Frequency asked questions, and answers

Does AMD EDF replace the PetaLinux flow and existing AMD Yocto Project™ flows?

Yes, AMD EDF is an evolution of AMD Yocto Project™ flows, and replaces the PetaLinux tooling and flows.

Which device families will be supported by AMD EDF?

All device families are supported, except AMD MicroBlaze™ processors (classic).

Will the hardware platform used for EDF BSPs be available?

Yes, the hardware platforms are available for download from Index of / and is implemented as an AMD Vivado™ Design Suite Configurable Example Design with additional TCL scripted additions. See the Common Specifications section of the EDF Documentation for more details.  

What is the difference between EDF-based BSPs and PetaLinux BSPs; can the boot components generated using these be interchanged?

EDF Linux® BSP provide similar functionality to a PetaLinux BSP – Boot firmware, bootloaders, Linux OS, and Linux Root file system. However, the Kernel Configuration and rootfs are richer. AMD recommends re-generating the full stack within EDF to ensure compatibility.

Can existing bootloader, kernel patches, and rootfs customizations from PetaLinux be re-used?

Existing patches can be re-used if compatible with the version of the kernel / components. RootFS customizations can be migrated using the Yocto Project methods for extending the rootFS configuration. See the development flows section of the EDF Documentation for more information.

How will FPGA integration (e.g., bitstream loading) be managed in Yocto?

Existing standard flows for FPGA bitstream loading are supported in EDF, FPGA Util, and DFX. Manager utilities are included in the default EDF Linux® disk image.

How does EDF handle SDK generation for application development?

An application SDK is released with each EDF release, however, it is recommended to generate your own SDK from within the EDF Yocto Project environment to ensure the SDK is in line with any user customizations. See the Operating System Integration sections of the EDF Documentation for more information.

How can I integrate Vivado Design Suite generated artifacts (bitstream, DTB) into EDF Yocto Project™ based builds?

Existing flows are supported, with build recipe templates and helper functions available for creating firmware bundles for integration into the EDF Yocto Project based images,  or can also be created manually. For more information, see the Hardware Application development, Application Deployment, and Segmented Configuration or Dynamic Function eXchange sections of the EDF documentation.

Which PetaLinux features are not available in the vanilla Yocto Project?

AMD device-specific functionality and drivers may not be available in vanilla Yocto and the upstream Linux Kernel, but are included in AMD EDF via custom layers (similar to PetaLinux). AMD is committed to upstreaming, but there is generally a delay between initial release of a feature and its availably in upstream repos.

How can I migrate PetaLinux rootfs customizations (e.g., init scripts) into my EDF build?

See the Editing the RootFS configuration in the EDF or Yocto Project documentation.

Are there Yocto Project layers equivalent to `meta-petalinux` for FPGA workflows?

Yes, meta-amd-edf and other custom meta-layers provide this functionality. These are all included in the AMD EDF Yocto Project environment:  $ repo init -u GitHub - Xilinx/yocto-manifests: Repo Manifests for the Yocto Project Build System -b refs/tags/<AMD-EDF release tag> -m default-edf.xml  See the Downloads and Release notes, and Operating System Integration sections of the EDF documentation for more information.

What’s the recommended migration path for existing products and projects?

See the Migrating a Project from PetaLinux to EDF section of the EDF documentation for more information.

What is the recommended starting point for new users who want to use EDF? 

We recommend the Getting Started – Walk through examples and Development Flows sections of the EDF documentation, with Common, Device, and board specific and related available in the relevant sections of the EDF documentation.

How is the lifecycle and release of EDF managed, and how does it align to Vivado Design Suite releases?

AMD EDF currently releases on the same timeline as Vivado Design Suite releases, but as a separate component. EDF is validated against the Vivado Design Suite release, with pre-compiled artifacts updated. EDF release naming uses a YY.MM.<update> scheme. For example, EDF 25.05 aligns with the Vivado Design Suite 2025.1 release, and EDF 25.05.1 aligns with the Vivado Design Suite 2025.1.1 release.