Building OpenBeken Firmware in VirtualBox for BK7231T, BK7231N, BK7238, W800, BL602

User question

How to build OpenBeken firmware inside Virtualbox ?

Artificial Intelligence Response

Direct answer to the question

• Build OpenBeken inside VirtualBox by creating a small Ubuntu/Debian VM, installing build essentials, cloning the OpenBK7231T_App repository, and invoking the top‑level Makefile targets (for example, make OpenBK7231N). The toolchains/SDKs are fetched automatically on the first build; resulting .bin/.rbl (and OTA) images are emitted in the project’s output folders. For flashing from the VM, pass your USB‑to‑UART adapter through to the guest and use the hid_download_py tool. (github.com)
• If you only need standard binaries, the project’s online build system or tagged Releases may be simpler; as of January 15, 2026 the latest tag shown is 1.18.247. (elektroda.com)

Detailed problem analysis

• Build flow that works well in a VirtualBox guest

  • Host: Windows/macOS/Linux with VirtualBox + Extension Pack. Guest: Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 LTS or Debian 12/13, 2–4 vCPUs, 4–8 GB RAM, 20–30 GB disk. The OBK build is Linux‑centric and avoids Windows symlink pitfalls inside a VM. (elektroda.com)
  • Source of truth: OpenBK7231T_App (despite the name, it builds many MCUs: BK7231T/N/S/U, BK7238, BK7252, W800/W600, BL602, Realtek, etc.). The README points to BUILDING.md and to an online build system. (github.com)
  • Current local build entry point: top‑level Makefile targets (for example, make OpenBK7231N). This replaced older, SDK‑embedded build_app.sh invocations many people still copy from old posts; using the Makefile avoids the common OBK_VARIANT not defined error. (elektroda.com)
  • Outputs: for Beken parts you’ll typically get a UART .bin and an OTA‑capable .rbl; locations are printed at the end of the build and mirrored in Release tables for reference. (github.com)
  • Flashing from the VM: use the Python hid_download_py flasher, with your USB‑to‑UART adapter attached to the guest via a VirtualBox USB filter. (github.com)

• Why a VM helps

  • Reproducibility: consistent tool versions and symlink support.
  • Isolation: avoids polluting your host with cross‑toolchains and resolves Windows filesystem limitations that can break symlinks (a known source of Makefile failures reported by users who tried to build on Windows; the same build works on Debian). (elektroda.com)

Current information and trends

• OpenBeken is actively maintained; the repository README explicitly advertises online builds for many platforms and defers to BUILDING.md for local builds. (github.com)
• The maintainers encourage the GitHub Actions online build pipeline for most users; it produces artifacts per‑commit/PR and for Releases. Tutorial coverage explains how to fetch these artifacts. (elektroda.com)
• Latest tagged release visible on GitHub at the time of writing (January 15, 2026) is 1.18.247. (github.com)

Supporting explanations and details

• Minimal, VM‑friendly build steps (Ubuntu/Debian guest)

  1. Prepare the VM: create a 64‑bit Ubuntu/Debian VM, enable at least 2 vCPUs, 4 GB RAM, 20+ GB disk.
  2. Update and install dependencies:
     • sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y git build-essential cmake python3 python3-pip wget unzip libncurses5-dev libncursesw5-dev
  3. Fetch sources:
     • git clone https://github.com/openshwprojects/OpenBK7231T_App.git
     • cd OpenBK7231T_App
     • git submodule update --init --recursive (keeps auxiliary content in sync when used)
  4. Build for your target:
     • BK7231N example: make OpenBK7231N -j"$(nproc)"
     • BK7231T example: make OpenBK7231T -j"$(nproc)"
     • BK7238 example: make BK7238 -j"$(nproc)" (run make help to list exact target names on your branch) The first invocation downloads the matching SDK/toolchain and wires the app into sdk/. (elektroda.com)
  5. Find artifacts:
     • The build log shows the output directory; for Beken platforms expect .bin (UART) and .rbl (OTA). Cross‑check Release tables to recognize naming conventions. (github.com)
  6. Flash from inside the VM (UART):
     • VirtualBox: Settings → USB → add a filter for your FTDI/CP210x/CH34x adapter; start the VM.
     • In guest: sudo usermod -a -G dialout "$USER"; log out/in.
     • git clone https://github.com/OpenBekenIOT/hid_download_py.git; cd hid_download_py; pip3 install --user -r requirements.txt
     • python3 uartprogram /path/to/firmware.bin -d /dev/ttyUSB0 -w (github.com)
  7. Optional: Shared folders to move binaries back to the host
     • In VirtualBox: Devices → Shared Folders → add. In guest: sudo apt install virtualbox-guest-utils; sudo mount -t vboxsf ShareName /mnt/share

• Online builds (if you prefer not to build locally)

  • Use Releases for stable tags or download per‑commit/PR artifacts via the Actions “Details → Summary → Artifacts” path described in the tutorial. (elektroda.com)

• Notes on older instructions

  • Older posts that say “clone SDK, move app into SDK, run build_app.sh” are obsolete for the current tree and commonly trigger OBK_VARIANT preprocessor errors. The maintainers advise building from the OpenBK7231T_App root with the Makefile targets instead. (elektroda.com)

Ethical and legal aspects

• Respect device ownership and warranties; flashing third‑party firmware can void warranties and may violate service terms.
• Some vendor SDKs have licenses restricting redistribution of binary blobs; keep SDK/toolchain downloads within your local environment and do not redistribute proprietary components.
• Ensure RF‑related settings comply with regional regulations (FCC/ETSI) when modifying wireless devices.

Practical guidelines

• Best practices inside VirtualBox
  • Use Debian/Ubuntu guests with ext4 disks; avoid building on host‑shared NTFS paths (symlink/permissions issues).
  • Allocate enough RAM and CPUs; if you see OOM during parallel builds, reduce jobs: make -j2.
  • Keep the VM snapshot after a clean, first successful build to speed up recovery.
• Debugging common issues
  • “OBK_VARIANT not defined”: you are following outdated SDK‑side scripts. Build from the app root with make OpenBKXXXX. (elektroda.com)
  • Missing serial port in VM: add a USB filter and ensure the user is in the dialout group (Linux guests).
  • Toolchain download failures: rerun make after checking network/CA certificates or try again later; the Makefile will retry and/or resume.

Possible disclaimers or additional notes

• Target names and artifact layout can evolve. Always run make help and consult BUILDING.md on your current branch. The README explicitly points you there. (github.com)
• For quick customization (enabling extra drivers), many users now rely on the GitHub Actions online pipeline instead of maintaining local toolchains. (elektroda.com)

Suggestions for further research

• Read the project’s README sections “Building,” “Developer Guides,” and BUILDING.md for the exact target list and options. (github.com)
• Review the online build tutorial to learn how to pull per‑commit artifacts and test PR builds. (elektroda.com)
• For flashing tips and device lists, see the OpenBeken webapp and flashing docs; for the Python flasher, see OpenBekenIOT/hid_download_py. (github.com)

Brief summary

• Inside VirtualBox, use a Debian/Ubuntu VM, install build tools, clone OpenBK7231T_App, and build via make OpenBK7231N (or the target for your MCU). This newer Makefile‑based flow is the supported way and avoids common SDK‑script errors. Flash the resulting .bin with hid_download_py from the VM, or skip local builds entirely by using the online CI artifacts or tagged Releases (latest visible tag: 1.18.247 on January 15, 2026). (elektroda.com)

If you tell me your exact chip (BK7231T/N/S/U, BK7238, W800, BL602, etc.) and whether you want UART or OTA packages, I can give you the exact make target and the expected output filenames/paths.

Disclaimer: The responses provided by artificial intelligence (language model) may be inaccurate and misleading. Elektroda is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the presented information. All responses should be verified by the user.