Build Zynq Linux kernel and devicetree

Using a script

We provide a script that does automates the build for Zynq using the Linaro toolchain.

The script takes up to 3 parameters, but if left blank, it uses defaults:

  1. <local_kernel_dir> - default is linux-adi if left blank ; use this, if you want to use an already cloned kernel repo

  2. <devicetree_file> - which device tree should be exported/copied from the build. Default is zynq-zc702-adv7511-ad9361-fmcomms2-3.dtb for Zynq

  3. <path_to_other_toolchain> - in case you have your own preferred toolchain (other than Linaro’s or Xilinx’s) you can use override it with this 3rd param

The script will:

  • Clone the ADI kernel tree

  • Download the Linaro GCC toolchain (if no other is specified)

  • Build the ADI kernel tree

  • Export/copy the Image file and device tree file out of the kernel build folder

Running the script in one line, with defaults:

~$

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/analogdevicesinc/wiki-scripts/main/linux/build_zynq_kernel_image.sh && \
chmod +x build_zynq_kernel_image.sh && \
./build_zynq_kernel_image.sh

Building with Petalinux

Please see here: Build with Petalinux.

On the development host

Make sure you have u-boot-tools installed, to have the mkimage utility available. You can install it via your distro’s package manager.

Then

~$

git clone https://github.com/analogdevicesinc/linux.git \
            --no-single-branch --depth=10 \
            -- linux

or do a git pull in a existing cloned repository.

The depth and no-single-branch options are included to speed up the cloning by fetching only near the head of each branch/release, you may remove them to fetch all history, but bear in mind it will go from around 800MB to around 3.4GB and growing.

Checkout the Release branch

Tip

Use the latest release, if not required otherwise!

The release branches have the format <Year>_R[1|2], starting from 2014_R2.

~$

git checkout origin/2026_R1 -b 2026_R1

Branch 2026_R1 set up to track remote branch 2026_R1 from origin.
Switched to a new branch '2026_R1'

Setup cross compile environment variables

There are a few toolchains that can be used. The AMD Xilinx toolchain is recommended, but the Linaro toolchain can also be used.

Other toolchains/compilers for ARM may work as well, but the ones described here have been tested and found to work.

Using the AMD Xilinx toolchain

Release names and Branches

Required Vivado/Vitis versions

2014_R2

Vivado 2014.2

2015_R2

Vivado 2015.2

2016_R1

Vivado 2015.4.2

2016_R2

Vivado 2016.2

2017_R1

Vivado 2016.4

2018_R1

Vivado 2017.4

2018_R2

Vivado 2018.2

2019_R1

Vivado 2018.3

2019_R2

Vivado 2019.1

2021_R1

Vivado 2021.1

2021_R2

Vivado 2021.2

2022_R2

Vivado 2022.2

2023_R2

Vivado 2023.2

2026_R1

Vivado 2026.1

 
~$

source $PATH_TO_XILINX/Vitis/$VITIS_VERSION/settings64.sh

~$

which which arm-linux-gnueabihf-gcc

$PATH_TO_XILINX/Vitis/$VITIS_VERSION/gnu/aarch32/lin/gcc-arm-linux-gnueabi/bin/arm-linux-gnueabihf-gcc

Important

Find the path to the AMD Xilinx installation folder, and then use it to replace this string: $PATH_TO_XILINX that is written above. Same goes for the $VITIS_VERSION, where you choose the Vitis version.

~$

export ARCH=arm

~$

export CROSS_COMPILE="arm-linux-gnueabihf-"

Using the Arm GNU Toolchain

Alternatively, the Arm GNU Toolchain can be used to compile the kernel. Download the arm-none-linux-gnueabihf tarball for your host from the Arm GNU Toolchain downloads page. Always use the latest release just in case.

Extract the downloaded tarball and set the environment variables:

~$

export ARCH=arm

~$

export CROSS_COMPILE=$(pwd)/<extracted-toolchain-dir>/bin/arm-none-linux-gnueabihf-

Configure the kernel

Inside the repository, generate the configuration file before building the kernel tree. The command shown below is generic and is not project specific. As long as the board is a ZYNQ FPGA, use the configuration below.

~$

make zynq_xcomm_adv7511_defconfig

#
# configuration written to .config
#

Build the kernel

Build the kernel via ‘make’. This is the same for all AMD Xilinx ZYNQ FPGAs.

~$

make -j5 UIMAGE_LOADADDR=0x8000 uImage

scripts/kconfig/conf --silentoldconfig Kconfig
  CHK     include/config/kernel.release
  CHK     include/generated/uapi/linux/version.h
  UPD     include/config/kernel.release
  CHK     include/generated/utsrelease.h

[ -- snip --]

  AS      arch/arm/boot/compressed/bswapsdi2.o
  AS      arch/arm/boot/compressed/piggy.gzip.o
  LD      arch/arm/boot/compressed/vmlinux
  OBJCOPY arch/arm/boot/zImage
  Kernel: arch/arm/boot/zImage is ready
  UIMAGE  arch/arm/boot/uImage
Image Name:   Linux-3.17.0-126697-g611e217-dir
Created:      Fri Nov 28 10:20:40 2014
Image Type:   ARM Linux Kernel Image (uncompressed)
Data Size:    3195872 Bytes = 3120.97 kB = 3.05 MB
Load Address: 00008000
Entry Point:  00008000

Build the devicetree FCMOMMS2/3/4/5

Build the one that fits your FPGA carrier and FMC card

device tree

board

chip

zynq-adrv9361-z7035-bob

ADRV1CRR-BOB
ADRV9361

zynq-adrv9361-z7035-bob-cmos

ADRV1CRR-BOB
ADRV9361

zynq-adrv9361-z7035-packrf

ADRV-PACKRF
ADRV9361

zynq-adrv9361-z7035-fmc

ADRV1CRR-FMC
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
ADRV9361

zynq-adrv9361-z7035-fmc-rfcard-tdd

ADRV1CRR-FMC
ADV7511 (on-board), the
ADRV9361 and the
AD-PZSDR2400TDD-EB

zynq-adrv9364-z7020-bob

ADRV1CRR-BOB
ADRV9364

zynq-adrv9364-z7020-bob-cmos

ADRV1CRR-BOB
ADRV9364

zynq-adrv9364-z7020-packrf

ADRV-PACKRF
ADRV9364

zynq-coraz7s

Cora Z7

zynq-mini-itx-adv7511

Mini-ITX
ADV7511 (on-board)

zynq-mini-itx-adv7511-ad9361-fmcomms2-3

Mini-ITX
ADV7511 (on-board)
AD-FMCOMMS2-EBZ
Hardware User Guide

zynq-mini-itx-adv7511-ad9364-fmcomms4

Mini-ITX
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
AD-FMCOMMS4-EBZ board

zynq-zc702-adv7511

ZC702
ADV7511 (on-board)

zynq-zc702-adv7511-ad9361-fmcomms2-3

ZC702
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
AD-FMCOMMS2-EBZ or
Hardware User Guide board

zynq-zc702-adv7511-ad9361-fmcomms5

ZC702
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
AD-FMCOMMS5-EBZ

zynq-zc702-adv7511-ad9364-fmcomms4

ZC702
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
AD-FMCOMMS4-EBZ board

zynq-zc706-adv7511

ZC706
ADV7511 (on-board)

zynq-zc706-adv7511-ad6676-fmc

ZC706
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
EVAL-AD6676 board

zynq-zc706-adv7511-ad9265-fmc-125ebz

ZC706
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
EVAL-AD9265 board

zynq-zc706-adv7511-ad9361-fmcomms2-3

ZC706
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
AD-FMCOMMS2-EBZ or
Hardware User Guide board

zynq-zc706-adv7511-ad9361-fmcomms5

ZC706
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
AD-FMCOMMS5-EBZ board

zynq-zc706-adv7511-ad9361-fmcomms5-ext-lo-adf5355

ZC706
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
AD-FMCOMMS5-EBZ board

zynq-zc706-adv7511-ad9364-fmcomms4

ZC706
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
AD-FMCOMMS4-EBZ board

zynq-zc706-adv7511-ad9434-fmc-500ebz

ZC706
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
EVAL-AD9434-FMC board

zynq-zc706-adv7511-ad9625-fmcadc2

ZC706
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
AD-FMCADC2-EBZ (Obsolete) board

zynq-zc706-adv7511-ad9739a-fmc

ZC706
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
EVAL-AD9739A

zynq-zc706-adv7511-adrv9371

ZC706
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
Block Diagram board

zynq-zc706-adv7511-adrv9375

ZC706
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
Block Diagram board

zynq-zc706-adv7511-fmcadc4

ZC706
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
AD-FMCADC4-EBZ (Obsolete) board

zynq-zc706-adv7511-fmcdaq2

ZC706
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
AD-FMCDAQ2-EBZ Hardware board

zynq-zc706-adv7511-fmcdaq3

ZC706
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
AD-FMCDAQ3-EBZ board

zynq-zc706-adv7511-fmcjesdadc1

ZC706
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
AD-FMCJESDADC1-EBZ (Obsolete) board

zynq-zc706-imageon

ZC706
FMC-IMAGEON

zynq-zed-adv7511

Zed Board

ADV7511 (on-board)

zynq-zed-adv7511-ad9361-fmcomms2-3

Zed Board
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
AD-FMCOMMS2-EBZ or
Hardware User Guide board

zynq-zed-adv7511-ad9364-fmcomms4

ZedBoard
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
AD-FMCOMMS4-EBZ board

zynq-zed-adv7511-ad9467-fmc-250ebz

ZedBoard
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
EVAL-AD9467-FMC-250EBZ board

zynq-zed-adv7511-cn0363

ZedBoard
ADV7511 (on-board) and the
EVAL-CN0363-PMDZ board

zynq-zed-imageon

ZedBoard
FMC-IMAGEON

Building the device tree uses ‘make’ by turning the .dts file to a .dtb. The command is simply ‘make’ plus the device tree name with a .dtb file extension.

~$

make zynq-zc702-adv7511-ad9361.dtb

DTC     arch/arm/boot/dts/zynq-zc702-adv7511-ad9361.dtb

Copy the generated files to your SD Card

The output files for building the kernel and device tree are uImage and <device_tree_name>.dtb. Refer to the code below to find their respective output directories. Take note that the device tree file needs to be renamed to devicetree.dtb. See ADI Kuiper Linux for more information in configuring the SD card with Kuiper.

~$

cp arch/arm/boot/uImage /media/BOOT/uImage

~$

cp arch/arm/boot/dts/zynq-zc702-adv7511-ad9361.dtb  /media/BOOT/devicetree.dtb

On the target platform (devicetrees)

To modify devicetrees on the target platform:

  1. Make sure the boot partition is mounted. On new images, this can be done by right-clicking the boot icon on the desktop and selecting the “Mount Volume” option. The partition will then be mounted at /media/analog/boot.

  2. Convert the compiled devicetree related to the target back into an editable format.

    ~$

    cd /media/analog/boot/zynq-zc702-adv7511

    /media/analog/boot/zynq-zc702-adv7511$

    dtc -I dtb -O dts -o devicetree.dts devicetree.dtb

  3. Modify the devicetree.dts file as required.

  4. Recompile the devicetree file. Note that this will overwrite the original dtb file, copy or rename the original file if you want to keep it before running this step.

    ~$

    cd /media/analog/boot/zynq-zc702-adv7511

    /media/analog/boot/zynq-zc702-adv7511$

    dtc -I dts -O dtb -o devicetree.dtb devicetree.dts