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Toaster User Manual

Kristi Rifenbark

Scotty's Documentation Services, INC

Copyright © 2010-2019 Linux Foundation

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales as published by Creative Commons.

Manual Notes

  • This version of the Toaster User Manual is for the 2.5.3 release of the Yocto Project. To be sure you have the latest version of the manual for this release, go to the Yocto Project documentation page and select the manual from that site. Manuals from the site are more up-to-date than manuals derived from the Yocto Project released TAR files.

  • If you located this manual through a web search, the version of the manual might not be the one you want (e.g. the search might have returned a manual much older than the Yocto Project version with which you are working). You can see all Yocto Project major releases by visiting the Releases page. If you need a version of this manual for a different Yocto Project release, visit the Yocto Project documentation page and select the manual set by using the "ACTIVE RELEASES DOCUMENTATION" or "DOCUMENTS ARCHIVE" pull-down menus.

  • To report any inaccuracies or problems with this manual, send an email to the Yocto Project discussion group at yocto@yoctoproject.com or log into the freenode #yocto channel.

Revision History
Revision 1.8April 2015
Released with the Yocto Project 1.8 Release.
Revision 2.0October 2015
Released with the Yocto Project 2.0 Release.
Revision 2.1April 2016
Released with the Yocto Project 2.1 Release.
Revision 2.2October 2016
Released with the Yocto Project 2.2 Release.
Revision 2.3May 2017
Released with the Yocto Project 2.3 Release.
Revision 2.4October 2017
Released with the Yocto Project 2.4 Release.
Revision 2.5May 2018
Released with the Yocto Project 2.5 Release.
Revision 2.5.1September 2018
The initial document released with the Yocto Project 2.5.1 Release.
Revision 2.5.2January 2019
The initial document released with the Yocto Project 2.5.2 Release.
Revision 2.5.3March 2019
The initial document released with the Yocto Project 2.5.3 Release.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
1.1. Toaster Features
1.2. Installation Options
2. Preparing to Use Toaster
2.1. Setting Up the Basic System Requirements
2.2. Establishing Toaster System Dependencies
2.2.1. Install Toaster Packages
3. Setting Up and Using Toaster
3.1. Starting Toaster for Local Development
3.2. Setting a Different Port
3.3. Setting Up Toaster Without a Web Server
3.4. Setting Up Toaster Without a Build Server
3.5. Setting up External Access
3.6. The Directory for Cloning Layers
3.7. The Build Directory
3.8. Creating a Django Superuser
3.9. Setting Up a Production Instance of Toaster
3.9.1. Requirements
3.9.2. Installation
3.10. Using the Toaster Web Interface
3.10.1. Toaster Web Interface Videos
3.10.2. Additional Information About the Local Yocto Project Release
3.10.3. Building a Specific Recipe Given Multiple Versions
4. Concepts and Reference
4.1. Layer Source
4.1.1. Setting Up and Using a Layer Source
4.2. Releases
4.2.1. Pre-Configured Releases
4.3. Configuring Toaster
4.3.1. Configuring the Workflow
4.3.2. Customizing Pre-Set Data
4.3.3. Understanding Fixture File Format
4.4. Remote Toaster Monitoring
4.4.1. Checking Health
4.4.2. Determining Status of Builds in Progress
4.4.3. Checking Status of Builds Completed
4.4.4. Determining Status of a Specific Build
4.5. Useful Commands
4.5.1. buildslist
4.5.2. builddelete
4.5.3. perf
4.5.4. checksettings
4.5.5. runbuilds

Chapter 1. Introduction

Table of Contents

1.1. Toaster Features
1.2. Installation Options

Toaster is a web interface to the Yocto Project's OpenEmbedded build system. The interface enables you to configure and run your builds. Information about builds is collected and stored in a database. You can use Toaster to configure and start builds on multiple remote build servers.

1.1. Toaster Features

Toaster allows you to configure and run builds, and it provides extensive information about the build process.

  • Configure and Run Builds: You can use the Toaster web interface to configure and start your builds. Builds started using the Toaster web interface are organized into projects. When you create a project, you are asked to select a release, or version of the build system you want to use for the project builds. As shipped, Toaster supports Yocto Project releases 1.8 and beyond. With the Toaster web interface, you can:

    • Browse layers listed in the various layer sources that are available in your project (e.g. the OpenEmbedded Layer Index at http://layers.openembedded.org/layerindex/).

    • Browse images, recipes, and machines provided by those layers.

    • Import your own layers for building.

    • Add and remove layers from your configuration.

    • Set configuration variables.

    • Select a target or multiple targets to build.

    • Start your builds.

    Toaster also allows you to configure and run your builds from the command line, and switch between the command line and the web interface at any time. Builds started from the command line appear within a special Toaster project called "Command line builds".

  • Information About the Build Process: Toaster also records extensive information about your builds. Toaster collects data for builds you start from the web interface and from the command line as long as Toaster is running.

    Note

    You must start Toaster before the build or it will not collect build data.

    With Toaster you can:

    • See what was built (recipes and packages) and what packages were installed into your final image.

    • Browse the directory structure of your image.

    • See the value of all variables in your build configuration, and which files set each value.

    • Examine error, warning, and trace messages to aid in debugging.

    • See information about the BitBake tasks executed and reused during your build, including those that used shared state.

    • See dependency relationships between recipes, packages, and tasks.

    • See performance information such as build time, task time, CPU usage, and disk I/O.

For an overview of Toaster shipped with the Yocto Project 2.5.3 Release, see the "Toaster - Yocto Project 2.2" video.

1.2. Installation Options

You can set Toaster up to run as a local instance or as a shared hosted service.

When Toaster is set up as a local instance, all the components reside on a single build host. Fundamentally, a local instance of Toaster is suited for a single user developing on a single build host.

Toaster as a hosted service is suited for multiple users developing across several build hosts. When Toaster is set up as a hosted service, its components can be spread across several machines:

Chapter 2. Preparing to Use Toaster

Table of Contents

2.1. Setting Up the Basic System Requirements
2.2. Establishing Toaster System Dependencies
2.2.1. Install Toaster Packages

This chapter describes how you need to prepare your system in order to use Toaster.

2.1. Setting Up the Basic System Requirements

Before you can use Toaster, you need to first set up your build system to run the Yocto Project. To do this, follow the instructions in the "Preparing the Build Host" section of the Yocto Project Development Tasks Manual. For Ubuntu/Debian, you might also need to do an additional install of pip3. 

     $ sudo apt-get install python3-pip

2.2. Establishing Toaster System Dependencies

Toaster requires extra Python dependencies in order to run. A Toaster requirements file named toaster-requirements.txt defines the Python dependencies. The requirements file is located in the bitbake directory, which is located in the root directory of the Source Directory (e.g. poky/bitbake/toaster-requirements.txt). The dependencies appear in a pip, install-compatible format.

2.2.1. Install Toaster Packages

You need to install the packages that Toaster requires. Use this command: 

     $ pip3 install --user -r bitbake/toaster-requirements.txt

The previous command installs the necessary Toaster modules into a local python 3 cache in your $HOME directory. The caches is actually located in $HOME/.local. To see what packages have been installed into your $HOME directory, do the following: 

     $ pip3 list installed --local

If you need to remove something, the following works: 

     $ pip3 uninstall PackageNameToUninstall

Chapter 3. Setting Up and Using Toaster

Table of Contents

3.1. Starting Toaster for Local Development
3.2. Setting a Different Port
3.3. Setting Up Toaster Without a Web Server
3.4. Setting Up Toaster Without a Build Server
3.5. Setting up External Access
3.6. The Directory for Cloning Layers
3.7. The Build Directory
3.8. Creating a Django Superuser
3.9. Setting Up a Production Instance of Toaster
3.9.1. Requirements
3.9.2. Installation
3.10. Using the Toaster Web Interface
3.10.1. Toaster Web Interface Videos
3.10.2. Additional Information About the Local Yocto Project Release
3.10.3. Building a Specific Recipe Given Multiple Versions

3.1. Starting Toaster for Local Development

Once you have set up the Yocto Project and installed the Toaster system dependencies as described in the "Preparing to Use Toaster" chapter, you are ready to start Toaster.

Navigate to the root of your Source Directory (e.g. poky): 

     $ cd poky

Once in that directory, source the build environment script: 

     $ source oe-init-build-env

Next, from the build directory (e.g. poky/build), start Toaster using this command: 

     $ source toaster start

You can now run your builds from the command line, or with Toaster as explained in section "Using the Toaster Web Interface".

To access the Toaster web interface, open your favorite browser and enter the following: 

     http://127.0.0.1:8000

3.2. Setting a Different Port

By default, Toaster starts on port 8000. You can use the WEBPORT parameter to set a different port. For example, the following command sets the port to "8400": 

     $ source toaster start webport=8400

3.3. Setting Up Toaster Without a Web Server

You can start a Toaster environment without starting its web server. This is useful for the following:

  • Capturing a command-line build’s statistics into the Toaster database for examination later.

  • Capturing a command-line build’s statistics when the Toaster server is already running.

  • Having one instance of the Toaster web server track and capture multiple command-line builds, where each build is started in its own “noweb” Toaster environment.

The following commands show how to start a Toaster environment without starting its web server, perform BitBake operations, and then shut down the Toaster environment. Once the build is complete, you can close the Toaster environment. Before closing the environment, however, you should allow a few minutes to ensure the complete transfer of its BitBake build statistics to the Toaster database. If you have a separate Toaster web server instance running, you can watch this command-line build’s progress and examine the results as soon as they are posted: 

     $ source toaster start noweb
     $ bitbake target
     $ source toaster stop

3.4. Setting Up Toaster Without a Build Server

You can start a Toaster environment with the “New Projects” feature disabled. Doing so is useful for the following:

  • Sharing your build results over the web server while blocking others from starting builds on your host.

  • Allowing only local command-line builds to be captured into the Toaster database.

Use the following command to set up Toaster without a build server: 

     $ source toaster start nobuild webport=port

3.5. Setting up External Access

By default, Toaster binds to the loop back address (i.e. localhost), which does not allow access from external hosts. To allow external access, use the WEBPORT parameter to open an address that connects to the network, specifically the IP address that your NIC uses to connect to the network. You can also bind to all IP addresses the computer supports by using the shortcut "0.0.0.0:port".

The following example binds to all IP addresses on the host: 

     $ source toaster start webport=0.0.0.0:8400

This example binds to a specific IP address on the host's NIC: 

     $ source toaster start webport=192.168.1.1:8400

3.6. The Directory for Cloning Layers

Toaster creates a _toaster_clones directory inside your Source Directory (i.e. poky) to clone any layers needed for your builds.

Alternatively, if you would like all of your Toaster related files and directories to be in a particular location other than the default, you can set the TOASTER_DIR environment variable, which takes precedence over your current working directory. Setting this environment variable causes Toaster to create and use $TOASTER_DIR./_toaster_clones.

3.7. The Build Directory

Toaster creates a build directory within your Source Directory (e.g. poky) to execute the builds.

Alternatively, if you would like all of your Toaster related files and directories to be in a particular location, you can set the TOASTER_DIR environment variable, which takes precedence over your current working directory. Setting this environment variable causes Toaster to use $TOASTER_DIR/build as the build directory.

3.8. Creating a Django Superuser

Toaster is built on the Django framework. Django provides an administration interface you can use to edit Toaster configuration parameters.

To access the Django administration interface, you must create a superuser by following these steps:

  1. If you used pip3, which is recommended, to set up the Toaster system dependencies, you need be sure the local user path is in your PATH list. To append the pip3 local user path, use the following command: 

       $ export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/.local/bin

  2. From the directory containing the Toaster database, which by default is the Build Directory, invoke the createsuperuser command from manage.py: 

       $ cd ~/poky/build
   $ ../bitbake/lib/toaster/manage.py createsuperuser

  3. Django prompts you for the username, which you need to provide.

  4. Django prompts you for an email address, which is optional.

  5. Django prompts you for a password, which you must provide.

  6. Django prompts you to re-enter your password for verification.

After completing these steps, the following confirmation message appears: 

   Superuser created successfully.

Creating a superuser allows you to access the Django administration interface through a browser. The URL for this interface is the same as the URL used for the Toaster instance with "/admin" on the end. For example, if you are running Toaster locally, use the following URL: 

   http://127.0.0.1:8000/admin

You can use the Django administration interface to set Toaster configuration parameters such as the build directory, layer sources, default variable values, and BitBake versions.

3.9. Setting Up a Production Instance of Toaster

You can use a production instance of Toaster to share the Toaster instance with remote users, multiple users, or both. The production instance is also the setup that can handle heavier loads on the web service. Use the instructions in the following sections to set up Toaster to run builds through the Toaster web interface.

3.9.1. Requirements

Be sure you meet the following requirements:

Note

You must comply with all Apache, mod-wsgi, and Mysql requirements.

  • Have all the build requirements as described in the "Preparing to Use Toaster" chapter.

  • Have an Apache webserver.

  • Have mod-wsgi for the Apache webserver.

  • Use the Mysql database server.

  • If you are using Ubuntu 16.04, run the following: 

       $ sudo apt-get install apache2 libapache2-mod-wsgi-py3 mysql-server python3-pip libmysqlclient-dev

  • If you are using Fedora 24 or a RedHat distribution, run the following: 

       $ sudo dnf install httpd python3-mod_wsgi python3-pip mariadb-server mariadb-devel python3-devel

  • If you are using openSUSE Leap 42.1, run the following: 

       $ sudo zypper install apache2 apache2-mod_wsgi-python3 python3-pip mariadb mariadb-client python3-devel

3.9.2. Installation

Perform the following steps to install Toaster:

  1. Create toaster user and set its home directory to /var/www/toaster: 

        $ sudo /usr/sbin/useradd toaster -md /var/www/toaster -s /bin/false
    $ sudo su - toaster -s /bin/bash

  2. Checkout a copy of poky into the web server directory. You will be using /var/www/toaster: 

       $ git clone git://git.yoctoproject.org/poky
   $ git checkout sumo

  3. Install Toaster dependencies using the --user flag which keeps the Python packages isolated from your system-provided packages: 

       $ cd /var/www/toaster/
   $ pip3 install --user -r ./poky/bitbake/toaster-requirements.txt
   $ pip3 install --user mysqlclient

    Note

    Isolating these packages is not required but is recommended. Alternatively, you can use your operating system's package manager to install the packages.

  4. Configure Toaster by editing /var/www/toaster/poky/bitbake/lib/toaster/toastermain/settings.py as follows:

    • Edit the DATABASES settings: 

         DATABASES = {
       'default': {
           'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.mysql',
           'NAME': 'toaster_data',
           'USER': 'toaster',
           'PASSWORD': 'yourpasswordhere',
           'HOST': 'localhost',
           'PORT': '3306',
      }
   }

    • Edit the SECRET_KEY: 

         SECRET_KEY = 'your_secret_key'

    • Edit the STATIC_ROOT: 

         STATIC_ROOT = '/var/www/toaster/static_files/'

  5. Add the database and user to the mysql server defined earlier: 

       $ mysql -u root -p
   mysql> CREATE DATABASE toaster_data;
   mysql> CREATE USER 'toaster'@'localhost' identified by 'yourpasswordhere';
   mysql> GRANT all on toaster_data.* to 'toaster'@'localhost';
   mysql> quit

  6. Get Toaster to create the database schema, default data, and gather the statically-served files: 

       $ cd  /var/www/toaster/poky/
   $ ./bitbake/lib/toaster/manage.py migrate
   $ TOASTER_DIR=`pwd` TEMPLATECONF='poky' \
     ./bitbake/lib/toaster/manage.py checksettings
   $ ./bitbake/lib/toaster/manage.py collectstatic

    In the previous example, from the poky directory, the migrate command ensures the database schema changes have propagated correctly (i.e. migrations). The next line sets the Toaster root directory TOASTER_DIR and the location of the Toaster configuration file TOASTER_CONF, which is relative to TOASTER_DIR. The TEMPLATECONF value reflects the contents of poky/.templateconf, and by default, should include the string "poky". For more information on the Toaster configuration file, see the "Configuring Toaster" section.

    This line also runs the checksettings command, which configures the location of the Toaster Build Directory. The Toaster root directory TOASTER_DIR determines where the Toaster build directory is created on the file system. In the example above, TOASTER_DIR is set as follows: 

       /var/www/toaster/poky

    This setting causes the Toaster build directory to be: 

       /var/www/toaster/poky/build

    Finally, the collectstatic command is a Django framework command that collects all the statically served files into a designated directory to be served up by the Apache web server as defined by STATIC_ROOT.

  7. Test and/or use the Mysql integration with Toaster’s Django web server. At this point, you can start up the normal Toaster Django web server with the Toaster database in Mysql. You can use this web server to confirm that the database migration and data population from the Layer Index is complete.

    To start the default Toaster Django web server with the Toaster database now in Mysql, use the standard start commands: 

       $ source oe-init-build-env
   $ source toaster start

    Additionally, if Django is sufficient for your requirements, you can use it for your release system and migrate later to Apache as your requirements change.

  8. Add an Apache configuration file for Toaster to your Apache web server's configuration directory. If you are using Ubuntu or Debian, put the file here: 

       /etc/apache2/conf-available/toaster.conf

    If you are using Fedora or RedHat, put it here: 

       /etc/httpd/conf.d/toaster.conf

    If you are using OpenSUSE, put it here: 

       /etc/apache2/conf.d/toaster.conf

    Following is a sample Apache configuration for Toaster you can follow: 

       Alias /static /var/www/toaster/static_files
   <Directory /var/www/toaster/static_files>
           <IfModule mod_access_compat.c>
                   Order allow,deny
                   Allow from all
           </IfModule>
           <IfModule !mod_access_compat.c>
                   Require all granted
           </IfModule>
   </Directory>

   <Directory /var/www/toaster/poky/bitbake/lib/toaster/toastermain>
           <Files "wsgi.py">
              Require all granted
           </Files>
   </Directory>

   WSGIDaemonProcess toaster_wsgi python-path=/var/www/toaster/poky/bitbake/lib/toaster:/var/www/toaster/.local/lib/python3.4/site-packages

   WSGIScriptAlias / "/var/www/toaster/poky/bitbake/lib/toaster/toastermain/wsgi.py"
   <Location />
       WSGIProcessGroup toaster_wsgi
   </Location>

    If you are using Ubuntu or Debian, you will need to enable the config and module for Apache: 

       $ sudo a2enmod wsgi
   $ sudo a2enconf toaster
   $ chmod +x bitbake/lib/toaster/toastermain/wsgi.py

    Finally, restart Apache to make sure all new configuration is loaded. For Ubuntu, Debian, and OpenSUSE use: 

       $ sudo service apache2 restart

    For Fedora and RedHat use: 

       $ sudo service httpd restart

  9. Prepare the systemd service to run Toaster builds. Here is a sample configuration file for the service: 

       [Unit]
   Description=Toaster runbuilds

   [Service]
   Type=forking
   User=toaster
   ExecStart=/usr/bin/screen -d -m -S runbuilds /var/www/toaster/poky/bitbake/lib/toaster/runbuilds-service.sh start
   ExecStop=/usr/bin/screen -S runbuilds -X quit
   WorkingDirectory=/var/www/toaster/poky

   [Install]
   WantedBy=multi-user.target

    Prepare the runbuilds-service.sh script that you need to place in the /var/www/toaster/poky/bitbake/lib/toaster/ directory by setting up executable permissions: 

       #!/bin/bash

   #export http_proxy=http://proxy.host.com:8080
   #export https_proxy=http://proxy.host.com:8080
   #export GIT_PROXY_COMMAND=$HOME/bin/gitproxy

   cd ~/poky/
   source ./oe-init-build-env build
   source ../bitbake/bin/toaster $1 noweb
   [ "$1" == 'start' ] && /bin/bash

  10. Run the service: 

       # service runbuilds start

    Since the service is running in a detached screen session, you can attach to it using this command: 

       $ sudo su - toaster
   $ screen -rS runbuilds

    You can detach from the service again using "Ctrl-a" followed by "d" key combination.

You can now open up a browser and start using Toaster.

3.10. Using the Toaster Web Interface

The Toaster web interface allows you to do the following:

  • Browse published layers in the OpenEmbedded Layer Index that are available for your selected version of the build system.

  • Import your own layers for building.

  • Add and remove layers from your configuration.

  • Set configuration variables.

  • Select a target or multiple targets to build.

  • Start your builds.

  • See what was built (recipes and packages) and what packages were installed into your final image.

  • Browse the directory structure of your image.

  • See the value of all variables in your build configuration, and which files set each value.

  • Examine error, warning and trace messages to aid in debugging.

  • See information about the BitBake tasks executed and reused during your build, including those that used shared state.

  • See dependency relationships between recipes, packages and tasks.

  • See performance information such as build time, task time, CPU usage, and disk I/O.

3.10.1. Toaster Web Interface Videos

Following are several videos that show how to use the Toaster GUI:

  • Build Configuration: This video overviews and demonstrates build configuration for Toaster.

  • Build Custom Layers: This video shows you how to build custom layers that are used with Toaster.

  • Toaster Homepage and Table Controls: This video goes over the Toaster entry page, and provides an overview of the data manipulation capabilities of Toaster, which include search, sorting and filtering by different criteria.

  • Build Dashboard: This video shows you the build dashboard, a page providing an overview of the information available for a selected build.

  • Image Information: This video walks through the information Toaster provides about images: packages installed and root file system.

  • Configuration: This video provides Toaster build configuration information.

  • Tasks: This video shows the information Toaster provides about the tasks run by the build system.

  • Recipes and Packages Built: This video shows the information Toaster provides about recipes and packages built.

  • Performance Data: This video shows the build performance data provided by Toaster.

3.10.2. Additional Information About the Local Yocto Project Release

This section only applies if you have set up Toaster for local development, as explained in the "Starting Toaster for Local Development" section.

When you create a project in Toaster, you will be asked to provide a name and to select a Yocto Project release. One of the release options you will find is called "Local Yocto Project".

When you select the "Local Yocto Project" release, Toaster will run your builds using the local Yocto Project clone you have in your computer: the same clone you are using to run Toaster. Unless you manually update this clone, your builds will always use the same Git revision.

If you select any of the other release options, Toaster will fetch the tip of your selected release from the upstream Yocto Project repository every time you run a build. Fetching this tip effectively means that if your selected release is updated upstream, the Git revision you are using for your builds will change. If you are doing development locally, you might not want this change to happen. In that case, the "Local Yocto Project" release might be the right choice.

However, the "Local Yocto Project" release will not provide you with any compatible layers, other than the three core layers that come with the Yocto Project:

If you want to build any other layers, you will need to manually import them into your Toaster project, using the "Import layer" page.

3.10.3. Building a Specific Recipe Given Multiple Versions

Occasionally, a layer might provide more than one version of the same recipe. For example, the openembedded-core layer provides two versions of the bash recipe (i.e. 3.2.48 and 4.3.30-r0) and two versions of the which recipe (i.e. 2.21 and 2.18). The following figure shows this exact scenario:

By default, the OpenEmbedded build system builds one of the two recipes. For the bash case, version 4.3.30-r0 is built by default. Unfortunately, Toaster as it exists, is not able to override the default recipe version. If you would like to build bash 3.2.48, you need to set the PREFERRED_VERSION variable. You can do so from Toaster, using the "Add variable" form, which is available in the "BitBake variables" page of the project configuration section as shown in the following screen:

To specify bash 3.2.48 as the version to build, enter "PREFERRED_VERSION_bash" in the "Variable" field, and "3.2.48" in the "Value" field. Next, click the "Add variable" button:

After clicking the "Add variable" button, the settings for PREFERRED_VERSION are added to the bottom of the BitBake variables list. With these settings, the OpenEmbedded build system builds the desired version of the recipe rather than the default version:

Chapter 4. Concepts and Reference

Table of Contents

4.1. Layer Source
4.1.1. Setting Up and Using a Layer Source
4.2. Releases
4.2.1. Pre-Configured Releases
4.3. Configuring Toaster
4.3.1. Configuring the Workflow
4.3.2. Customizing Pre-Set Data
4.3.3. Understanding Fixture File Format
4.4. Remote Toaster Monitoring
4.4.1. Checking Health
4.4.2. Determining Status of Builds in Progress
4.4.3. Checking Status of Builds Completed
4.4.4. Determining Status of a Specific Build
4.5. Useful Commands
4.5.1. buildslist
4.5.2. builddelete
4.5.3. perf
4.5.4. checksettings
4.5.5. runbuilds

In order to configure and use Toaster, you should understand some concepts and have some basic command reference material available. This final chapter provides conceptual information on layer sources, releases, and JSON configuration files. Also provided is a quick look at some useful manage.py commands that are Toaster-specific. Information on manage.py commands does exist across the Web and the information in this manual by no means attempts to provide a command comprehensive reference.

4.1. Layer Source

In general, a "layer source" is a source of information about existing layers. In particular, we are concerned with layers that you can use with the Yocto Project and Toaster. This chapter describes a particular type of layer source called a "layer index."

A layer index is a web application that contains information about a set of custom layers. A good example of an existing layer index is the OpenEmbedded Layer Index. A public instance of this layer index exists at http://layers.openembedded.org. You can find the code for this layer index's web application at http://git.yoctoproject.org/cgit/cgit.cgi/layerindex-web/.

When you tie a layer source into Toaster, it can query the layer source through a REST API, store the information about the layers in the Toaster database, and then show the information to users. Users are then able to view that information and build layers from Toaster itself without worrying about cloning or editing the BitBake layers configuration file bblayers.conf.

Tying a layer source into Toaster is convenient when you have many custom layers that need to be built on a regular basis by a community of developers. In fact, Toaster comes pre-configured with the OpenEmbedded Metadata Index.

Note

You do not have to use a layer source to use Toaster. Tying into a layer source is optional.

4.1.1. Setting Up and Using a Layer Source

To use your own layer source, you need to set up the layer source and then tie it into Toaster. This section describes how to tie into a layer index in a manner similar to the way Toaster ties into the OpenEmbedded Metadata Index.

4.1.1.1. Understanding Your Layers

The obvious first step for using a layer index is to have several custom layers that developers build and access using the Yocto Project on a regular basis. This set of layers needs to exist and you need to be familiar with where they reside. You will need that information when you set up the code for the web application that "hooks" into your set of layers.

For general information on layers, see the "The Yocto Project Layer Model" section in the Yocto Project Overview and Concepts Manual. For information on how to create layers, see the "Understanding and Creating Layers" section in the Yocto Project Development Tasks Manual.

4.1.1.2. Configuring Toaster to Hook Into Your Layer Index

If you want Toaster to use your layer index, you must host the web application in a server to which Toaster can connect. You also need to give Toaster the information about your layer index. In other words, you have to configure Toaster to use your layer index. This section describes two methods by which you can configure and use your layer index.

In the previous section, the code for the OpenEmbedded Metadata Index (i.e. http://layers.openembedded.org) was referenced. You can use this code, which is at http://git.yoctoproject.org/cgit/cgit.cgi/layerindex-web/, as a base to create your own layer index.

4.1.1.2.1. Use the Administration Interface

Access the administration interface through a browser by entering the URL of your Toaster instance and adding "/admin" to the end of the URL. As an example, if you are running Toaster locally, use the following URL: 

     http://127.0.0.1:8000/admin

The administration interface has a "Layer sources" section that includes an "Add layer source" button. Click that button and provide the required information. Make sure you select "layerindex" as the layer source type.

4.1.1.2.2. Use the Fixture Feature

The Django fixture feature overrides the default layer server when you use it to specify a custom URL. To use the fixture feature, create (or edit) the file bitbake/lib/toaster.orm/fixtures/custom.xml, and then set the following Toaster setting to your custom URL: 

     <?xml version="1.0" ?>
     <django-objects version="1.0">
       <object model="orm.toastersetting" pk="100">
                     <field name="name" type="CharField">CUSTOM_LAYERINDEX_SERVER</field>
                     <field name="value" type="CharField">https://layers.my_organization.org/layerindex/branch/master/layers/</field>
       </object>
     <django-objects>

When you start Toaster for the first time, or if you delete the file toaster.sqlite and restart, the database will populate cleanly from this layer index server.

Once the information has been updated, verify the new layer information is available by using the Toaster web interface. To do that, visit the "All compatible layers" page inside a Toaster project. The layers from your layer source should be listed there.

If you change the information in your layer index server, refresh the Toaster database by running the following command: 

     $ bitbake/lib/toaster/manage.py lsupdates

If Toaster can reach the API URL, you should see a message telling you that Toaster is updating the layer source information.

4.2. Releases

When you create a Toaster project using the web interface, you are asked to choose a "Release." In the context of Toaster, the term "Release" refers to a set of layers and a BitBake version the OpenEmbedded build system uses to build something. As shipped, Toaster is pre-configured with releases that correspond to Yocto Project release branches. However, you can modify, delete, and create new releases according to your needs. This section provides some background information on releases.

4.2.1. Pre-Configured Releases

As shipped, Toaster is configured to use a specific set of releases. Of course, you can always configure Toaster to use any release. For example, you might want your project to build against a specific commit of any of the "out-of-the-box" releases. Or, you might want your project to build against different revisions of OpenEmbedded and BitBake.

As shipped, Toaster is configured to work with the following releases:

4.3. Configuring Toaster

In order to use Toaster, you must configure the database with the default content. The following subsections describe various aspects of Toaster configuration.

4.3.1. Configuring the Workflow

The bldcontrol/management/commands/checksettings.py file controls workflow configuration. The following steps outline the process to initially populate this database.

  1. The default project settings are set from orm/fixtures/settings.xml.

  2. The default project distro and layers are added from orm/fixtures/poky.xml if poky is installed. If poky is not installed, they are added from orm/fixtures/oe-core.xml.

  3. If the orm/fixtures/custom.xml file exists, then its values are added.

  4. The layer index is then scanned and added to the database.

Once these steps complete, Toaster is set up and ready to use.

4.3.2. Customizing Pre-Set Data

The pre-set data for Toaster is easily customizable. You can create the orm/fixtures/custom.xml file to customize the values that go into to the database. Customization is additive, and can either extend or completely replace the existing values.

You use the orm/fixtures/custom.xml file to change the default project settings for the machine, distro, file images, and layers. When creating a new project, you can use the file to define the offered alternate project release selections. For example, you can add one or more additional selections that present custom layer sets or distros, and any other local or proprietary content.

Additionally, you can completely disable the content from the oe-core.xml and poky.xml files by defining the section shown below in the settings.xml file. For example, this option is particularly useful if your custom configuration defines fewer releases or layers than the default fixture files.

The following example sets "name" to "CUSTOM_XML_ONLY" and its value to "True". 

     <object model="orm.toastersetting" pk="99">
       <field type="CharField" name="name">CUSTOM_XML_ONLY</field>
       <field type="CharField" name="value">True</field>
     </object>

4.3.3. Understanding Fixture File Format

The following is an overview of the file format used by the oe-core.xml, poky.xml, and custom.xml files.

The following subsections describe each of the sections in the fixture files, and outline an example section of the XML code. you can use to help understand this information and create a local custom.xml file.

4.3.3.1. Defining the Default Distro and Other Values

This section defines the default distro value for new projects. By default, it reserves the first Toaster Setting record "1". The following demonstrates how to set the project default value for DISTRO: 

     <!-- Set the project default value for DISTRO -->
     <object model="orm.toastersetting" pk="1">
       <field type="CharField" name="name">DEFCONF_DISTRO</field>
       <field type="CharField" name="value">poky</field>
     </object>

You can override other default project values by adding additional Toaster Setting sections such as any of the settings coming from the settings.xml file. Also, you can add custom values that are included in the BitBake environment. The "pk" values must be unique. By convention, values that set default project values have a "DEFCONF" prefix.

4.3.3.2. Defining BitBake Version

The following defines which version of BitBake is used for the following release selection: 

     <!-- Bitbake versions which correspond to the metadata release -->
     <object model="orm.bitbakeversion" pk="1">
       <field type="CharField" name="name">rocko</field>
       <field type="CharField" name="giturl">git://git.yoctoproject.org/poky</field>
       <field type="CharField" name="branch">rocko</field>
       <field type="CharField" name="dirpath">bitbake</field>
     </object>

4.3.3.3. Defining Release

The following defines the releases when you create a new project. 

     <!-- Releases available -->
     <object model="orm.release" pk="1">
       <field type="CharField" name="name">rocko</field>
       <field type="CharField" name="description">Yocto Project 2.4 "Rocko"</field>
       <field rel="ManyToOneRel" to="orm.bitbakeversion" name="bitbake_version">1</field>
       <field type="CharField" name="branch_name">rocko</field>
       <field type="TextField" name="helptext">Toaster will run your builds using the tip of the <a href="http://git.yoctoproject.org/cgit/cgit.cgi/poky/log/?h=rocko">Yocto Project Rocko branch</a>.</field>
     </object>

The "pk" value must match the above respective BitBake version record.

4.3.3.4. Defining the Release Default Layer Names

The following defines the default layers for each release: 

     <!-- Default project layers for each release -->
     <object model="orm.releasedefaultlayer" pk="1">
       <field rel="ManyToOneRel" to="orm.release" name="release">1</field>
       <field type="CharField" name="layer_name">openembedded-core</field>
     </object>

The 'pk' values in the example above should start at "1" and increment uniquely. You can use the same layer name in multiple releases.

4.3.3.5. Defining Layer Definitions

Layer definitions are the most complex. The following defines each of the layers, and then defines the exact layer version of the layer used for each respective release. You must have one orm.layer entry for each layer. Then, with each entry you need a set of orm.layer_version entries that connects the layer with each release that includes the layer. In general all releases include the layer. 

     <object model="orm.layer" pk="1">
       <field type="CharField" name="name">openembedded-core</field>
       <field type="CharField" name="layer_index_url"></field>
       <field type="CharField" name="vcs_url">git://git.yoctoproject.org/poky</field>
       <field type="CharField" name="vcs_web_url">http://git.yoctoproject.org/cgit/cgit.cgi/poky</field>
       <field type="CharField" name="vcs_web_tree_base_url">http://git.yoctoproject.org/cgit/cgit.cgi/poky/tree/%path%?h=%branch%</field>
       <field type="CharField" name="vcs_web_file_base_url">http://git.yoctoproject.org/cgit/cgit.cgi/poky/tree/%path%?h=%branch%</field>
     </object>
     <object model="orm.layer_version" pk="1">
       <field rel="ManyToOneRel" to="orm.layer" name="layer">1</field>
       <field type="IntegerField" name="layer_source">0</field>
       <field rel="ManyToOneRel" to="orm.release" name="release">1</field>
       <field type="CharField" name="branch">rocko</field>
       <field type="CharField" name="dirpath">meta</field>
     </object>
     <object model="orm.layer_version" pk="2">
       <field rel="ManyToOneRel" to="orm.layer" name="layer">1</field>
       <field type="IntegerField" name="layer_source">0</field>
       <field rel="ManyToOneRel" to="orm.release" name="release">2</field>
       <field type="CharField" name="branch">HEAD</field>
       <field type="CharField" name="commit">HEAD</field>
       <field type="CharField" name="dirpath">meta</field>
     </object>
     <object model="orm.layer_version" pk="3">
       <field rel="ManyToOneRel" to="orm.layer" name="layer">1</field>
       <field type="IntegerField" name="layer_source">0</field>
       <field rel="ManyToOneRel" to="orm.release" name="release">3</field>

       <field type="CharField" name="branch">master</field>
       <field type="CharField" name="dirpath">meta</field>
     </object>

The layer "pk" values above must be unique, and typically start at "1". The layer version "pk" values must also be unique across all layers, and typically start at "1".

4.4. Remote Toaster Monitoring

Toaster has an API that allows remote management applications to directly query the state of the Toaster server and its builds in a machine-to-machine manner. This API uses the REST interface and the transfer of JSON files. For example, you might monitor a build inside a container through well supported known HTTP ports in order to easily access a Toaster server inside the container. In this example, when you use this direct JSON API, you avoid having web page parsing against the display the user sees.

4.4.1. Checking Health

Before you use remote Toaster monitoring, you should do a health check. To do this, ping the Toaster server using the following call to see if it is still alive: 

     http://host:port/health

Be sure to provide values for host and port. If the server is alive, you will get the response HTML: 

     <!DOCTYPE html>
     <html lang="en">
       <head><title>Toaster Health</title></head>
       <body>Ok</body>
     </html>

4.4.2. Determining Status of Builds in Progress

Sometimes it is useful to determine the status of a build in progress. To get the status of pending builds, use the following call: 

     http://host:port/toastergui/api/building

Be sure to provide values for host and port. The output is a JSON file that itemizes all builds in progress. This file includes the time in seconds since each respective build started as well as the progress of the cloning, parsing, and task execution. The following is sample output for a build in progress: 

     {"count": 1,
      "building": [
        {"machine": "beaglebone",
           "seconds": "463.869",
           "task": "927:2384",
           "distro": "poky",
           "clone": "1:1",
           "id": 2,
           "start": "2017-09-22T09:31:44.887Z",
           "name": "20170922093200",
           "parse": "818:818",
           "project": "my_rocko",
           "target": "core-image-minimal"
           }]
     }

The JSON data for this query is returned in a single line. In the previous example the line has been artificially split for readability.

4.4.3. Checking Status of Builds Completed

Once a build is completed, you get the status when you use the following call: 

     http://host:port/toastergui/api/builds

Be sure to provide values for host and port. The output is a JSON file that itemizes all complete builds, and includes build summary information. The following is sample output for a completed build: 

     {"count": 1,
      "builds": [
        {"distro": "poky",
           "errors": 0,
           "machine":
           "beaglebone",
           "project": "my_rocko",
           "stop": "2017-09-22T09:26:36.017Z",
           "target": "quilt-native",
           "seconds": "78.193",
           "outcome": "Succeeded",
           "id": 1,
           "start": "2017-09-22T09:25:17.824Z",
           "warnings": 1,
           "name": "20170922092618"
           }]
     }

The JSON data for this query is returned in a single line. In the previous example the line has been artificially split for readability.

4.4.4. Determining Status of a Specific Build

Sometimes it is useful to determine the status of a specific build. To get the status of a specific build, use the following call: 

     http://host:port/toastergui/api/build/ID

Be sure to provide values for host, port, and ID. You can find the value for ID from the Builds Completed query. See the "Checking Status of Builds Completed" section for more information.

The output is a JSON file that itemizes the specific build and includes build summary information. The following is sample output for a specific build: 

     {"build":
       {"distro": "poky",
        "errors": 0,
        "machine": "beaglebone",
        "project": "my_rocko",
        "stop": "2017-09-22T09:26:36.017Z",
        "target": "quilt-native",
        "seconds": "78.193",
        "outcome": "Succeeded",
        "id": 1,
        "start": "2017-09-22T09:25:17.824Z",
        "warnings": 1,
        "name": "20170922092618",
        "cooker_log": "/opt/user/poky/build-toaster-2/tmp/log/cooker/beaglebone/build_20170922_022607.991.log"
        }
     }

The JSON data for this query is returned in a single line. In the previous example the line has been artificially split for readability.

4.5. Useful Commands

In addition to the web user interface and the scripts that start and stop Toaster, command-line commands exist through the manage.py management script. You can find general documentation on manage.py at the Django site. However, several manage.py commands have been created that are specific to Toaster and are used to control configuration and back-end tasks. You can locate these commands in the Source Directory (e.g. poky) at bitbake/lib/manage.py. This section documents those commands.

Notes

  • When using manage.py commands given a default configuration, you must be sure that your working directory is set to the Build Directory. Using manage.py commands from the Build Directory allows Toaster to find the toaster.sqlite file, which is located in the Build Directory.

  • For non-default database configurations, it is possible that you can use manage.py commands from a directory other than the Build Directory. To do so, the toastermain/settings.py file must be configured to point to the correct database backend.

4.5.1. buildslist

The buildslist command lists all builds that Toaster has recorded. Access the command as follows: 

     $ bitbake/lib/toaster/manage.py buildslist

The command returns a list, which includes numeric identifications, of the builds that Toaster has recorded in the current database.

You need to run the buildslist command first to identify existing builds in the database before using the builddelete command. Here is an example that assumes default repository and build directory names: 

     $ cd ~/poky/build
     $ python ../bitbake/lib/toaster/manage.py buildslist

If your Toaster database had only one build, the above buildslist command would return something like the following: 

     1: qemux86 poky core-image-minimal

4.5.2. builddelete

The builddelete command deletes data associated with a build. Access the command as follows: 

     $ bitbake/lib/toaster/manage.py builddelete build_id

The command deletes all the build data for the specified build_id. This command is useful for removing old and unused data from the database.

Prior to running the builddelete command, you need to get the ID associated with builds by using the buildslist command.

4.5.3. perf

The perf command measures Toaster performance. Access the command as follows: 

     $ bitbake/lib/toaster/manage.py perf

The command is a sanity check that returns page loading times in order to identify performance problems.

4.5.4. checksettings

The checksettings command verifies existing Toaster settings. Access the command as follows: 

     $ bitbake/lib/toaster/manage.py checksettings

Toaster uses settings that are based on the database to configure the building tasks. The checksettings command verifies that the database settings are valid in the sense that they have the minimal information needed to start a build.

In order for the checksettings command to work, the database must be correctly set up and not have existing data. To be sure the database is ready, you can run the following: 

     $ bitbake/lib/toaster/mana​ge.py syncdb
     $ bitbake/lib/toaster/mana​ge.py migrate orm
     $ bitbake/lib/toaster/mana​ge.py migrate bldcontrol

After running these commands, you can run the checksettings command.

4.5.5. runbuilds

The runbuilds command launches scheduled builds. Access the command as follows: 

     $ bitbake/lib/toaster/manage.py runbuilds

The runbuilds command checks if scheduled builds exist in the database and then launches them per schedule. The command returns after the builds start but before they complete. The Toaster Logging Interface records and updates the database when the builds complete.