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CVA6 SDK is the Buildroot-based path for producing a complete bootable Linux image for CVA6 FPGA systems. A single build coordinates the RISC-V toolchain, OpenSBI, U-Boot and device tree, Linux kernel, initramfs, and root filesystem, then packages them into a flashable SD-card image. It is the practical starting point for users bringing up 32-bit or 64-bit CVA6 on Genesys 2 or Agilex 7; teams committed to Yocto should compare it with meta-cva6-yocto.
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Category: Tools & SDKsStatus: Editorial · ActiveBest for: Engineer
At a glance
- Tested core configurations: cv32a6_ima_sv32_fpga and cv64a6_imafdc_sv39; this Linux build flow does not apply to every CVA6 configuration
- Output: ready-to-flash sdcard.img containing CVA6 boot and Linux payloads
- Build stack: RISC-V toolchain, OpenSBI, U-Boot/device tree, Linux kernel, Buildroot, initramfs, and root filesystem
- Architecture selection: 64-bit by default, with 32-bit builds selected through XLEN
- Tested FPGA boards: Digilent Genesys 2 and Altera Agilex 7
- Tool boundary: OpenOCD is not included and must be obtained separately when needed
Further resources
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Tools & SDKsSDK/Software
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OpenHWRISC-VToolsSDKLinux ImageBuildrootOpenSBIToolchain
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Data as of Sep 28, 2026
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meta-cva6-yocto
meta-cva6-yocto is an OpenEmbedded layer for building embedded-Linux images and extensible SDKs for CVA6. It defines 32-bit and 64-bit machines for Genesys 2 and Agilex 7 and composes openembedded-core, BitBake, and meta-riscv into a board-oriented image workflow. It suits engineers already using Yocto layer management, but its declared compatibility is the older Honister release. Reproducibility requires pinning the manifest and dependency revisions: the documented master/HEAD references do not guarantee identical results on a later checkout.