Debian: Getting Started with the STM32MP157

Embedded Linux Guides
1

This is a page about ST’s STM32MP1 series of Cortex-A7 based Development Kits.

Availability

Boards:

Vendor Documentation

Basic Requirements

Cross Compiler: GCC

This is a pre-built (64bit) version of GCC that runs on generic linux, sorry (32bit) x86 users, it’s time to upgrade…
Download/Extract:

#user@localhost:~$
wget -c https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/tools/crosstool/files/bin/x86_64/11.3.0/x86_64-gcc-11.3.0-nolibc-arm-linux-gnueabi.tar.xz
tar -xf x86_64-gcc-11.3.0-nolibc-arm-linux-gnueabi.tar.xz
export CC32=`pwd`/gcc-11.3.0-nolibc/arm-linux-gnueabi/bin/arm-linux-gnueabi-

Test Cross Compiler:

#user@localhost:~$
${CC32}gcc --version

#Test Output:
arm-linux-gnueabi-gcc (GCC) 11.3.0
Copyright (C) 2021 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Bootloader: U-Boot

Das U-Boot – the Universal Boot Loader: http://www.denx.de/wiki/U-Boot
Depending on your Linux Distribution, you will also need a host gcc and other tools, so with Debian/Ubuntu start with installing the build-essential meta package.

Host Package Requirements

#user@localhost:~$
sudo apt update ; \
sudo apt-get install -y bc bison build-essential flex libgnutls28-dev ; \
sudo apt-get install -y libssl-dev python3-dev python3-minimal ; \
sudo apt-get install -y python3-setuptools swig uuid-dev

Download:

#user@localhost:~$
git clone -b v2025.04 https://github.com/u-boot/u-boot --depth=1

Configure and Build:

#user@localhost:~$
make -C ./u-boot/ CROSS_COMPILE=${CC32} distclean
make -C ./u-boot/ CROSS_COMPILE=${CC32} stm32mp15_trusted_defconfig

Build for: stm32mp157a-dk1

#user@localhost:~$
make -C ./u-boot/ CROSS_COMPILE=${CC32} DEVICE_TREE=stm32mp157a-dk1 all

Build for: stm32mp157c-dk2

#user@localhost:~$
make -C ./u-boot/ CROSS_COMPILE=${CC32} DEVICE_TREE=stm32mp157c-dk2 all

Bootloader: OP-TEE Trusted OS

OP-TEE Trusted OS: https://github.com/OP-TEE/optee_os
Host Package Requirements

#user@localhost:~$
sudo apt update ; \
sudo apt-get install -y build-essential python3-cryptography python3-pyelftools

Download:

#user@localhost:~$
git clone -b 4.5.0 https://github.com/OP-TEE/optee_os.git --depth=1

Configure and Build: stm32mp157a-dk1

#user@localhost:~$
make -C ./optee_os/ CROSS_COMPILE=${CC32} ARCH=arm PLATFORM=stm32mp1 CFG_EMBED_DTB_SOURCE_FILE=stm32mp157a-dk1.dts

Configure and Build: stm32mp157c-dk2

#user@localhost:~$
make -C ./optee_os/ CROSS_COMPILE=${CC32} ARCH=arm PLATFORM=stm32mp1 CFG_EMBED_DTB_SOURCE_FILE=stm32mp157c-dk2.dts

Bootloader: Trusted Firmware A (TF-A)

Trusted Firmware A (TF-A): https://github.com/TrustedFirmware-A/trusted-firmware-a
Host Package Requirements

#user@localhost:~$
sudo apt update ; \
sudo apt-get install -y build-essential device-tree-compiler

Download:

#user@localhost:~$
git clone -b lts-v2.10 https://github.com/TrustedFirmware-A/trusted-firmware-a.git --depth=1

Configure and Build: stm32mp157a-dk1

#user@localhost:~$
make -C ./trusted-firmware-a/ CROSS_COMPILE=${CC32} realclean
make -C ./trusted-firmware-a/ CROSS_COMPILE=${CC32} PLAT=stm32mp1 ARCH=aarch32 ARM_ARCH_MAJOR=7 DTB_FILE_NAME=stm32mp157a-dk1.dtb STM32MP_SDMMC=1
make -C ./trusted-firmware-a/ CROSS_COMPILE=${CC32} PLAT=stm32mp1 ARCH=aarch32 ARM_ARCH_MAJOR=7 AARCH32_SP=optee DTB_FILE_NAME=stm32mp157c-dk2.dtb BL33=../u-boot/u-boot-nodtb.bin BL33_CFG=../u-boot/u-boot.dtb BL32=../optee_os/out/arm-plat-stm32mp1/core/tee-header_v2.bin BL32_EXTRA1=../optee_os/out/arm-plat-stm32mp1/core/tee-pager_v2.bin BL32_EXTRA2=../optee_os/out/arm-plat-stm32mp1/core/tee-pageable_v2.bin fip

Copy tf-a-stm32mp157a-dk1.stm32 for stm32mp157a-dk1

#user@localhost:~$
mkdir -p ./input/
cp -v ./trusted-firmware-a/build/stm32mp1/release/tf-a-stm32mp157a-dk1.stm32 ./input/
cp -v ./trusted-firmware-a/build/stm32mp1/release/fip.bin ./input/

Configure and Build: stm32mp157c-dk2

#user@localhost:~$
make -C ./trusted-firmware-a/ CROSS_COMPILE=${CC32} realclean
make -C ./trusted-firmware-a/ CROSS_COMPILE=${CC32} PLAT=stm32mp1 ARCH=aarch32 ARM_ARCH_MAJOR=7 DTB_FILE_NAME=stm32mp157c-dk2.dtb STM32MP_SDMMC=1
make -C ./trusted-firmware-a/ CROSS_COMPILE=${CC32} PLAT=stm32mp1 ARCH=aarch32 ARM_ARCH_MAJOR=7 AARCH32_SP=optee DTB_FILE_NAME=stm32mp157c-dk2.dtb BL33=../u-boot/u-boot-nodtb.bin BL33_CFG=../u-boot/u-boot.dtb BL32=../optee_os/out/arm-plat-stm32mp1/core/tee-header_v2.bin BL32_EXTRA1=../optee_os/out/arm-plat-stm32mp1/core/tee-pager_v2.bin BL32_EXTRA2=../optee_os/out/arm-plat-stm32mp1/core/tee-pageable_v2.bin fip

Copy tf-a-stm32mp157c-dk2.stm32 for stm32mp157c-dk2

#user@localhost:~$
mkdir -p ./input/
cp -v ./trusted-firmware-a/build/stm32mp1/release/tf-a-stm32mp157c-dk2.stm32 ./input/
cp -v ./trusted-firmware-a/build/stm32mp1/release/fip.bin ./input/

Linux Kernel

This script will build the kernel, modules, device tree binaries and copy them to the deploy directory.

Download:

#user@localhost:~$
git clone https://github.com/RobertCNelson/armv7-lpae-multiplatform ./kernelbuildscripts
cd kernelbuildscripts/

For v6.12.x (Longterm 6.12.x):

#user@localhost:~/kernelbuildscripts$
git checkout origin/v6.12.x -b tmp

Build:

#user@localhost:~/kernelbuildscripts$
./build_kernel.sh

Root File System

Debian 12

User Password
debian temppwd

Download:

#user@localhost:~$
wget -c https://rcn-ee.com/rootfs/eewiki/minfs/debian-12.11-minimal-armhf-2025-05-28.tar.xz

Verify:

#user@localhost:~$
sha256sum debian-12.11-minimal-armhf-2025-05-28.tar.xz

#sha256sum output:
805d892548d199bcca75d7cad5feb55b304fa09ee20978b285c315a20a1b8423  debian-12.11-minimal-armhf-2025-05-28.tar.xz

Extract:

#user@localhost:~$
tar xf debian-12.11-minimal-armhf-2025-05-28.tar.xz

Install Kernel and Root File System

To help new users, since the kernel version can change on a daily basis. The kernel building scripts listed on this page will now give you a hint of what kernel version was built.

-----------------------------
Script Complete
eewiki.net: [user@localhost:~$ export kernel_version=5.X.Y-Z]
-----------------------------

Copy and paste that “export kernel_version=5.X.Y-Z” exactly as shown in your own build/desktop environment and hit enter to create an environment variable to be used later.

export kernel_version=5.X.Y-Z

Create Root File System with genimage:

The genimage https://github.com/pengutronix/genimage tool is now used to generate a sdcard.img vs directly interfacing with the microSD.

Host Package Requirements

#user@localhost:~$
sudo apt update ; \
sudo apt-get install -y dosfstools genimage mtools

Create working directory for genimage:

#user@localhost:~$
sudo mkdir -p ./input/.rootfs

Copy Root File System

#Debian; Root File System: user@localhost:~$
sudo tar xfvp ./debian-*-*-armhf-*/armhf-rootfs-*.tar -C ./input/.rootfs/
sync

Enable first boot customization

#user@localhost:~$
sudo mkdir -p ./input/.rootfs/boot/firmware/
sudo cp ./input/.rootfs/etc/bbb.io/templates/sysconf.txt ./input/.rootfs/boot/firmware/

Open ./input/.rootfs/boot/firmware/sysconf.txt in your text editor and change any user setting.

  • user_name=
  • user_password=
  • hostname=
#user@localhost:~$
sudo nano ./input/.rootfs/boot/firmware/sysconf.txt

Setup extlinux.conf

#user@localhost:~$
sudo mkdir -p ./input/.rootfs/boot/extlinux/
sudo sh -c "echo 'label Linux ${kernel_version}' > ./input/.rootfs/boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf"
sudo sh -c "echo '    kernel /boot/vmlinuz-${kernel_version}' >> ./input/.rootfs/boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf"
sudo sh -c "echo '    fdtdir /boot/dtbs/${kernel_version}/' >> ./input/.rootfs/boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf"
sudo sh -c "echo '    append console=ttySTM0,115200 root=/dev/mmcblk0p4 ro rootfstype=ext4 rootwait net.ifnames=0' >> ./input/.rootfs/boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf"

Copy Kernel Image

Kernel Image:

#user@localhost:~$
sudo cp -v ./kernelbuildscripts/deploy/${kernel_version}.zImage ./input/.rootfs/boot/vmlinuz-${kernel_version}

Copy Kernel Device Tree Binaries

#user@localhost:~$
sudo mkdir -p ./input/.rootfs/boot/dtbs/${kernel_version}/
sudo tar xfv ./kernelbuildscripts/deploy/${kernel_version}-dtbs.tar.gz -C ./input/.rootfs/boot/dtbs/${kernel_version}/

Copy Kernel Modules

#user@localhost:~$
sudo tar xfv ./kernelbuildscripts/deploy/${kernel_version}-modules.tar.gz -C ./input/.rootfs/usr/

File Systems Table (/etc/fstab)

#user@localhost:~/$
sudo sh -c "echo '/dev/mmcblk0p4  /  auto  errors=remount-ro  0  1' >> ./input/.rootfs/etc/fstab"

WiFi

#user@localhost:~$
wget -c https://raw.githubusercontent.com/STMicroelectronics/meta-st-stm32mp/refs/heads/scarthgap/recipes-kernel/linux-firmware/linux-firmware/brcmfmac43430-sdio.txt
sudo mkdir -p ./input/.rootfs/usr/lib/firmware/brcm/
sudo cp -v ./brcmfmac43430* ./input/.rootfs/usr/lib/firmware/brcm/

Check partition size

Verify Root File partition size, this can be used to modify the seek value below for size tweaking.

#user@localhost:~$
sudo du -sh ./input/.rootfs/

Create rootfs.ext4

#user@localhost:~$
sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=./input/rootfs.ext4 bs=1 count=0 seek=1600M
sudo mkfs.ext4 -F ./input/rootfs.ext4 -d ./input/.rootfs/

Create sdcard.img with genimage

The genimage https://github.com/pengutronix/genimage tool is now used to generate a sdcard.img vs directly interfacing with the microSD.

Create genimage.cfg file

#user@localhost:~$
nano genimage.cfg

#genimage.cfg
image sdcard.img {
	hdimage {
		partition-table-type = "gpt"
	}

	partition fsbl1 {
		image = "tf-a-stm32mp157c-dk2.stm32"
	}

	partition fsbl2 {
		image = "tf-a-stm32mp157c-dk2.stm32"
	}

	partition fip {
		image = "fip.bin"
		size = 2M
	}

	partition rootfs {
		image = "rootfs.ext4"
		bootable = "yes"
	}
}

Run genimage on genimage.cfg

#user@localhost:~$
genimage --config genimage.cfg

genimage output

sdcard.img can be flashed to a microSD using rpi-imager https://github.com/raspberrypi/rpi-imager or your favorite image writing software.

#user@localhost:~$
tree images/
images/
└── sdcard.img

1 directory, 1 file

Final Tweaks (extend rootfs partition)

Extend the rootfs partition to fill available space on drive.

Use growpart to extend a partition in a partition table

sudo growpart /dev/mmcblk0 4

voodoo@stm32mp1:~$ sudo growpart /dev/mmcblk0 4
CHANGED: partition=4 start=4954 old: size=2048000 end=2052953 new: size=15518853 end=15523806

First Reboot

sudo reboot

Use resize2fs to enlarge the existing filesystem

sudo resize2fs /dev/mmcblk0p4

voodoo@stm32mp1:~$ sudo resize2fs /dev/mmcblk0p4
resize2fs 1.47.0 (5-Feb-2023)
Filesystem at /dev/mmcblk0p4 is mounted on /; on-line resizing required
old_desc_blocks = 1, new_desc_blocks = 1
The filesystem on /dev/mmcblk0p4 is now 1939856 (4k) blocks long.

Second Reboot

This last reboot will take awhile as fsck is checking the partition on bootup.

sudo reboot

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