We are pleased to announce the availability of AEL 12.03:

	git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/maz/arm-platforms.git \
		ael-12.03.00

Pre-built binary images are also available at:

	git://linux-arm.org/ael.git 2012.03

This kernel release is supported on all Realview and Versatile Express
platforms with the exception of:

	- Versatile Express motherboards prior to revision C
	- Realview EB 11MPcore Revision B
	- Versatile Express with Cortex-A15 Test Chip One (TC1)


Building the Linux kernel image
===============================

Prerequisites: Working ARM toolchain, host Linux environment

AEL contains default configurations for Versatile Express and Realview
platforms. After obtaining the source code from the git repository above,
the kernel can be built with:

# Use realview_ael_defconfig for a realview platform
$ make ARCH=arm vexpress_ael_defconfig

# Make any further changes (optional)
$ make ARCH=arm menuconfig

# Build the zImage (specify uImage for realview)
# Substitute your toolchain prefix into the CROSS_COMPILE variable
$ make ARCH=arm CROSS_COMPILE=arm-linux-gnueabi- -j5 zImage


Booting
=======

If you built a uImage and have a working u-boot for your target, you can
now boot in the usual manner for your platform. Device tree zImage targets
require some further steps.

Firstly, you should clone the ARM DTS repository from:

	git://linux-arm.org/arm-dts.git	AEL-2012.03

and move into the directory for your platform.

# Build the .dtb (device tree blob).
# You must specify the .dts file corresponding to your platform.
# Note that the dtc compiler is built as a side-effect of building the
# kernel image described earlier.
$ <path to linux kernel source>/scripts/dtc/dtc -O dtb -o blob.dtb \
  vexpress-v2f-2xv6-ca7x3.dts

You should now have a 'blob.dtb' file in the current directory.

# Append the blob to the kernel and pad to 4 bytes due to boot monitor
# restrictions.
$ cat <path to linux kernel source>/arch/arm/boot/zImage blob.dtb | \
  dd of=zimage.bin bs=4 conv=sync

The resulting ./zimage.bin file can now be booted by the ARM boot monitor.

If you wish to boot on an RTSM platform, you should use the zimage.bin file
as input to the boot-wrapper available here:

	git://linux-arm.org/boot-wrapper.git master

This will allow you to produce an ELF image (linux-system.axf) that can be
booted directly.