A General Solution for the Implementation of CI/CD in Embedded Linux Development

2025-10-22

AI Summary

To address poor reproducibility, low build efficiency, and insufficient deployment automation in embedded Linux system customization, this paper proposes a three-layer extensible architecture based on the Yocto Project. The architecture integrates GitLab CI and Docker to ensure environment isolation and enable continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD), while incorporating a local hash server (hashserv) and shared sstate cache server to significantly improve build artifact reuse. It supports automated real-time Linux kernel builds, QEMU-based simulation testing, and validation across six distinct boot scenarios. Experimental evaluation demonstrates substantial reduction in build time, markedly enhanced system stability and build reproducibility, and strong scalability and engineering deployability for industrial-grade applications.

Technology Category

• Machine Learning: Hardware-aware ML
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Agent Architectures
• Intelligent Robots: Multi-Robot Systems

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• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Experiences and lessons learnt from Web-based algorithms and system deployments
• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Cost models of using LLMs in production systems

Abstract

With the growing use of embedded systems in various industries, the need for automated platforms for the development and deployment of customized Linux-based operating systems has become more important. This research was conducted with the aim of designing and implementing an integrated and reproducible infrastructure for the development, building, and testing of a Linux-based operating system using the Yocto Project. The proposed structure was implemented based on a three-layer architecture consisting of the main Yocto repositories, a custom layer (meta-custom), and a coordinating manifest layer to ensure version synchronization, scalability, and reproducibility. Three sample projects, including libhelloworld, helloworld, and the kernel module hello mod, were developed and integrated into the build process. Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment pipelines were implemented with GitLab CI and combined with an isolated Docker environment to automate and streamline the build and testing workflows. Using a local cache server containing hashserv, downloads and sstate cache significantly reduced the build time. The functionality and stability of the system were verified through six boot test scenarios in the QEMU simulator. The results show that the proposed design not only ensures reproducibility but also can be extended to advanced applications such as continuous deployment of real-time Linux versions. Future recommendations include expanding automated tests, implementing system monitoring with Prometheus and Grafana, using distributed builds, optimizing with Docker multi-stage builds, and enabling continuous deployment of real-time Linux changes to provide a stable and scalable model for industrial and research projects in embedded systems with a rapid and reliable development cycle.

Problem

• Automating embedded Linux development with CI/CD pipelines
• Ensuring version synchronization and reproducibility in builds
• Reducing build time through optimized caching mechanisms

Innovation

• Uses Yocto Project for embedded Linux development
• Implements CI/CD pipelines with GitLab and Docker
• Employs local cache server to reduce build time