# Qualcomm Linux Yocto overview

This guide provides information about how Qualcomm Linux uses Yocto to build an embedded system software image for Qualcomm
reference hardware.

The Qualcomm Linux release and this documentation are built on the principles of the
Yocto Project to help you further customize Qualcomm Linux. Qualcomm Linux is based on the Yocto Scarthgap release.

For an introduction to Yocto, see the
following pages created by the Yocto Project^®^:

- [The Yocto Project](https://www.yoctoproject.org/)
- [The Yocto Project 5.0.11 documentation](https://docs.yoctoproject.org/5.0.11/)

The Yocto Project provides tools, software, configurations, and best
practices to create customized Linux images for
embedded and IoT devices, or anywhere a customized Linux OS is needed.

Qualcomm Linux offers two build variants: `base` and `custom`.

> 
> 
> - The `base` variant allows you to build a system software image using upstream software components. However, there are a few exceptions for Qualcomm software that’s still being upstreamed or is necessary to boot the reference hardware.
> - The `custom` variant allows you to build a system software image that includes Qualcomm value-added software.

The Qualcomm Linux environment consists of several community-maintained metadata layers that deliver recipes for software packages, package groups, image recipes, and configurations. The community layers stack the Qualcomm Linux metadata layers to provide additional software components required for Qualcomm development kits.

## Next steps

> 
> 
> - For more information about these variants, see [Use of BitBake OVERRIDES in Qualcomm Linux metadata layers](https://docs.qualcomm.com/doc/80-70022-27/topic/use-of-bitbake-overrides.html#use-of-bitbake-overrides). The machine configurations defined in [meta-qcom-hwe](https://docs.qualcomm.com/doc/80-70022-27/topic/meta_qcom_hwe.html#meta-qcom-hwe) can use these two variants, and these configurations are mapped to the [development kits](https://www.qualcomm.com/developer/software/qualcomm-linux/hardware).
> - To find the mapping of supported overrides and machine configurations to a development kit, see Section 4.2 of the [Qualcomm Linux Release Notes](https://docs.qualcomm.com/bundle/publicresource/topics/RNO-251013063244).
> - See [Hardware SoCs](https://docs.qualcomm.com/bundle/publicresource/topics/80-70022-115/soc.html) that are supported on Qualcomm Linux.

Last Published: Oct 17, 2025

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