Building Embedded Linux embedding for Flutter

There are several build ways, so please use the one you like.

Self-build

Build for Wayland backend (Stand-alone Wayland app)

$ mkdir build
$ cd build
$ cmake -DUSER_PROJECT_PATH=examples/flutter-wayland-client -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ..
$ cmake --build .

Build for DRM backend

Use GBM

$ mkdir build
$ cd build
$ cmake -DUSER_PROJECT_PATH=examples/flutter-drm-gbm-backend -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ..
$ cmake --build .

Use EGLStream

$ mkdir build
$ cd build
$ cmake -DUSER_PROJECT_PATH=examples/flutter-drm-eglstream-backend -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ..
$ cmake --build .

Build for x11 backend (Stand-alone X11 app)

Basically, the x11 backend is just only for debugging and developing Flutter apps on desktops. And it's still being implemented now.

$ mkdir build
$ cd build
$ cmake -DUSER_PROJECT_PATH=examples/flutter-x11-client -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ..
$ cmake --build .

Build shared library for flutter-elinux

See also: Release building options for flutter-elinux

Wayland / Debug mode

$ cmake -DBUILD_ELINUX_SO=ON -DBACKEND_TYPE=WAYLAND -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
        -DENABLE_ELINUX_EMBEDDER_LOG=ON -DFLUTTER_RELEASE=OFF ..

Wayland / Release mode

$ cmake -DBUILD_ELINUX_SO=ON -DBACKEND_TYPE=WAYLAND -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
        -DENABLE_ELINUX_EMBEDDER_LOG=OFF -DFLUTTER_RELEASE=ON ..

Cross-build

You need to create a toolchain file to cross compile using the Yocto SDK for aarch64 on x64 hosts. cross-toolchain-aarch64-template.cmake is the templete file for aarch64 toolchain. Also, you need to modify <path_to_user_target_sysroot> appropriately for your environment if you want to use the template file.

$ cmake -DUSER_PROJECT_PATH=<path_to_user_project> -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=<toolchain-template-file> ..

Yocto-build

If you want to build using Yocto, see: meta-flutter

How to debug the embedder

You need to build the embedder with CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug option if you want to debug the embedder. Using this option, you can get gather logs and debug them with debuggers such as gdb / lldb.

$ cmake -DUSER_PROJECT_PATH=<path_to_user_project> -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug ..

User configuration parameters (CMAKE options)

Please edit cmake/user_config.cmake file.

Option	Description	Default
BACKEND_TYPE	Select WAYLAND, DRM-GBM, DRM-EGLSTREAM, or X11 as the display backend type	WAYLAND
USE_GLES3	Use OpenGLES3 instead of OpenGLES2	OFF
ENABLE_EGL_ALPHA_COMPONENT_OF_COLOR_BUFFER	Use alpha component of the EGL color buffor	ON
ENABLE_VSYNC	Enable embedder vsync	OFF

Release building options for flutter-elinux

Option	Description	Default
BUILD_ELINUX_SO	Build .so file of elinux embedder	OFF
ENABLE_ELINUX_EMBEDDER_LOG	Enable logger of eLinux embedder	ON
FLUTTER_RELEASE	Build Flutter Engine with release mode	OFF