Device tree is a data structure used in modern Linux embedded systems to describe the hardware components and their properties. It is a standardized way of describing the hardware platform, independent of the actual kernel code that will run on it. In Linux, device tree is used to describe the hardware components of a system & kernel uses this information to initialize the drivers and devices during the boot process.
Here are the steps to use device tree in Linux:
- Create a device tree source file (dts) that describes the hardware components of the system. The dts file is a human-readable text file that defines the nodes and properties of the hardware components, and their relationships with each other. The dts file should follow the device tree specification for the specific architecture and platform being used.
- Compile the dts file into a device tree binary (dtb) file using the device tree compiler (dtc). The dtb file is a binary representation of the dts file, and is used by the kernel during the boot process to initialize the hardware components.
- Include the dtb file in the kernel image, either as a separate file or as a built-in object.