
Generate Target Knowledge Base
OfficialFreeCreate a markdown reference for target platforms effortlessly.
Free · Opens the source repo
What Generate Target Knowledge Base does
The Generate Target Knowledge Base skill is designed for developers working with NVIDIA Jetson platforms. This skill generates a per-profile markdown file that serves as a comprehensive reference for the active target. The output file is created next to the profile YAML and provides a snapshot of the current state of the Board Support Package (BSP) and source tree. This allows users to quickly understand the structure of their active target without having to re-scan the filesystem, saving time and effort.
The generated markdown file includes critical information such as the layout of the BSP image, the structure of the source tree, and any documents referenced in the profile. It captures the presence of key directories and files, ensuring that users have a clear view of what is available in their setup. The skill is designed to be run after initializing the image or source, or after making changes to the BSP or profile, ensuring that the knowledge base is always up-to-date.
This skill is particularly useful for developers who frequently modify their BSP or source code and need a reliable way to document the current state of their environment. It eliminates the need for manual documentation, reducing the risk of errors and improving the efficiency of the development process. Additionally, the markdown file can be easily reviewed or shared with team members, facilitating better collaboration.
Overall, the Generate Target Knowledge Base skill is an essential tool for anyone working with NVIDIA Jetson platforms, providing a structured and automated way to maintain an accurate reference of their development environment.
When to use it
Use this skill after initializing a new profile or when changes are made to the BSP or source tree to keep documentation current.
When not to use it
This skill is not suitable for editing profile fields or for generating documentation if the required BSP root path is unavailable.
What you can build with it
New Profile Initialization
After creating a new profile with `jetson-init-image`, run this skill to generate the initial knowledge base.
BSP Update
Whenever you extract a new BSP or apply patches, use this skill to refresh the documentation of your target environment.
Document Review
When a downstream skill queries about the BSP structure, refer to the generated markdown instead of manually walking the filesystem.
How to install Generate Target Knowledge Base
View source1. Install with the skills CLI
npx skills add nvidia/skills/jetson-generate-kb --agent claude-code2. Or install it manually
Download the skill folder and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or .claude/skills/ to scope it to one repo. Restart Claude Code so it picks up the new skill.
Anthropic's agentic coding CLI, and the reference implementation of Agent Skills. Drop a skill folder into ~/.claude/skills and Claude Code loads it automatically whenever a task matches the skill's description. Claude Code docs
Inside SKILL.md
Written by nvidiaGenerate Target Knowledge Base
Overview
This skill produces a per-profile markdown reference at
target-platform/<profile-stem>.md (sibling to the profile YAML). It
bundles three things into one file so a future Claude session — or the
user — can see the shape of the active target without re-walking the
filesystem:
- BSP image layout — top-level directories under
bsp_image.root_path, presence of canonical subtrees (rootfs/,bootloader/,source/, …), and the nvpmodel variants matching the active module SKU. - Source tree layout — top-level subtrees under
source.root_path(kernel-jammy-src/,hardware/nvidia/,nvidia-oot/, etc.) and devicetree files matching the chip family. - Documents — the
documents.*references recorded in the profile, with local-path existence checks and one-line descriptions.
The KB is a snapshot, dated in its header. Re-run this skill whenever the underlying data changes — it is intentionally re-runnable and overwrites the previous KB on each run.
When to invoke
- After
jetson-init-imageprepares the BSP for a freshly authored profile. - After re-extracting a BSP archive or applying patches under
bsp_image.root_path. - After updating the source tree at
source.root_path. - After editing
bsp_image.*ordocuments.*in the profile YAML. - When a downstream skill asks "where is X in this BSP?" and you'd rather check the KB than re-walk the tree.
Procedure
Resolve the active target
Resolve the active profile per the contract in
../../context/target-platform-contract.md;
cache it in memory — the rest of the skill consumes only this
profile. Record <profile-stem> (the bare filename minus .yaml)
as the KB output filename stem.
Validate inputs
| Field | Required for KB? | If missing |
|---|---|---|
bsp_image.root_path | yes | Refuse. A KB with no BSP root to scan is just a YAML restatement; tell the user to run jetson-init-image or hand-edit the profile. |
source.root_path | no | Skip the source-tree section; note "source_root not recorded" in the KB. |
documents.* | no | Render an empty Documents table with a "no documents recorded" note. |
If bsp_image.root_path is set but the directory does not exist on disk,
refuse with a clear message — do not fabricate a layout for a path
that isn't there.
BSP discovery (under bsp_image.root_path)
Run only the following cheap operations — no recursive scans, no file content reads beyond directory listings:
ls -1ofbsp_image.root_path(one level deep). Record which directories are present.- For each canonical subtree below, mark present/absent:
rootfs/,bootloader/,kernel/,source/,tools/,nv_tegra/. - Verify the active
flash_configfile exists at<bsp_image.root_path>/<flash_config>. Record its path or(missing). - List
rootfs/etc/nvpmodel/and filter to filenames matchingnvpmodel_<module.id>_<module.sku>*.conf. Record each match. Use the lower-case module id (e.g.p3767) and the YAML-quoted sku string (e.g.0001).
Source tree discovery (under source.root_path)
Skip this step entirely if source.root_path is NA or missing.
Otherwise, run only:
ls -1ofsource.root_path(one level deep).- For each canonical subtree below, mark present/absent:
kernel-jammy-src/,hardware/nvidia/,nvidia-oot/,nvgpu/,nvethernetrm/,nvdisplay/,hwpm/,kernel-devicetree/. - If
kernel-devicetree/generic-dts/dts/exists, list filenames matchingtegra<chip>*where<chip>is the chip-family numeric prefix (see chip-family map below). Record up to 30 hits; if more, record the count and a "showing first 30" note.
Chip-family map (used in the "BSP discovery" and "Source tree discovery" steps)
Derive <chip> from module.id:
module.id | Chip family | <chip> prefix |
|---|---|---|
p3701, p3767 | T234 — Orin | 234 |
p3834 | T264 — Thor | 264 |
If module.id is not in this table, record the chip as
unknown (module.id=<value>) and skip the chip-prefixed devicetree
filter.
Documents pass
For each field in documents.* from the loaded profile:
- Classify the value as URL (starts with
http://,https://, orftp://) or local path (anything else). - For URLs: record verbatim. Do not fetch the URL — KB generation must remain offline. (A future skill can promote to deep indexing.)
- For local paths: check
os.path.exists. Record the path; if missing on disk, append(missing).
The one-line description for each field comes from the marker in
../../references/platform_template.yaml
— strip the <OPTIONAL: …> wrapper and use the inner text.
If the profile has no documents: block, render the section with a
single line: _No documents recorded — run jetson-link-docs or hand-edit the profile to add references._
Render and write the KB
Render the markdown using the structure below. Use today's date (YYYY-MM-DD) in the header. Always overwrite any existing KB file at the destination — do not prompt before overwriting; re-runs are the intended use.
Destination: target-platform/<profile-stem>.md.
Rendered structure
# Target knowledge base — <profile-stem>
> Generated <YYYY-MM-DD> from `<bsp_image.root_path>` (BSP version `<bsp_image.version>`).
> Re-run `jetson-generate-kb` after extracting a new BSP, applying
> patches, or editing profile fields. This file is a regenerated
> snapshot — do not hand-edit.
## Profile facts
- **Reference devkit:** `<reference_devkit.name>`
- **Module:** `<module.id>-<module.sku>` (`<chip family label>`)
- **Reference carrier:** `<carrier.id>-<carrier.sku>`
- **Custom carrier:** `<custom_carrier.name>` (`<custom_carrier.id>-<custom_carrier.sku>`) _← omit this row if Case 1_
- **Active flash conf:** `<flash_config>`
- **BSP path:** `<bsp_image.root_path>`
- **BSP version:** `<bsp_image.version>`
- **Source root:** `<source.root_path>` _← or "_not recorded_" if NA_
## BSP image layout
Top-level directories under `<bsp_image.root_path>`:
| Directory | Present | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| `rootfs/` | ✓ / ✗ | userspace rootfs (nvpmodel, nvfan, systemd units, etc.) |
| `bootloader/` | ✓ / ✗ | firmware blobs, BCT, MB1/MB2 dts |
| `kernel/` | ✓ / ✗ | prebuilt kernel + modules |
| `source/` | ✓ / ✗ | BSP source tree (kernel, OOT drivers, DT) |
| `tools/` | ✓ / ✗ | flashing helpers, jetson-io, kernel_flash |
| `nv_tegra/` | ✓ / ✗ | nvidia firmware tarballs, kernel-supplements |
Active flash conf `<flash_config>`: present at
`<bsp_image.root_path>/<flash_config>` _or_ `(missing — verify before flashing)`.
### nvpmodel files matching the active SKU
Filtered from `rootfs/etc/nvpmodel/` by `nvpmodel_<module.id>_<module.sku>*.conf`:
- `<each match, one per line>`
The active variant at boot is selected by `nvpower.sh` from
`/proc/device-tree/compatible` plus super / safety state — see
`jetson-customize-nvpmodel` for the resolution rules.
## Source tree layout
(omit this whole section if `source.root_path` is `NA`/missing)
Top-level subtrees under `<source.root_path>`:
| Subtree | Present | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| `kernel-jammy-src/` | ✓ / ✗ | mainline 5.x kernel sources |
| `hardware/nvidia/` | ✓ / ✗ | NVIDIA platform DTs (per chip family) |
| `nvidia-oot/` | ✓ / ✗ | NVIDIA out-of-tree kernel modules |
| `nvgpu/` | ✓ / ✗ | GPU driver |
| `nvethernetrm/` | ✓ / ✗ | ethernet driver |
| `nvdisplay/` | ✓ / ✗ | display driver |
| `hwpm/` | ✓ / ✗ | hardware performance monitor |
| `kernel-devicetree/` | ✓ / ✗ | devicetree sources |
### Devicetree files for chip family `<chip>`
(omit if `kernel-devicetree/generic-dts/dts/` is absent)
Files matching `tegra<chip>*` under `kernel-devicetree/generic-dts/dts/`:
- `<each match, one per line — cap at 30, then a "first 30 of N" note>`
## Documents
| Field | Reference |
|---|---|
| Documents root folder | `<doc_root>` _or_ _not recorded_ |
| BSP / Jetson Linux developer guide | `<bsp_developer_guide>` _or_ _not recorded_ |
| Tegra SoC Technical Reference Manual | `<soc_tech_ref_manual>` _or_ _not recorded_ |
| Jetson module data sheet | `<module_data_sheet>` _or_ _not recorded_ |
| Jetson module design guide (PDG) | `<module_design_guide>` _or_ _not recorded_ |
| Jetson module thermal design guide (TDG) | `<module_thermal_design_guide>` _or_ _not recorded_ |
| Jetson module schematic | `<module_schematic>` _or_ _not recorded_ |
| Reference carrier board specification | `<carrier_board_spec>` _or_ _not recorded_ |
| Reference carrier schematic | `<carrier_schematic>` _or_ _not recorded_ |
| Custom carrier schematic | `<custom_carrier_schematic>` _or_ _not recorded / N/A (no custom carrier)_ |
| Reference-devkit pinmux spreadsheet | `<ref_devkit_pinmux_xls>` _or_ _not recorded_ |
| Custom-carrier pinmux spreadsheet | `<custom_carrier_pinmux_xls>` _or_ _not recorded / N/A (no custom carrier)_ |
(Local paths are tagged ` (missing)` if absent on disk. URLs are
recorded verbatim and not fetched. If `doc_root` is set, also tag
` (missing)` on it if the directory itself is gone — that signals
auto-mapping in `jetson-link-docs` won't work on a re-run.)
## How to refresh this file
Re-run `jetson-generate-kb` whenever any of the following changes:
- the BSP at `<bsp_image.root_path>` is re-extracted, patched, or upgraded,
- the source tree at `<source.root_path>` changes,
- the active profile's `bsp_image.*` or `documents.*` fields are edited.
This file is overwritten on every run. Do not hand-edit it — edit the
source data (profile YAML or the BSP tree) and re-run instead.
Confirm
Print a short summary:
- Output path:
target-platform/<profile-stem>.md. - BSP top-level directory count and which canonical subtrees were present / absent.
- nvpmodel match count for the active SKU.
- Source-tree section: rendered or skipped (and why).
- Documents: count of recorded fields, count of local paths flagged
(missing).
If a downstream skill triggered this run, tell the user to re-issue their original request.
Gotchas
- The KB is a snapshot, not a live view. The dated header is authoritative — if it doesn't match today, the BSP/source/docs may have changed underneath. Re-run on demand.
- Always overwrites. No prompt before clobbering the previous KB
at
target-platform/<profile-stem>.md. This is intentional — re-runnability is the whole point. Tell the user not to hand-edit the file; edit profile YAML or the BSP and regenerate. - Refuses on
bsp_image.root_path = NA. A profile with no BSP path produces a content-free KB. Do not write one — instead, point the user at the profile YAML to fill in. - No URL fetching. Document URLs are recorded verbatim. Promoting to deep indexing (HTTP HEAD, PDF parsing) is out of scope for v0.1.
- No recursive scans. Discovery is one level deep per directory, with at most one targeted glob (nvpmodel + devicetree). Never walk the entire BSP — it's huge and slow.
- Cap devicetree listings at 30 entries to keep the KB readable. Show "first 30 of N" when truncating.
- Don't auto-invoke from setup skills. Setup may suggest running this skill in its summary, but the user opts in. Auto-running hides the I/O step and surprises users whose BSP/doc paths are incomplete.
- Filename collision risk. The KB sits at
target-platform/<stem>.mdnext to<stem>.yaml. Don't accidentally read.mdfiles in the profile-listing logic ofjetson-set-target(it already filters to*.yaml, but check before adding new file types). - Chip-family map is short. If a future module SKU is added that
isn't in the map, the devicetree filter step is skipped — the KB
will note
chip: unknownrather than fabricate a<chip>prefix. Update this skill's chip-family table when a new chip lands.
Prerequisites
- Active target profile resolved per
../../context/target-platform-contract.md. bsp_image:recorded by/jetson-init-image; this is the only required on-disk tree. Ifsource.root_pathis missing, render the KB without the source-tree section.- Optional:
/jetson-init-sourcealready resolvedsource:when the user wants source-tree discovery included. - Optional but recommended:
/jetson-link-docsalready wrote thedocuments:block.
Limitations
- Read-only against the BSP and source trees; never edits the profile YAML or rewrites source files.
- Devicetree-file enumeration depends on the chip-family table inside
this skill; an unknown module SKU lands in the KB as
chip: unknownrather than a fabricated prefix. - Filename layout is fixed at
target-platform/<stem>.mdto stay next to the profile YAML; renaming the YAML invalidates the link.
Troubleshooting
bsp_image.root_pathnot found — re-run/jetson-init-imageso the BSP is extracted and the path is recorded before regenerating the KB.- Source tree walk picks up wrong subtrees —
source.root_pathoverride is stale; rerun/jetson-init-sourceor correct the profile field. documents:block missing from the KB —/jetson-link-docswas never run; the KB falls back to "no documents bound" rather than guessing paths.- Devicetree section short / empty — chip-family table doesn't cover the active SoC; update the table and rerun.
References
../../context/target-platform-contract.md— read-order contract this skill follows.../../context/bsp-customization-workflow.md— origin of the canonical BSP/source subtree list.../../references/platform_template.yaml— source of the documents-field one-line descriptions.../jetson-init-target/SKILL.md— sibling skill that authors the active target identity.../jetson-init-image/SKILL.md— sibling skill that authors the BSP image metadata this skill scans.../jetson-set-target/SKILL.md— sibling skill that flips the active pointer this skill resolves.
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