The Civil Infrastructure Platform (CIP) project aims to provide an open source base layer (OSBL) for embedded systems that require super long-term support (SLTS). OSBL is composed of the CIP kernel source code, and the CIP Core source packages. CIP Core source packages are a list of Debian Long Term Support (LTS) source packages that members of the CIP project consider important and want to sponsor.

CIP core has two profiles: tiny and generic. The tiny profile aims at civil infrastructure devices with minimum dependencies and restrictions in size or complexity (typically a C/C++ application). The generic profile covers devices that require more functionality such as high-level languages (python, java, etc). Both the tiny and generic profiles use Debian LTS source code, but the list of packages that define the OSBL differs.

The CIP Core project provides example filesystem images using available build and image generation tools such as Deby or ISAR. Note that CIP Core is focused on sponsoring and helping Debian LTS to maintain the source code, and it does not force you to choose what tool you should use to generate your filesystem images. Submission of example implementations using other build or image generation tools is welcome. The example filesystem images can be flashed to part or all of the CIP reference hardware boards (Renesas RZ/G1M, Beaglebone Black, CycloneV, QEMU, and SIMATIC IPC227E).

We are working on the official list of CIP Core packages. The current candidates for the CIP tiny profile are shown in the figure below.

Currently, CIP Core provides an example implementation of the tiny profile using Deby. Deby is a tool to create filesystem images by overlaying meta-debian layer on top of yocto/OE. Deby builds the filesystem image directly from Debian LTS source code, it does not use Yocto/OE source code. Deby is currently incompatible with layers created for Yocto/OE (e.g. meta-intel). When you create a filesystem image, you need to choose packages supported by meta-debian. Also, please understand that Deby is a separate project, not a part of the CIP project. CIP Core also provides an example implementation of the generic profile using ISAR. ISAR uses bitbake to generate the filesystem image by reusing Debian binaries and rebuilding packages that need modifications for the target board.

Deby is a reference distribution built with poky and meta-debian, a layer for the poky build system that allows cross-building file system images from Debian source packages.

The CIP Core project provides reference Deby file systems images that include the CIP Core packages and can be tested on the following reference hardware.

• Renesas RZ/G1M (iwg20m)
• BeagleBone Black
• QEMU x86_64
• Cyclone-V (experimental)

To build the images you need to follow the README for each board. For example, to build CIP Core for the Renesas iwg20m board just follow the instructions in README.IWG20M.txt; and to build CIP Core for the Beaglebone back you can follow the instructions in README.BBB.txt. Also check the Quickstart guide.

The CIP Core project also plans to provide reference file systems built with ISAR. Currently, the ISAR implementation is located here.