Embedded Linux Conference Europe

The DT provides an inheritance mechanism for the hardware (HW) description of a peripheral set via layered include files. Inevitably violations of best design practices like level separation and smart variable naming will cause headaches. Extensions like macro preprocessing, overlays, and description of hypervisors will further complicate DT source (DTS) design. Specification of a board's features now requires DTS (soon to be in its own repo) in addition to kernel and bootloader configuration files and firmware. The only way to check the compatibility and consistency of these files is by booting on HW. Re-configuration of HW capabilities by modifying a DT blob without changing the kernel is convenient but affects update strategy. Notably, DT binaries are not signed for security. DT presents particular maintenance problems in industries like automotive where product life is in decades.