Create a New Meta-Layer

Once you have successfully compiled an image (see the NXP or ST quick start), you can create a new custom meta-layer for your project.

This allows you to store your own recipes, configurations, and patches separately from the BSP and upstream layers — keeping your customizations modular and maintainable.

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Create the Layer

To create a new layer, use the following command:

bitbake-layers create-layer ../sources/meta-customer

The new meta-layer is automatically generated with an example recipe and directory structure:

../sources/meta-customer/
├── conf
│   └── layer.conf
├── COPYING.MIT
├── README
└── recipes-example
    └── example
        └── example_0.1.bb

3 directories, 4 files

This structure includes:

• conf/layer.conf — layer configuration file
• recipes-example/ — folder containing a sample recipe
• COPYING.MIT — license file
• README — basic documentation for the layer

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Add the Layer to the Build Environment

Once the layer is created, you must add it to your build configuration so BitBake can include it.

Edit the file conf/bblayers.conf and append your new layer path under BBLAYERS:

conf/bblayers.conf

LCONF_VERSION = "7"

BBPATH = "${TOPDIR}"
BSPDIR := "${@os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(d.getVar('FILE', True)) + '/../..')}"

BBFILES ?= ""
BBLAYERS = " \
  ${BSPDIR}/sources/poky/meta \
  ${BSPDIR}/sources/poky/meta-poky \
  \
  ${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-openembedded/meta-oe \
  ${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-openembedded/meta-multimedia \
  ${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-openembedded/meta-python \
  \
  ${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-freescale \
  ${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-freescale-3rdparty \
  ${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-freescale-distro \
"

# i.MX Yocto Project Release layers
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-imx/meta-imx-bsp"
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-imx/meta-imx-sdk"
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-imx/meta-imx-ml"
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-imx/meta-imx-v2x"
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-nxp-demo-experience"
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-matter/meta-nxp-matter-baseline"
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-matter/meta-nxp-openthread"

BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-arm/meta-arm"
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-arm/meta-arm-toolchain"
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-browser/meta-chromium"
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-clang"
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-openembedded/meta-gnome"
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-openembedded/meta-networking"
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-openembedded/meta-filesystems"
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-qt6"
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-security/meta-parsec"
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-security/meta-tpm"
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-virtualization"
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-engicam-nxp"

# Add your new custom layer
BBLAYERS += "${BSPDIR}/sources/meta-customer"

Tip

Remember to adjust the path to match your actual directory structure. Typically, custom layers are placed under ../sources/ next to other meta-layers.

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Verify the Layer

To ensure the layer has been correctly added, run:

bitbake-layers show-layers

You should see meta-customer listed among the active layers.

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