdin iMX8M Plus with the Kirkstone branch of Yocto. Currently, Toradex does not officially support RAUC for software updates on this setup. However, your preference for RAUC is understandable given your past experience.
Since the meta-rauc-community layer does not support the Kirkstone branch for NXP, you may need to implement RAUC support yourself. Here’s a general approach you can take:
Create a Custom Layer: Set up a custom Yocto layer where you can add RAUC-specific recipes and configurations.
Integrate RAUC: Add RAUC to your custom layer by writing a recipe that fetches and builds RAUC from its source. Ensure that all dependencies are met.
Configure RAUC: Define the RAUC configuration files, including the system’s partition layout and update bundle format. This configuration is crucial for RAUC to manage updates correctly.
Testing: Thoroughly test the RAUC integration on your hardware to ensure that updates are applied correctly and that the system can recover from failed updates.
Documentation and Maintenance: Document your integration process and maintain the custom layer to accommodate future updates or changes in the Yocto project.
If you are open to alternatives, you might also explore other update frameworks like SWUpdate or Mender, which could offer more straightforward integration paths.
I hope this helps you in implementing RAUC for your project. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
Best regards,
Toradex AI Assistant
Please, also check if these links can help you solve your problem:
I’m glad to hear that the evaluation with our verdin module has been going well so far.
Regarding software update solutions, Toradex officially supports OTA updates through Torizon OS and Torizon Cloud, which leverage OSTree as the update mechanism. OSTree is well-suited for embedded Linux systems, offering atomic updates, rollback capabilities, and efficient disk usage through delta updates. That said, Torizon OS already supports both the Kirkstone and Scarthgap branches with the cloud support.
Could you share more about your specific requirements and what advantages you see in RAUC over OSTree? Are you already familiar with OSTree and its benefits in an embedded environment? Understanding your use case will help us provide better guidance.
Would you be open to discussing OSTree and other benefits of Torizon cloud further? If you have any concerns about using it, I’d be happy to clarify how it compares to RAUC and whether it could meet your requirements.
Thanks for your kind reply and attention to the requested subject
Yes, we are well aware of the fact that TorizonOS uses OSTree Internally and TorizonCloud works with it . With OSTree There is no need for Dual partitioning and thus it saves disk space and also the update process takes less bandwidth.
Actually we have running products on field with other iMX SoC series that has RAUC stack as the Update Agent and Our Back-end is designed to work with RAUC. Because of this proven past experience we want to use RAUC for the i.MX8 SoC series based products as well.
So Would you kindly confirm if Toradex BSP (downstream Kernel) of Kirkstone Release is completely incompatible with RAUC ? If not then what are the required steps to port the BSP layer to make it work with meta-rauc layer ?
Toradex’s downstream BSP for Kirkstone does not have official RAUC support, but it is not inherently incompatible with RAUC. However, since there is no Toradex-maintained meta-rauc-nxp integration for the Verdin i.MX8MP in the Kirkstone branch, some adaptation is necessary. You could look into the meta-rauc-community layer and see how this has been implemented for some devices and do it by yourselves. If you require direct assistance with integration, testing, or customization, we can offer this under our Professional Services as part of our paid software support.Let us know how you’d like to proceed.
I can confirm with experience with @rudhi.tx has said. I did some basic RAUC porting work for a talk I did at Embedded Linux Conference last year. I only got far enough for my benchmarking needs but can confirm that it is just standard Yocto work following the RAUC community. You can see my talk for more context.
Thanks a lot for sending the video link. I will definitely watch it
I have also communicated with meta-rauc community maintainers . They have suggested me to follow Olimex mx8mp board as reference. And About OSTree adoption or Seeking professional services from Toradex, I have conveyed the message to higher level Managers . I will let you & @rudhi.tx know how everything goes.
Thanks for your kind suggestions
Best Regards
Hasin
