We are currently updating the Embedded Linux support in our Qt Commercial SDK to enable easier adoption to different HW platforms. To achieve this, we have decided to take Yocto into use and drop Ångström. Linaro is also getting a closer look, and Qt5 support and prebuilt binaries are added.
The embedded toolchain and demo images that we introduced in the beginning of the year were based on the classic OpenEmbedded framework. While they provide nice platform for Qt development, the environment is no longer maintained. Our recipes are now being moved to use the new meta layer structure of oe-core and at the same time we have dropped Ångström from the mix. The toolchain and images are now done with Yocto, while meta-ti layer provides BSPs for the two ARM reference devices, BeagleBoard-xM and PandaBoard.
The following image presents the relation of these tools and the structure of our new Embedded Linux Toolchain.
How is this going to affect user of the Qt Commercial SDK? Not much. We will still provide a toolchain for compiling Qt Commercial and Qt applications for embedded ARM targets. Demo images will still be available for Beagleboard-xM and Pandaboard (now also for the new Pandaboard ES). The images will contain latest Qt 4.8.2 binaries ready to be demoed, debugged and so on.
As Qt5 approaches its beta release, we are also making sure you can run it on our reference hardware. Prebuilt Qt5 binaries will be installed in the demo images with EglFS QPA plugin. This will enable single fullscreen Qt5 application running with OpenGL ES2 acceleration on your target hardware with very simple steps.
For now, everything described here will be available in addition to the old ones, so your current projects won't be interrupted. In conjunction with 4.8.3 release, we are planning to use only the new Yocto based toolchain. Qt5 binaries will be added once the beta is finalized. You can get the latest Embedded Linux stuff through the QtCommercial SDK maintenance tool.
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