Continuous Delivery of embedded
firmware using Docker and Jenkins
#TorinoTech Night, 2016-04-01
Gianpaolo Macario
(C) 2016 Gianpaolo Macario - License: CC BY-SA 4.0
The context
Firmware images of recent embedded devices are produced through a complex and time-consuming process
A few examples:
- In-Vehicle Infotainment
- Mobile Phone
- Home Gateway
- Wireless Router/Access Point
- etc
Example: GENIVI Demo Platform
$ sloccount gdp_ivi9_beta/workspace
Totals grouped by language (dominant language first):
ansic: 46260693 (69.83%)
cpp: 9910207 (14.96%)
asm: 2006557 (3.03%)
sh: 1575972 (2.38%)
perl: 1276566 (1.93%)
python: 1163866 (1.76%)
xml: 1054193 (1.59%)
...
Total Physical Source Lines of Code (SLOC) = 66,247,653
Example: Android 5.1.1
$ sloccount build_android_udooneo/workspace
Totals grouped by language (dominant language first):
ansic: 28909496 (48.66%)
cpp: 14820059 (24.95%)
xml: 6894345 (11.61%)
java: 5651249 (9.51%)
asm: 1105027 (1.86%)
python: 1061272 (1.79%)
sh: 434135 (0.73%)
perl: 197439 (0.33%)
...
Total Physical Source Lines of Code (SLOC) = 59,405,160Build Host Configuration
Varies greatly between projects
Some examples:
- Android 1.5-2.2.x: Ubuntu 10.04, Oracle JDK 5
- Android 2.3.x-4.4.x: Ubuntu 12.04, Oracle JDK 6
- Android 5.x: Ubuntu 12.04, Oracle JDK 7
- Android 6.0: Ubuntu 14.04, Oracle JDK 7
- Android N: Ubuntu 14.04, OpenJDK 8
- Commercial IVI product: Ubuntu 10.04, CodeSourcery GCC 2014.05
- CommonAPI C: Fedora 23, systemd, libsystem-devel
- GENIVI Demo Platform: Ubuntu 14.04, gcc 4.8, make 4.22, python 2.7
Build host configuration (cont.)
- Depends upon each embedded project
-
Each developer may need to work on several projects
with incompatible host requirements -
The configuration of the host may affect
the generated firmware image (host cross contamination) -
Developers do not always follow instructions...
- Should be maintained along the project lifetime
-
We cannot assume that developers will not change
the software configuration on their machines for years!
How can we ensure that each build is reproducible?
One solution: Virtual Machines
Image credit: https://www.docker.com
A better solution: Linux Containers
Image credit: https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/devops/2015/01/devops-and-docker.html
easy-build
The build is just one step
Image credit: https://jenkins.io/doc/pipeline/
Introducing Jenkins
easy-jenkins
Running easy-jenkins
easy-jenkins in action
Summary
- Working on an embedded project requires
- Setting up a customized build environment
- Maintaining it during the whole project lifetime
- Create a reproducible build environment using Docker
- Develop your own image, or start from
easy-build
- Jenkins can automate the complete delivery pipeline
- Use easy-jenkins together with easy-build
- Setup your CD infrastructure in minutes, not days
-
Upgrade your infrastructure config with a git commit
Thanks!
Gianpaolo Macario