# `meta-qcom`

The `meta-qcom` metadata layer is hosted at
[git.yoctoproject.org](http://git.yoctoproject.org) and provides
recipes to build the Qualcomm BSP. Build the software image using the
following recipes from the `meta-qcom` layer.

It provides support for enabling Qualcomm devices.

Note

This guide uses the QCM6490 and QCS6490 hardware SoCs interchangeably.
The `qcs6490-rb3gen2-core-kit.conf` and machine configuration files
defined in the `meta-qcom/conf/machine/` directory
support the QCM6490, QCS6490, and QCS5430 hardware SoCs.

| Recipe | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `recipes-devtools/qdl/qdl_git.bb` | The Qualcomm Download (QDL) flashing tool communicates<br>with the USB devices displaying ID 05c6:9008 to upload a flash<br>loader and uses this recipe to flash the images. |
| `recipes-support/pd-mapper/pd-mapper_git.bb` | The Qualcomm `pd-mapper` is an implementation for the<br>protection domain mapper service. This service configures and<br>manages protection domains, ensuring secure communication<br>between applications and various remote processors. |
| `recipes-support/qrtr/qrtr_git.bb` | The Qualcomm Router (QRTR) is an inter-process communication mechanism<br>used in Qualcomm system on chips (SoCs). QRTR allows communication between different processors in the system,<br>such as the application processor and the modem, using a socket-style programming interface in the user space. |
| `recipes-support/initrdscripts/initramfs-module-copy-modules_1.0.bb` | `initramfs-framework` module for copying kernel modules from<br>`initramfs` to `rootfs`. |
| `recipes-multimedia/` | Provides multimedia recipes for Qualcomm technologies, including camera<br>components, the optimized Qualcomm FastCV library for image processing<br>and computer vision, patches for GStreamer plug-ins to support<br>Qualcomm-specific formats and fixes, and Qualcomm IM SDK GStreamer<br>plug-ins. |
| `recipes-graphics/` | Contains recipes for Qualcomm Adreno graphics user-mode libraries, the<br>KGSL driver, and the Mesa GBM backend for MSM platforms. |
| `lib/qcom/dtb_only_fitimage.py` | Tool for generating DTB-only FIT images that support<br>Qualcomm-specific requirements. |
| `recipes-ml/` | Provides recipes for Qualcomm AI runtime SDK components, including tools,<br>runtimes, and model execution engines. |
| `recipes-bsp/firmware-boot/` | Contains recipes that provide boot firmware binaries for Qualcomm<br>platforms. |
| `recipes-bsp/firmware/camxfirmware-<soc>_<version>.bb` | Provides Qualcomm camera firmware required to enable camera<br>functionality. |
| `recipes-bsp/hexagon-dsp-binaries/hexagon-dsp-binaries_<version>.bb` | Provides Hexagon DSP binaries distributed with the Linux firmware<br>release. These binaries include libraries and executables used with the<br>corresponding DSP firmware through the FastRPC interface to enable<br>additional DSP functionality. |
| `recipes-bsp/partition/qcom-partition-conf_git.bb` | Provides GPT partition binaries and QDL scripts for Qualcomm reference<br>devices. |
| `recipes-bsp/partition/mount-tee-partition_1.0.bb` | Mounts the persist partition at `/var/lib/tee` to store encrypted data<br>and support security-related functionality. |

## BitBake classes

For an introduction to the BitBake classes, see
[classes-recipe](https://github.com/qualcomm-linux/meta-qcom/tree/master/classes-recipe)
and [classes](https://github.com/qualcomm-linux/meta-qcom/tree/master/classes).

| File | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `classes-recipe/dtb-fit-image.bbclass` | Creates the `qclinux-fit-image.its` file and generates a FIT image (ITB).<br>This class initializes the ITS structure, adds DTB sections, including<br>`qcom-metadata.dtb`, applies Qualcomm-specific ITS modifications, and<br>assembles the final image using `mkimage`. |
| `classes-recipe/image-adbd.bbclass` | Installs the `adbd` daemon into the image when the OpenEmbedded layer<br>is available. The `adbd` daemon is disabled by default and is enabled<br>only when `IMAGE_FEATURES` includes `enable-adbd`. |
| `classes-recipe/image_types_qcom.bbclass` | Adds support for a new `IMAGE_FSTYPE` that creates a single tarball<br>containing all required artifacts for a full clean flash, including<br>partition metadata, boot firmware, the ESP partition, and the root<br>filesystem. |
| `classes/linux-qcom-bootimg.bbclass` | Implements the logic to generate a `boot.img` file composed of a kernel<br>image, a ramdisk image, and a kernel command line. The generated<br>`boot.img` can be booted on machines using LK or fastboot. |
| `classes/linux-qcom-dtbbin.bbclass` | Generates a DTB image that is loaded by ARM SystemReady IR–compliant<br>Qualcomm UEFI firmware. The firmware supports loading a matching<br>device tree by reading `combined-dtb.dtb` or `qclinux_fit.img` from<br>the DTB partition. |
| `classes/uki-esp-image.bbclass` | Uses the OE-Core `uki.bbclass` infrastructure to assemble an ESP image<br>containing systemd-boot and a UKI. |

## Machine configurations

The Qualcomm Linux machine configuration files are available on
[GitHub](https://github.com/qualcomm-linux/meta-qcom/tree/master/conf/machine).
The files located in the `meta-qcom/conf/machine/include` directory define and
set the required BitBake variables, which are commonly used by machine
configurations defined by the Qualcomm BSP. The following table provides an
overview of these files.

| File | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `meta-qcom/conf/machine/include/qcom-base.inc` | This file sets the BitBake variables that are commonly<br>shared by all machine configurations defined in the Qualcomm BSP.<br>For example, `PREFERRED_PROVIDER` and `IMAGE_FSTYPES`. |
| `meta-qcom/conf/machine/include/qcom-qcs6490.inc` | This file sets the `SOC_FAMILY` variable to `qcm6490`.<br>This file also defines configuration variables that are shared by<br>all Qualcomm development kits based on QCS6490. |
| `meta-qcom/conf/machine/include/qcom-qcs9100.inc` | This file sets the `SOC_FAMILY` variable to `qcs9100`.<br>This file also defines configuration variables that are shared by<br>all Qualcomm development kits based on QCS9100. |
| `meta-qcom/conf/machine/include/qcom-qcs8300.inc` | This file sets the `SOC_FAMILY` variable to `qcs8300`.<br>This file also defines configuration variables that are shared by<br>all Qualcomm development kits based on QCS8300. |
| `meta-qcom/conf/machine/include/qcom-qcs615.inc` | This file sets the `SOC_FAMILY` variable to `qcs615`.<br>This file also defines configuration variables that are shared by<br>all Qualcomm development kits based on QCS615. |

### Machine configuration files for development kits based on QCS6490

| Configuration file | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `conf/machine/qcm6490-idp.conf` | This file is for the integrated development platform (IDP) with QCM6490. |
| `conf/machine/qcs6490-rb3gen2-core-kit.conf` | This file is for the Qualcomm Dragonwing^™^ RB3 Gen 2 Core development kit with the QCS6490 SoC. |

### Machine configuration files for development kits based on IQ-9075 and IQ-9100

| Configuration file | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `conf/machine/qcs9100-ride-sx.conf` | This file is for the Qualcomm^®^ IQ-9 Beta Evaluation Kit (EVK) with the IQ-9100 SoC. |
| `conf/machine/iq-9075-evk.conf` | This file is for the Qualcomm Dragonwing^™^ IQ-9075 EVK with the IQ-9075 SoC. |

### Machine configuration files for development kits based on IQ-8275

| Configuration file | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `conf/machine/qcs8300-ride-sx.conf` | This file is for the Qualcomm^®^ IQ-8 Beta EVK with the IQ-8300 SoC. |
| `qcs8275-iq-8275-evk.conf` | This file is for the Qualcomm Dragonwing^™^ IQ-8275 EVK with the IQ-8275 SoC. |

### Machine configuration files for development kits based on IQ-615

| Configuration file | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `conf/machine/iq-615-evk.conf` | This file is for the Qualcomm Dragonwing^™^ IQ-615 EVK with the IQ-615 SoC. |

### Kernel command-line

> 
> 
> The `recipes-kernel/images/esp-qcom-image.bb` sets the `UKI_CMDLINE` variable.
> This variable is passed as a –cmdline= to `ukify` tool while generating a UKI image.
> The `meta-qcom/conf/machine/include/qcom-base.inc` sets variables `QCOM_BOOTIMG_ROOTFS`
> and `SERIAL_CONSOLES` which are used to compose the `UKI_CMDLINE` variable.

### Include DTB and DTB overlay

The `KERNEL_DEVICETREE` variable is used to package the required DTBs and
DTB overlays into a FIT image. This variable is configured in the individual
machine configuration files located in `meta-qcom/conf/machine`.

For example, the `conf/machine/rb3gen2-core-kit.conf` file sets the
`KERNEL_DEVICETREE` variable, thereby selecting the appropriate DTB:

Tab rb3gen2-core-kit.conf

The following code block shows how `KERNEL_DEVICETREE`
is set.

KERNEL_DEVICETREE ?= " \
                          qcom/qcs6490-rb3gen2.dtb \
                          qcom/qcs6490-rb3gen2-industrial-mezzanine.dtbo \
                          qcom/qcs6490-rb3gen2-vision-mezzanine.dtbo \
                         "
    
    # These DTs are not upstreamed and currently exist only in linux-qcom kernels
    LINUX_QCOM_KERNEL_DEVICETREE ?= " \
                         qcom/qcs6490-rb3gen2-vision-mezzanine-camx.dtbo \
                         "
    Copy to clipboard

The DTB and DTB overlay listed are packaged into a FIT image using the `FIT_DTB_COMPATIBLE`
entries in the `conf/machine/include/fit-dtb-compatible.inc` file.

FIT_DTB_COMPATIBLE[qcs6490-rb3gen2] = " \
        qcom,qcs5430-iot \
        qcom,qcs6490-iot \
    "
    FIT_DTB_COMPATIBLE[qcs6490-rb3gen2+qcs6490-rb3gen2-industrial-mezzanine] = " \
        qcom,qcs5430-iot-subtype9 \
        qcom,qcs6490-iot-subtype9 \
    "
    FIT_DTB_COMPATIBLE[qcs6490-rb3gen2+qcs6490-rb3gen2-vision-mezzanine] = " \
       qcom,qcs5430-iot-subtype2 \
       qcom,qcs6490-iot-subtype2 \
    "
    FIT_DTB_COMPATIBLE[qcs6490-rb3gen2+qcs6490-rb3gen2-vision-mezzanine-camx] = " \
        qcom,qcs6490-iot-camx \
        qcom,qcs6490-iot-subtype2-camx \
    "
    Copy to clipboard

This results in a FIT image generated with configuration such as follows:

conf-w {
       fdt="fdt-qcs6490-rb3gen2.dtb";
       compatible="qcom,qcs5430-iot";
    };
    
    conf-x {
       fdt="fdt-qcs6490-rb3gen2.dtb";
       compatible="qcom,qcs6490-iot";
    };
    
    conf-y {
       fdt = "fdt-qcs6490-rb3gen2.dtb", "fdt-qcs6490-rb3gen2-industrial-mezzanine.dtbo";
       compatible = "qcom,qcs5430-iot-subtype9";
    };
    
    conf-z {
       fdt = "fdt-qcs6490-rb3gen2.dtb", "fdt-qcs6490-rb3gen2-industrial-mezzanine.dtbo";
       compatible = "qcom,qcs6490-iot-subtype9";
    };
    Copy to clipboard

## Firmware recipes

Qualcomm Linux firmware recipe files are available on
[GitHub](https://github.com/qualcomm-linux/meta-qcom/tree/master/recipes-bsp).
When the Qualcomm Linux source code is synced, the firmware recipes
are available in the `<workspace>/meta-qcom/recipes-bsp/firmware-boot`,
`<workspace>/meta-qcom/recipes-bsp/hexagon-dsp-binaries` directories.

### Boot firmware binaries

Critical boot firmware images are required to boot the device.
The following firmware recipe provides the hardware SoC-specific
boot firmware.

| Firmware recipe | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `meta-qcom/recipes-bsp/firmware-boot` | Handles fetch, unpack, and deploy for critical<br>boot firmware binaries for compatible machines.<br>The `QCM6490_bootbinaries.zip`, `QCS9100_bootbinaries.zip`,<br>and `QCS8300_bootbinaries.zip` files provide the boot firmware<br>required for QCS6490, QCS9075, and QCS8300 based machines. |

After generating the build, the firmware binaries in these zip files
are available for flashing in the following directory:
`<workspace>/build/tmp/deploy/images/<machine-name>/<image-name>.qcomflash/`

### Subsystem firmware binaries

Qualcomm Linux includes firmware binaries that are loaded and run on
the corresponding subsystems. As the Qualcomm hardware SoC boots up,
individual subsystems run the firmware as they come out of reset.
The `linux-firmware` recipe provides upstream firmware packages
and installs them in the `/usr/lib/firmware` directory.

| Firmware recipe | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `openembedded-core/meta/recipes-kernel/linux-firmware/linux-firmware_%.bb` | Handles fetch, unpack, and install for subsystem<br>firmware binaries, such as aDSP, cDSP, modem, VPU, GPU, and WLAN. |

The `linux-firmware_%.bb` recipe does the following:

> 
> 
> 1. Fetches the subsystem firmware binaries.
> 2. Unpacks the tar file.
> 3. Installs the firmware in `/usr/lib/firmware/`.

### DSP libraries

User space utilities refer to the digital signal processor (DSP) libraries, which must
be available in the `rootfs` image.
The following firmware recipes provide the hardware SoC-specific DSP libraries:

| Firmware recipe | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `meta-qcom/recipes-bsp/hexagon-dsp-binaries/hexagon-dsp-binaries_%.bb` | Handles fetch, unpack, and install for DSP libraries, that are hosted<br>on github.com/linux-msm/dsp-binaries |

The `hexagon-dsp-binaries_%.bb` recipe does the following:

> 
> 
> 1. Fetches the DSP libraries from the GitHub repository.
> 2. Unpacks the zip file.
> 3. Installs the DSP libraries in `rootfs`.

### Installation of boot, subsystem, and dspso

When Qualcomm Linux is built, the build system uses the firmware
recipes to deploy the firmware based on the `MACHINE_ESSENTIAL_EXTRA_RRECOMMENDS`
configuration variable, which is set in the machine configuration file.
For example, in `conf/machine/iq-9075-evk.conf`, see the inclusion of
`packagegroup-iq-9075-evk-firmware` in the `MACHINE_ESSENTIAL_EXTRA_RRECOMMENDS` variable:

MACHINE_ESSENTIAL_EXTRA_RRECOMMENDS += " \
       packagegroup-iq-9075-evk-firmware \
       packagegroup-iq-9075-evk-hexagon-dsp-binaries \
       qcom-fastcv-binaries-sa8775p-ride-dsp \
       "
    Copy to clipboard

Note

The `packagegroup-iq-9075-evk` recipe present in
the `<workspace>/meta-qcom/recipes-bsp/packagegroups/` directory.
It groups the firmware recipes to generate the image.

When Qualcomm Linux is built, based on the configuration in the machine
configuration and the package group recipe file, the respective firmware
recipes from the `<workspace>meta-qcom/recipes-bsp/firmware`
directory are built.

## Kernel recipes

The Linux kernel recipes used by Qualcomm Linux are in
`<workspace>/meta-qcom/recipes-kernel/linux`.
Qualcomm Linux supports the long-term support (LTS) Qualcomm Linux kernel v6.18.x.

In the `meta-qcom` layer, there are two kernel recipes:

| Kernel Recipe | Purpose |
| --- | --- |
| `linux-qcom_6.18.bb` | Builds the standard Qualcomm Linux kernel image.<br>The recipe fetches kernel sources from `github.com/qualcomm-linux/kernel` using the `qcom-6.18.y` branch. |
| `linux-qcom-rt_6.18.bb` | Builds the real-time Qualcomm Linux kernel image.<br>This recipe fetches kernel sources from `github.com/qualcomm-linux/kernel` using the `qcom-6.18.y` branch.<br>In addition, it applies `rt.config` to configure the kernel for real-time operation. |

Tab linux-qcom\_6.18.bb
Tab linux-qcom-rt\_6.18.bb

inherit kernel
    COMPATIBLE_MACHINE = "(qcom)"
    LINUX_VERSION ?= "6.18"
    
    # tag: qcom-6.18.y-20251217
    SRCREV ?= "27507852413bd8ba6205a95a4a1df15e62b88009"
    
    SRCBRANCH:class-devupstream ?= "branch=qcom-6.18.y"
    
    SRC_URI = "git://github.com/qualcomm-linux/kernel.git;${SRCBRANCH};protocol=https"
    # Additional kernel configs.
    SRC_URI += " \
        file://configs/bsp-additions.cfg \
    "
    KBUILD_DEFCONFIG ?= "defconfig"
    KBUILD_CONFIG_EXTRA = "${@bb.utils.contains('DISTRO_FEATURES', 'hardened', '${S}/kernel/configs/hardening.config', '', d)}"
    KBUILD_CONFIG_EXTRA:append:aarch64 = " ${S}/arch/arm64/configs/prune.config"
    KBUILD_CONFIG_EXTRA:append:aarch64 = " ${S}/arch/arm64/configs/qcom.config"
    Copy to clipboard

require linux-qcom_6.18.bb
    
    FILESEXTRAPATHS:prepend := "${THISDIR}/linux-qcom-6.18:"
    
    KBUILD_CONFIG_EXTRA:append:aarch64 = " ${S}/arch/arm64/configs/rt.config"
    Copy to clipboard

**Kernel configuration**

The Qualcomm Linux kernel recipe uses a different set of kernel
configuration and fragments.

| Variant | Configuration and fragments files |
| --- | --- |
| `linux-qcom_6.18.bb` | `defconfig`, `hardening.config`, `prune.config`, `qcom.config`, `bsp-additions.cfg` |
| `linux-qcom-rt_6.18.bb` | Uses same configs as `linux-qcom_6.18.bb` and adds `rt.config` |

## Licenses

The licenses for recipes in `meta-qcom` are listed at
`<workspace>/meta-qcom/licenses`.

licenses/
    ├── LICENSE.qcom
    └── LICENSE.qcom-2
    Copy to clipboard

Yocto can automatically create SPDX SBOM documents based on image creation.
To enable this feature, follow the steps:

> 
> 
> 1. Inherit the `create-spdx` class in `local.conf` as follows:
> 
> 
> INHERIT += "create-spdx"
>         Copy to clipboard
> 2. After you inherit the class, rebuild the image with the BitBake command:
> 
> 
> bitbake qcom-multimedia-image
>         Copy to clipboard

You can find the SPDX output in the following directories:

> 
> 
> - For each recipe, the generated files are available in the `tmp/deploy/spdx/<machine>` directory.
> - The top-level SPDX output file is in the `tmp/deploy/images/<machine>/` directory.

Last Published: Mar 02, 2026

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