EDK2 Project Template

Making build for UEFI easy

List of content

Introduction
Usage
Brief Description of edk2 build system
Creating your own Package
More Info on EDK2
COPYRIGHT

Introduction

Key Objectives

Quick and easy start of UEFI development for newbies
Easy out of EDK tree development
Zero hussle with EDK build setup

Brief Overwiew

This project is a cmake warper to edk's build system. And it is devided into 3 seperate components:

middleware scripts between cmake and edk's build command, located under build_scripts.
cmake files that implements the core of this build system, located under cmake_files.
packages for edk2, located under uefi_apps.

Installing Dependencies

This project does not has any dependencies by itself (except for Cmake and EDK2's existance obviously)

You will need to intall the dependencies of EDK2.
these links may be useful for installing these dependencies:

Usage

Invoking Cmake via vscode

This is very straightforward, just use the gui to configure and build the project.
For customizing the project you can add variables in the file .vscode/settings.json.

{
    "cmake.configureArgs" : [
      "-D<variable name>=<value>",
    ]
}

Note

cmake may fail to configure or build when invoked from vs code. if cmake fails, try to invoke it again from the commandline.

Using Commandline

Configure the project:

cmake -S <path to this repo> -B <path to build dir>

Build the package:

cmake --build <path to build dir> --target <package name>

For customizing the project you can add variable via the flag -D when configuring the project:

cmake -D<variable name>=<value> <rest of cmake configuration flags>

Customizing via Cmake variables

editing the following variables will change the build system behavior.

Variable	Type	Description
LOCAL_EDK2	URL or PATH	a local path or an url to edk2 repo
EDK2_TAG	string	a tag name or commit or branch of edk2
VS_TAG	string	WINDOWS_ONLY version of visual studio to use. Format: `VS<year>`
PYTHON_COMMAND	string	full path to python interperter or name of python command in path
CORE_COUNT	int (as a string)	the amount of treads to use in the build process
CONF_PATH	PATH	a path to save edk's build configuration

you may want to look at the source of the variables for deeper look.	Variable	definition/use Location
LOCAL_EDK2	`cmake_files/generic/include_edk2.cmake`
EDK2_TAG	`cmake_files/generic/include_edk2.cmake`
VS_TAG	`cmake_files/windows/detect_visual_studio.cmake`
PYTHON_COMMAND	`cmake_files/generic/detect_python.cmake`
CORE_COUNT	`cmake_files/generic/core_count.cmake`
CONF_PATH	`cmake_files/unix/configure_build_system.cmake` OR ``
	``
	``

Brief Description of edk2 build system

The EDK project is composed of packages.
Each package is independent or is dependent on other packages.
Package is composed of several modules. Each module can depend on some other modules.

Package is spcified by a .dsc file, which delares basic info like:

supported architectures
it's own modules
dependencies

Module is specified by a .inf file, which declares more specific info like:

main function name (if have one)
it's source files
dependencies

For more explanation, you may use the following links:

Creating your own Package

Initialize the package

Create the Package folder

Create new folder at uefi_apps/<your package name>Pkg and make sure that the folder name format is UpperCamelCase.
This is your "new" source root directory, add files and directories to this folder as the edk2 specification instructs.

Create the Cmake file for the Package

In the directory uefi_apps you need to create file named <your package name>_pkg.cmake, in snake_case.
Then add the following line at the bottom of the file CMakeLists.txt:

include(uefi_apps/<your package name>_pkg.cmake)

Configure the File

Declare on the package name, which must be equal to the name of the package's folder.
i.e set(PACKAGE_NAME <your package folder name>)

Create a list with the build arguments to edk's build command. you mast use the flag --platform in order to declare on the platform to compile. you can find more info on the arguments at edk's website.
here is an example for build arguments:

    set(BUILD_ARGS 
        --arch=X64 # architecture to compile to
        --platform=<your package>/<platform decleration file>.dsc # the platform to compile
        -n 7 # amount of threads
        # the variable TOOL_CHAIN will be provided by the this build system
        --tagname=${TOOL_CHAIN} # tool chain to use, you don't have to mention this flag but it useful if edk's build system uses the wrong tool-chain for some reason
    )

use the function add_package to create a target for you package.
the function recieves the package's name and then the build arguments, and creates a build target for you.
you can simply write: add_package(${PACKAGE_NAME} ${BUILD_ARGS})

here is an example for cmake file named lior_pkg.cmake that builds the package LiorPkg:

# the name of the package, this must be idendical to the name of the package dir
set(PACKAGE_NAME LiorPkg)

# build arguments for edk2 build system
set(BUILD_ARGS 
    --arch=X64 # architecture to compile to
    --platform=LiorPkg/lior.dsc # the platform to compile
    -n 7 # amount of threads
    --tagname=${TOOL_CHAIN} # tool chain to use
)
# this would create a target for the package
add_package(${PACKAGE_NAME} ${BUILD_ARGS})

Create files for EDK2 build system

Create Platform file (.dsc)

The dsc file uses ini like syntax.

[Defines] Section

This section defines importent information for edk2's build system.
The format for entries in this section is: <name> = <vlaue>.
You mast define these variables:

Variable name Type Description

DSC_SPECIFICATION 32 bit hex or float the version of the specification. It does not need to be changed, unless you use a specific feature that appears in a newer specification. Format: <major>.<minor> or Upper 16 bits = Major, Lower 16 bit = Minor.

PLATFORM_NAME String a name for your platform, must be unique.

PLATFORM_GUID uuid an uuid for your platform, must be unique.

PLATFORM_VERSION 32 bit hex or float the version of your package.

OUTPUT_DIRECTORY relative path a path for placing your build artifacts, it's relative to WORKSPACE dir.

SUPPORTED_ARCHITECTURES list a list that contains all the architectures that the package supports. Format: <arch>|<another arch>.

BUILD_TARGETS list list of your build targets. avaible options are DEBUG RELEASE NOOPT. To create more options you need to edit the file tools_def.txt in edk's build tools conf directory.

[LibraryClasses] Section

In this section you declare on the libraries your module is going to use. Use the names declared here in inf's file [LibraryClasses] section.
Format: <libname>|<path to lib module's inf file>[|<path to lib module's inf file>...]
Note you also need to declare on library classes needed by the modules you depend on.

[Components] Section

Here you define the modules and libraries that will be compiled as part of the package. Format: path to the inf file of the module: <package name>/path/to/module.inf. each path is seperated by a new line.

Note

There are more section, these sctions are the basic sections that must be defined in order to compile the package.

Variable name	Type	Description
DSC_SPECIFICATION	32 bit hex or float	the version of the specification. It does not need to be changed, unless you use a specific feature that appears in a newer specification. Format: `<major>.<minor>` or Upper 16 bits = Major, Lower 16 bit = Minor.
PLATFORM_NAME	String	a name for your platform, must be unique.
PLATFORM_GUID	uuid	an uuid for your platform, must be unique.
PLATFORM_VERSION	32 bit hex or float	the version of your package.
OUTPUT_DIRECTORY	relative path	a path for placing your build artifacts, it's relative to `WORKSPACE` dir.
SUPPORTED_ARCHITECTURES	list	a list that contains all the architectures that the package supports. Format: `<arch>\|<another arch>`.
BUILD_TARGETS	list	list of your build targets. avaible options are `DEBUG` `RELEASE` `NOOPT`. To create more options you need to edit the file `tools_def.txt` in edk's build tools conf directory.

For more info, you may read the dsc specification.

Create Module file (.inf)

The inf file uses ini like syntax.

[Definess] Section

This section defines importent information for edk2's build system.
The format for entries in this section is: <name> = <vlaue>.
You mast define these variables:

Variable name Type Description

INF_VERSION 32 bit hex or float the version of the specification, does not need to be changed, unless you use a specific feature that apears in newer specification. Format: <major>.<minor> or Upper 16 bits = Major, Lower 16 bit = Minor.

BASE_NAME string an unique name for the module

FILE_GUID uuid an uuid for the module

MODULE_TYPE string the module's type i.e application or driver. For all module types, please see module types table.

ENTRY_POINT string the name of the entry point function (only applies to applications and drivers)

[LibraryClasses] Section

In this section you declare on the libraies that your module is depended on. use the library names you have defined in the inf file.
each name sould be seperated by a new line.

[Sources] Section

This section is used to declare on the source files of the module, both header files and source files must be declared here (and any other file that is part of the source). This section contains the source file paths relative to inf's file location. Each path is seperated by a new line.

[Packages] Section

This section is used to list all edk2's decleration files that are used by this module. Sadly, I am not going to explain what decleraion files are, you only need to know that every executable module need to declare on the file: MdePkg/MdePkg.dec.

Note

There are more section, these sctions are the basic sections that must be defined in order to compile the module.

Variable name	Type	Description
INF_VERSION	32 bit hex or float	the version of the specification, does not need to be changed, unless you use a specific feature that apears in newer specification. Format: `<major>.<minor>` or Upper 16 bits = Major, Lower 16 bit = Minor.
BASE_NAME	string	an unique name for the module
FILE_GUID	uuid	an uuid for the module
MODULE_TYPE	string	the module's type i.e application or driver. For all module types, please see module types table.
ENTRY_POINT	string	the name of the entry point function (only applies to applications and drivers)

For more info, you may read the inf specification.

More Info on EDK2

lersi / edk2_project_template

readme

EDK2 Project Template

List of content

Introduction

Key Objectives

Brief Overwiew

Installing Dependencies

Usage

Invoking Cmake via vscode

Note

Using Commandline

Customizing via Cmake variables

Brief Description of edk2 build system

Creating your own Package

Initialize the package

Create the Package folder

Create the Cmake file for the Package

Configure the File

Create files for EDK2 build system

Create Platform file (.dsc)

[Defines] Section

[LibraryClasses] Section

[Components] Section

Note

Create Module file (.inf)

[Definess] Section

[LibraryClasses] Section

[Sources] Section

[Packages] Section

Note

More Info on EDK2

Lists of all tianocore documentation (more or less)

Guides

Training

Compilation Environment

Build Files specifications

Security

etc

Lot of info about computers

COPYRIGHT

LICENSE