Hello,

I'm a somewhat experienced Linux user, C++ programmer but I have never made a kernel image myself. I see that BBB offers a lot of help and documentation on that topic, so I would try it out with BBB. Now, since the Bela adds this really cool hardware to it, I'd also love to include its device tree overlays, too. So, the basic idea would be to use the original BB kernel + Bela dts so that after booting the audio inputs and outputs are automatically recognized. In that case, I wouldn't need the Bela's fine IDE or apps, just a basic working BeagleBone with playback and recording capabilities.

Before I start digging into the cross-compiler, I was just wondering what is included in the Bela codebase? Is the source code available on Github all there is, or do I need some extra stuff?

Also, how is the Bela source code intended to be used - do I need an official TI SDK, CodeComposer etc or is it meant to be used from the shell, via makefiles?

    ah you are probably looking for this https://github.com/BelaPlatform/bela-image-builder/

    WesPeros Also, how is the Bela source code intended to be used - do I need an official TI SDK, CodeComposer etc or is it meant to be used from the shell, via makefiles?

    make run PROJECT=myproject

    will do. See what the scripts in Bela/scripts/ do ( these are mostly meant to be used on a remote host to run/start/stop programs on the board).

    WesPeros just a basic working BeagleBone with playback and recording capabilities.

    You need a Xenomai kernel for Bela to work. By the way, if you don't care about Bela's low latency and toolchain and you prefer to work closer to BB's mainline image, you could just load the BB-AUDI-02 overlay (which we tested and works, but we do not support, so if anything has stopped working you are on you own).

          Hey giuliomoro thanks for the answer!

          I have checked those scripts, and if I understood the guide, the scripts are an alternative to the IDE, no?

          giuliomoro if you don't care about Bela's low latency and toolchain and you prefer to work closer to BB's mainline image, you could just load the BB-AUDI-02 overlay

          I would give this a try, just to learn how the kernel build works. So with that overlay, the Bela cape will be recognized by the BB, and will output the sound when BB is running some playback program?

                WesPeros the scripts are an alternative to the IDE, no?

                yes

                WesPeros I would give this a try, just to learn how the kernel build works.

                using the BB-AUDI-02 overlay you won't need to build a kernel: just use a BB-provided image, load the overlay and the Bela audio in/out will show up as an ALSA sound card, so that virtually any sound-emitting Linux program will be able to use it.