5 steps to Build & Test the Edge Microvisor Toolkit

[biapalmeiro]

1. Clone the Stable Repository

Start by cloning the Edge Microvisor Toolkit repository and checkout the recommended tag (e.g., 3.0.x) rather than main to ensure stability:

git clone --branch <stable_tag> \
  https://github.com/open-edge-platform/edge-microvisor-toolkit.git
cd edge-microvisor-toolkit/toolkit

2. Install Prerequisites

Make sure you have dependencies like:

• make, gcc, rpm, qemu-utils

• python3, pip, and standard build tools

These are essential for the toolchain and packaging process.

3. Build the Toolchain

Use the included Makefile to build the customized build environment:

sudo make toolchain REBUILD_TOOLS=y

This sets up the compilation environment and local build tools necessary for packaging.

4. Generate an OS Image (ISO or RAW)

Select one of the predefined JSON configs such as edge-image.json or edge-image-rt.json and run:

sudo make iso -j8 CONFIG_FILE=./imageconfigs/edge-image.json

OR for RAW images:

sudo make image -j8 CONFIG_FILE=./imageconfigs/edge-image.json

You can optionally include REBUILD_PACKAGES=n to use prebuilt RPMs and speed up builds.

5. Flash & Test Your Image

Once the build completes:

• Write the ISO to USB using dd or your preferred imaging tool.

• Boot the target edge node or VM.

• Perform basic validation:

  • Login (default credentials may vary by image).

  • Run cat /etc/os-release to confirm version.

  • Use uname -r and mount to check kernel and partition setup.

  • Inspect read-only rootfs and update mechanisms (A/B update support).

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And 3 Whys This Matters for Edge AI Developers

• Full customization: Tailor low-footprint OS images optimized for your inference workloads.

• Immutable, secure base: Leverage EMT's A/B updates, dm‑verity, Secure Boot, and optional real-time kernel support.

• Multiple deployment targets: Support bare-metal, VM, and Kubernetes-native AI pipelines using ISO or RAW deployments.

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Interested in learning more? Check the documentation.

[smitesh-sutaria]

@biapalmeiro: How to build the ISO image with custom version? (From target, how can i know which version of ISO was flashed?)
For different ISO files, though the filename of ISO is different 3,0.XXXX, the version @ /etc/os-release does not change

[biapalmeiro]

To determine which version of the Edge Microvisor Toolkit (EMT) ISO was flashed onto a device or booted system, here are the main approaches depending on your setup:

1. Check Version via Command Line on the Running System

If you have access to a shell (e.g., via serial, SSH, or console), run:

cat /etc/emt-version

This file is created during the ISO build process and includes the toolkit version and build timestamp.

You may see output like:

EMT Version: 3.0.1
Build Date: 2025-07-30
Git Commit: abc123def

---

2. Look for /etc/os-release or Similar Metadata

Some builds also populate:

cat /etc/os-release

You may find custom fields like VERSION_ID, BUILD_ID, etc., which can help you identify the build.

---

3. Use EMT-Specific Command (if available)

If the environment includes the emtctl CLI, try:

emtctl version

This command may show the EMT version, build date, or hardware details.

---

4. Check Boot Logs

If you have access to boot logs (via serial console, systemd journal, or log files), search for version info printed early in boot:

dmesg | grep EMT

or

journalctl -b | grep version

---

5. Add Custom Build Info in Your ISO (Recommended for Custom Builds)

If you're building a custom ISO, you can inject versioning metadata during the build process by modifying the Makefile:

Example: Add custom version info in the build

In build/scripts/post_install.sh or configs/, add:

echo "EMT Version: 3.1.0-custom" > /etc/emt-version
echo "Build Time: $(date)" >> /etc/emt-version
echo "Git Commit: $(git rev-parse HEAD)" >> /etc/emt-version

---

Verify via USB or ISO Mount (Offline)

If you're inspecting an ISO before flashing or mounting it:

mount -o loop emt.iso /mnt
cat /mnt/etc/emt-version

Does it sound correct to you? Let me know if it works on your side. :)

[smitesh-sutaria]

option1: no such file in default build

Option2: My question was about this. DATETIME_AS_VERSION appears on the filename of iso generated. but when same iso is flashed, it does not show the same version. Multiple iso generated at different time show same version!!

[biapalmeiro]

@krishnajs can you please help?

[smitesh-sutaria]

@anujm1 @krishnajs any suggestion?

We have an upcoming release with customer, and they are customizing the ISO image (dracut, cmdline, new packages, etc). And they critically want to know from the target, what image was used to burn.

Any build time argument also is fine, which they can include.

[biapalmeiro]

Really apologize for the very long delay to reply. @smitesh-sutaria did you come up to a solution or should I open an issue for investigation?

[smitesh-sutaria]

@biapalmeiro: Thanks for the follow-up. It has been fixed with this PR: #424