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Leverage Armbian Build Framework for custom image generation ​

In this topic we'll explore how to leverage the Armbian Build Framework to create a custom Armbian image. We'll introduce you to the steps needed to set up the build environment, add extensions, and generate a tailored image for your device. We've created a comprehensive implementation in this repository that you can use as a reference and fork to extend with your own logic. We'll delve deeper into our recommended customizations for each board in the respective docs underneath this topic.

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Setting Up the Build Environment ​

start by cloning the build framework

bash
git clone https://github.com/armbian/build
cd build

Install the necessary dependencies. The build framework will guide you through the installation, or you can pre-install them with:

bash
sudo apt-get install git curl zip unzip rsync bc

you can now run the framework using ./compile.sh

Configure Extensions ​

Armbian has support for various extensions, we'll show guide you through how you might add some of these.

Extension Structure ​

Extensions use function naming pattern: <hook_name>__<implementation_name>()

bash
function run_after_build__custom_action() {
    echo "Running custom post-build action"
}

Creating Extensions ​

Single-file Extension ​

bash
# userpatches/extensions/my-extension.sh
function prepare_host__install_deps() {
    apt-get install -y custom-package
}

function run_after_build__deploy() {
    echo "Build completed, deploying..."
}

Directory-based Extension ​

Create the directory

bash
mkdir -p userpatches/extensions/my-complex-ext

afterwards add a shell file with an extension function

bash
# userpatches/extensions/my-complex-ext/my-complex-ext.sh
function post_customize_image__configure() {
    cp "${EXTENSION_DIR}/config.template" "${SDCARD}/etc/myconfig"
}

Enabling Extensions ​

bash
./compile.sh ENABLE_EXTENSIONS=my-extension,cloud-init

Or in configuration:

bash
enable_extension "my-extension"

Cloud-init Extension Implementation ​

Add the official cloud init extension to your build.

bash
mkdir -p userpatches/extensions
cp -r extensions/cloud-init userpatches/extensions/cloud-init

Since you'll want to be modifying the user-data file, you can copy your own version into the image. We show an example automation of this in our repository.