"Not possible to generate the kernel image" error when building dtb binaries of OpenSTDroid kernel

[aditya_m]

I am trying to build the OpenSTDroid kernel, I first acquired the "STM32MPU Distribution Package for Android", Then as mentioned in https://wiki.st.com/stm32mpu/wiki/How_to_build_kernel_for_Android, I loaded the kernel & Then tried to build the dtb binaries using:

build_kernel dtb

And got the following error:

$ build_kernel dtb
[1/1]: Generate dtb binaries
ERROR: Not possible to generate the kernel image

After commenting out the &>${redirect_out} part where make is generating the dtb files, I get the following output:

$ build_kernel dtb
[1/1]: Generate dtb binaries
make[1]: *** No rule to make target 'dtbs'. Stop.
make: *** [Makefile:256: __sub-make] Error 2
ERROR: Not possible to generate the kernel image

[Jean-Christophe_TROTIN]

Hi @aditya_m,

 

I would like to cross-check some points with you:

• Did you check the host PC configuration as specified in https://wiki.st.com/stm32mpu/wiki/PC_prerequisites (especially the extra packages for Android)?
• Did you build the OpenSTDroid distribution as explained in https://wiki.st.com/stm32mpu/wiki/How_to_build_OpenSTDroid_distribution?

As an alternative to the execution of the “build_kernel dtb” command alone, it might be possible to execute the “build_kernel” command; it might be interesting to verify if the problem also occurs with this command.

 

Hope this information helps.

 

Regards,

JC.

[aditya_m]

Hi, I did setup the VM as required by the PC prerequisites link you mentioned, Including the packages for Android, I did build the OpenSTDroid distribution as mentioned in the article you shared.

Initially I also only execute the "build_kernel", But that resulted in the same issue as well that's why I tried to run "build_kernel dtb".

[Jean-Christophe_TROTIN]

Hi @aditya_m,

 

I would like to inform you that there are errata available on top of the st-android-13.0.0-2025-11-21 manifest tag: see “Errata available” in https://wiki.st.com/stm32mpu-ecosystem-v5/wiki/STM32_MPU_OpenSTDroid_release_note#v5-1-1_-_st-android-13-0-0-2025-11-21.

I think that the third erratum “Switch device/stm/stm32mp2-kernel to st-android-13.0.0-2025-11-21-err tag (correct kernel build)” might be particularly interesting for you.

 

Regards,

JC.

[Jean-Christophe_TROTIN]

Hi @aditya_m,

 

Thank you for the information that you shared. On my side, I succeeded in executing both the “build_kernel dtb” command and the “build_kernel” command.

A v5.1.1 release has been delivered quite recently (st-android-13.0.0-2025-11-21 manifest tag): do you use this one or the previous manifest tag (st-android-13.0.0-2024-07-31)?

 

I could suggest that you execute the “build_kernel dtb” command and/or the “build_kernel” command.with the “--verbose” option, and attach the build logs to this topic.

 

Regards,

JC.

[aditya_m]

Hi,

Unfortunately our work on OpenSTDroid halted in favor of just regular Linux, So I cannot verify this. Would it be an issue if I just accept your answer as solution & Maybe reopened the issue in future if it occurs?

Regards,

Aditya M.