BeagleBoard Angstrom

What is the easiest way to get the BeagleBoard set up with a GUI
desktop and the TI DVSDK tools such as C6Run, etc. I have seen a few
different tutorials around, not sure which one will give me what I
need.

I should have noted that I tried using a custom kernel from narcissus that included:

ti-dsplink-examples
ti-codec-engine-examples
ti-dmai-apps

but I wasnt sure if ‘examples’ meant that it would have the tools I needed. Also I was unable to ‘startx’ from the console.

I believe following the ECE 497 labs will probably make it the easiest for you. For example, see the C6Run lab:
http://elinux.org/ECE497_Lab13_Using_the_DSP_via_c6run

They start with the demo image documented on the board diagnostics page:
http://code.google.com/p/beagleboard/wiki/BeagleBoardDiagnosticsNext

I forgot to mention the other wiki page talking about getting the DVSDK tools running:
http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/DVSDK_4.x_FAQ#How_to_build_and_install_DVSDK_4.01_on_BeagleBoard-xM

It seems some people have found issues with those instructions and put those issues in the comments. If you have issues with the instructions, don’t do that. Provide answers in the comments and questions on the e2e.ti.com forum or on this mailing list. No one is going to know to go looking on a wiki page to find something that is broken, which is why instructions on wiki pages are often broken.

I should have noted that I tried using a custom kernel from narcissus that included:

ti-dsplink-examples
ti-codec-engine-examples
ti-dmai-apps

but I wasnt sure if ‘examples’ meant that it would have the tools I needed. Also I was unable to ‘startx’ from the console.

I believe following the ECE 497 labs will probably make it the easiest for you. For example, see the C6Run lab:
http://elinux.org/ECE497_Lab13_Using_the_DSP_via_c6run

They start with the demo image documented on the board diagnostics page:
http://code.google.com/p/beagleboard/wiki/BeagleBoardDiagnosticsNext

I forgot to mention the other wiki page talking about getting the DVSDK tools running:
http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/DVSDK_4.x_FAQ#How_to_build_and_install_DVSDK_4.01_on_BeagleBoard-xM

It seems some people have found issues with those instructions and put those issues in the comments. If you have issues with the instructions, don’t do that. Provide answers in the comments and questions on the e2e.ti.com forum or on this mailing list. No one is going to know to go looking on a wiki page to find something that is broken, which is why instructions on wiki pages are often broken.

I actually have the DVSDK installed and ready, I did figure out how to fix the installation. However I’m having issues setting up Angstrom/OpenEmbedded. When I do MACHINE=beagleboard ./oebb.sh bitbake virtual/kernel I get this error:

ERROR: Please set the ‘PERSISTENT_DIR’ or ‘CACHE’ variable.

I see that this is a common issue, but haven’t really found a solid answer on how to address it yet.

Ok so most tutorials mention to follow this to build first: http://www.angstrom-distribution.org/building-angstrom

But when I try ‘MACHINE=beagleboard ./oebb.sh bitbake virtual/kernel’ I get the error:

jeff@jeff-ubuntu10-04:~/angstrom-setup-scripts$ MACHINE=beagleboard ./oebb.sh bitbake virtual/kernel
Using ~/.oe/environment-2008 to setup needed variables. It is recommended to do ‘. ~/.oe/environment-2008’ and run ‘bitbake something’ without using ./oebb.sh as wrapper
Executing: MACHINE=beagleboard bitbake virtual/kernel
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “/home/jeff/angstrom-setup-scripts/sources/bitbake/bin/bitbake”, line 234, in
ret = main()
File “/home/jeff/angstrom-setup-scripts/sources/bitbake/bin/bitbake”, line 197, in main
server = ProcessServer(server_channel, event_queue, configuration)
File “/home/jeff/angstrom-setup-scripts/sources/bitbake/lib/bb/server/process.py”, line 81, in init
self.cooker = BBCooker(configuration, self.register_idle_function)
File “/home/jeff/angstrom-setup-scripts/sources/bitbake/lib/bb/cooker.py”, line 77, in init
self.parseConfigurationFiles(self.configuration.file)
File “/home/jeff/angstrom-setup-scripts/sources/bitbake/lib/bb/cooker.py”, line 525, in parseConfigurationFiles
bb.fetch.fetcher_init(self.configuration.data)
OperationalError: attempt to write a readonly database

When I try it with ‘sudo’ it downloads a few things and then I get:

jeff@jeff-ubuntu10-04:~/angstrom-setup-scripts$ MACHINE=beagleboard ./oebb.sh bitbake virtual/kernel
Using ~/.oe/environment-2008 to setup needed variables. It is recommended to do ‘. ~/.oe/environment-2008’ and run ‘bitbake something’ without using ./oebb.sh as wrapper
Executing: MACHINE=beagleboard bitbake virtual/kernel
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “/home/jeff/angstrom-setup-scripts/sources/bitbake/bin/bitbake”, line 234, in
ret = main()
File “/home/jeff/angstrom-setup-scripts/sources/bitbake/bin/bitbake”, line 197, in main
server = ProcessServer(server_channel, event_queue, configuration)
File “/home/jeff/angstrom-setup-scripts/sources/bitbake/lib/bb/server/process.py”, line 81, in init
self.cooker = BBCooker(configuration, self.register_idle_function)
File “/home/jeff/angstrom-setup-scripts/sources/bitbake/lib/bb/cooker.py”, line 77, in init
self.parseConfigurationFiles(self.configuration.file)
File “/home/jeff/angstrom-setup-scripts/sources/bitbake/lib/bb/cooker.py”, line 525, in parseConfigurationFiles
bb.fetch.fetcher_init(self.configuration.data)
OperationalError: attempt to write a readonly database

Anyone else had this problem?

I solved this issue, I wasn’t using sudo when I shouldnt have been. But now I’m sure I’ve done things correctly and I get this error after 'MACHINE=beagleboard ./oebb.sh bitbake virtual/kernel:

In file included from /home/jeff/setup-scripts/build/tmp-angstrom_2008_1/work/armv7a-angstrom-linux-gnueabi/gcc-cross-4.3.3-r23.2/gcc-4.3.3/libgfortran/runtime/fpu.c:4:
./fpu-target.h: In function ‘set_fpu’:
./fpu-target.h:42: error: ‘FE_ALL_EXCEPT’ undeclared (first use in this function)
./fpu-target.h:42: error: (Each undeclared identifier is reported only once
./fpu-target.h:42: error: for each function it appears in.)
./fpu-target.h:43: warning: implicit declaration of function ‘fedisableexcept’
make[3]: *** [fpu.lo] Error 1
make[3]: Leaving directory /home/jeff/setup-scripts/build/tmp-angstrom_2008_1/work/armv7a-angstrom-linux-gnueabi/gcc-cross-4.3.3-r23.2/gcc-4.3.3/build.i686-linux.arm-angstrom-linux-gnueabi/arm-angstrom-linux-gnueabi/libgfortran' make[2]: *** [all] Error 2 make[2]: Leaving directory /home/jeff/setup-scripts/build/tmp-angstrom_2008_1/work/armv7a-angstrom-linux-gnueabi/gcc-cross-4.3.3-r23.2/gcc-4.3.3/build.i686-linux.arm-angstrom-linux-gnueabi/arm-angstrom-linux-gnueabi/libgfortran’
make[1]: *** [all-target-libgfortran] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/jeff/setup-scripts/build/tmp-angstrom_2008_1/work/armv7a-angstrom-linux-gnueabi/gcc-cross-4.3.3-r23.2/gcc-4.3.3/build.i686-linux.arm-angstrom-linux-gnueabi’
make: *** [all] Error 2

  • die ‘oe_runmake failed’
  • oefatal ‘oe_runmake failed’
  • echo FATAL: ‘oe_runmake failed’
    FATAL: oe_runmake failed
  • exit 1
    NOTE: package gcc-cross-4.3.3-r23.2: task do_compile: Failed
    ERROR: Function ‘do_compile’ failed (see /home/jeff/setup-scripts/build/tmp-angstrom_2008_1/work/armv7a-angstrom-linux-gnueabi/gcc-cross-4.3.3-r23.2/temp/log.do_compile.28571 for further information)
    ERROR: Task 183 (/home/jeff/setup-scripts/sources/openembedded/recipes/gcc/gcc-cross_4.3.3.bb, do_compile) failed with exit code ‘1’
    Waiting for 1 active tasks to finish:
    0: libxslt-native-1.1.26-r6.0 do_configure (pid 28926)
    NOTE: package libxslt-native-1.1.26-r6.0: task do_configure: Succeeded
    ERROR: ‘/home/jeff/setup-scripts/sources/openembedded/recipes/gcc/gcc-cross_4.3.3.bb’ failed