View source for Add build information into a Yocto image

== Creating Add build information into a Yocto image ==

Importing variables into the device with '''buildinfo'''

There is a little known image feature in Yocto called buildinfo that will help us get the required information. 

Buildinfo is available in Yocto 1.8 and later versions. This image feature will write a set of OpenEmbedded variables to a file /etc/build in the image, which in turn gets '''written to the target device'''.

To enable buildinfo, open conf/local.conf and append 

 INHERIT += "image-buildinfo"
 IMAGE_BUILDINFO_VARS:append = " DATETIME DISTRO_NAME IMAGE_BASENAME MACHINE TUNE_PKGARCH" 
 IMAGE_BUILDINFO_VARS:append = " MACHINE_FEATURES DISTRO_FEATURES COMMON_FEATURES IMAGE_FEATURES"
 IMAGE_BUILDINFO_VARS:append = " TUNE_FEATURES TARGET_FPU"

Then build the desired image, e.g. with bitbake -k core-image-minimal.
And run the image, e.g. with runqemu qemuarm nographic, and look at the file generated in /etc/build.

A sample resulting '''/etc/build''' file is shown below.

 -----------------------
 Build Configuration:  |
 -----------------------
 DISTRO = poky
 DISTRO_VERSION = 4.0.19
 DATETIME = 20240626102217
 DISTRO_NAME = Poky (Yocto Project Reference Distro)
 IMAGE_BASENAME = core-image-minimal
 MACHINE = qemuarm
 TUNE_PKGARCH = cortexa15t2hf-neon
 MACHINE_FEATURES = alsa bluetooth usbgadget screen vfat rtc qemu-usermode
 DISTRO_FEATURES = acl alsa argp bluetooth debuginfod ext2 ipv4 ipv6 largefile pcmcia usbgadget usbhost wifi xattr nfs zeroconf pci 3g nfc x11 vfat seccomp largefile opengl ptest multiarch wayland vulkan pulseaudio sysvinit gobject-introspection-data ldconfig
 COMMON_FEATURES = 
 IMAGE_FEATURES = debug-tweaks package-management ssh-server-openssh
 TUNE_FEATURES = arm vfp cortexa15 neon thumb callconvention-hard
 TARGET_FPU = hard
 -----------------------
 Layer Revisions:      |
 -----------------------
 meta              = kirkstone:e139e9d0ce343ba77a09601a976c92acd562c9df 
 meta-poky         = kirkstone:e139e9d0ce343ba77a09601a976c92acd562c9df 
 meta-yocto-bsp    = kirkstone:e139e9d0ce343ba77a09601a976c92acd562c9df 
 meta-oe           = kirkstone:0560b848996a0feb410a8cd8ca07c60fe2f3b5bc 


----------

'''Buildhistory'''

To enable buildhistory, open conf/local.conf and append

 INHERIT += "buildhistory"
 BUILDHISTORY_COMMIT = "1"

The same details are registered on the HOST for every build when you enable '''buildhistory'''

 commit 3c194a01ee722b94f474c7911ccb926ee2858639 (HEAD -> master)
 Author: buildhistory <buildhistory@poky>
 Date:   Wed Jun 26 10:22:52 2024 +0000
 
    Build 20240626102217 of poky 4.0.19 for machine qemuarm on koanserver
    
    cmd: bitbake core-image-minimal
    
    result: succeeded
    
    metadata revisions:
    meta              = kirkstone:e139e9d0ce343ba77a09601a976c92acd562c9df
    meta-poky         = kirkstone:e139e9d0ce343ba77a09601a976c92acd562c9df
    meta-yocto-bsp    = kirkstone:e139e9d0ce343ba77a09601a976c92acd562c9df
    meta-oe           = kirkstone:0560b848996a0feb410a8cd8ca07c60fe2f3b5bc