genpi64-overlay

Gentoo overlay (ebuild repository) for the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B and B+, and Raspberry Pi 4 Model B. Used by GenPi64 image.

NB: this repository has been renamed, from rpi3-overlay to genpi64-overlay, to reflect its applicability to the new Pi4.

List of ebuilds

The overlay provides the following ebuilds:

Metapackage ebuilds

No Longer Used!

Instead of a meta package, select the profile and sets you want.

dev-embedded/rpi-64bit-meta

This is the main gentoo-on-rpi-64bit metapackage - its version matches that of the image release. It replaces the prior gentoo-on-rpi3-64bit metapackage. The features it pulls in (via other ebuilds) can be customized via the following USE flags (edit via /etc/portage/package.use/rpi-64bit-meta):

USE flag	Default?	Effect
`boot-fw`	Yes	Pull in the /boot firmware, configs and bootloader.
`kernel-bin`	Yes	Pull in the `bcm{2711,rpi3}-kernel<-bis>-bin` binary kernel package.
`porthash`	No	Pull in repo signature checker, for isshoni.org `rsync`.
`weekly-genup`	Yes	Pull in `cron.weekly` script, to run `genup` automatically.
`innercore`	Yes	Pull in essential system packages for image (RPi initscripts etc.)
`core`	Yes	Pull in main packages for image (`clang` etc.). Requires `innercore`.
`xfce`	Yes	Pull in packages for baseline Xfce4 system. Requires `core`.
`pitop`	No	Pull in Pi-Top packages (NB most users won't want this). Requires `xfce`.
`apps`	No	Pull in baseline desktop apps (`libreoffice` etc). Requires `xfce`.

Ebuilds related to the `gentoo-on-rpi-64bit` image

Note that for historical reasons, many of these ebuilds may contain rpi3- in the name, but yet still be applicable on the RPi4.

acct-group/gpio
- Similar to a virtual, this is an administrative package used to define the gpio group (by default, gid 370).
acct-group/i2c
- As above, but for the spi group (by default, gid 371).
acct-group/spi
- As above, but for the spi group (by default, gid 372).
app-accessibility/onboard upstream
- Provides a flexible onscreen keyboard. Included primarily for use with the official 7" RPi touchscreen. Adapted with thanks from original ebuild, here.
app-portage/weekly-genup
- Installs a simple cron.weekly script, to automate genup, and another, to run 'fixups' (small scripts to correct issues that may e.g. prevent correct genup operation, effect upstream file hierarchy migrations etc.).
dev-embedded/rpi4-eeprom-images upstream
- Provides a set of EEPROM images for use by rpi4-eeprom-updater (see below). A weekly build-server process automatically creates new ebuilds for this package, whenever upstream releases a new EEPROM deb. For further details, please see this post.
dev-embedded/rpi4-eeprom-updater upstream
- Unlike its predecessor, the RPi4B contains a bootloader EEPROM (which replaces bootcode.bin) and also has another EEPROM region holding its VL805 USB chip's firmware. This package provides a boot-time service which checks the current versions and, if out-of-date, safely reflashes them. A weekly build-server process automatically creates new ebuilds for this package, whenever upstream releases a new deb. For further details, please see this post.
dev-lang/pony upstream
- Provides a few ebuilds for the pony language. Not installed on the image. Please see this post, ff. for more background.
dev-libs/pigpio upstream
- Provides a library, daemon (pigpiod), python bindings and CLI client (pigs), allowing control of the GPIOs on the RPi 3 and 4. A useful replacement for wiringpi, the version included here includes the necessary patches to work on an arm64 system, and sets up the server to run, by default, on IPv4 127.0.0.1, port 8888 only.
dev-php/pthreads upstream
- Provides pthreads-3.2.0, a threading extension for php. Not required on the image, but used by some other packages, such as minecraft (see this thread for further details).
media-libs/libsdl2 upstream
- Provides a modified ebuild (libsdl-2.0.10-r1) patched to build correctly under arm64. Will be replaced by a main-tree variant on the image once one becomes available.
net-libs/nghttp2 upstream
- Provides version of nghttp2 that can work under bindist, by using the EC-patched dev-libs/openssl libraries (see above). Still in use on the image (as the main tree version unnecessarily forces -bindist).
net-misc/rpi3-ethfix
- Effects some simple Ethernet workarounds (using ethtool) for the RPi3B+. It has no effect on the RPi3B or RPi4B.
net-misc/xorgxrdp upstream
- Provides Xorg drivers for xrdp (see below). Supplied on the image to allow RDP connectivity to Windows clients; see e.g. these notes.
net-misc/xrdp upstream
- Provides xrdp-0.9.8.ebuild for this open source Remote Desktop Protocol server. Supplied on the image with xorgxrdp above.
net-wireless/rpi3-bluetooth upstream
- Provides a startup service and udev rule for the RPi3/4's integrated Bluetooth transceiver. Adapted from the pi-bluetooth package from ArchLinux.
net-wireless/rpi3-wifi-regdom Provides a simple service to set the WiFi regulatory domain; the value set may be modified by editing the file /etc/conf.d/rpi3-wifi-regdom.
sys-apps/pyconfig_gen upstream
- Provides a simple, PyQt5 dialog-based app, to allow the /boot/config.txt file to be edited in a structured manner, together with some support services (to revert the new config automatically, unless ratified upon reboot).
sys-apps/rpi-gpio
- Sets up a udev rule to allow GPIO access (on the RPi3/4) for members of the gpio group. On installation, all current members of wheel are automatically made members of gpio. Now installed for all users of the rpi-64bit-meta package (with innercore USE).
sys-apps/rpi-i2c
- Like rpi3-i2cdev (see below), sets up a udev rule to allow I2C access (on the RPi3/4) for members of the i2c group, and ensures that the i2c_dev module is modprobed. On installation, all current members of wheel are automatically made members of i2c (to allow for straightforward transition from rpi3-spidev). Now installed for all users of the rpi-64bit-meta package (with innercore USE).
sys-apps/rpi-onetime-startup
- Provides a startup service which (having first disabled itself from running again) executes, as root, the script /boot/startup.sh, if present. This script can be used to e.g., set up initial WiFi networking on a headless system, thereby allowing an ssh connection to be established. The provided template /boot/startup.sh script contains several (commented out) examples of NetworkManager configuration.
sys-apps/rpi-serial
- Provides a udev rule to create appropriate serial port device aliases at /dev/serial0 and/or /dev/serial1 (using code borrowed from Raspbian).
sys-apps/rpi-spi
- Like rpi3-spidev (see below), sets up a udev rule to allow SPI access (on the RPi3/4) for members of the spi group. On installation, all current members of wheel are automatically made members of spi (to allow for straightforward transition from rpi3-spidev). Now installed for all users of the rpi-64bit-meta package (with innercore USE).
sys-apps/rpi-video
- Provides a udev rule to allow members of the video group access to /dev/rpivid* and /dev/argon* devices (using code borrowed from Raspbian).
sys-apps/rpi3-i2cdev
- Provides an OpenRC service and udev rule for I2C access on the RPi3/4. Ensures that the i2c-dev module is modprobed, and that the /dev/i2c-[0-9] devices are read/write for all members of the wheel group, not just root. Originally installed by the pitop USE flag on rpi-64bit-meta, it has since been superseded by rpi-i2c, above.
sys-apps/rpi3-init-scripts
- Provides a few simple init scripts for the gentoo-on-rpi-64bit image (to autoexpand the root partition on first boot, inhibit XVideo, setup cache usage appropriate for a low-memory environment etc.).
sys-apps/rpi3-ondemand-cpufreq
- Provides the rpi3-ondemand OpenRC sysinit service, to switch the RPi3 and RPi4 from its (bcmrpi3_defconfig and bcm2711_defconfig) default powersave CPU frequency governor, to ondemand, for better performance.
sys-apps/rpi3-spidev
- Provides a udev rule for SPI access on the RPi3; ensures that the /dev/spidevN.M devices are read/write for all members of the wheel group, not just root. Originally installed by the pitop USE flag on rpi-64bit-meta, it has since been superseded by rpi-spi, above.
sys-boot/rpi3-64bit-firmware upstream
- Provides the firmware and config files required in /boot to boot the RPi3/4 in 64-bit mode. Does not provide the kernel or DTBs (see sys-kernel/bcmrpi3-kernel<-bis>-bin, above, for that). A weekly check is made to see if a new tag has been added to the official raspberrypi/firmware/boot upstream, and, if so, a matching ebuild is automatically created here. With the dtbo USE flag off (as forced by the profile, currently), does not provide or populate the /boot/overlays directory - this then being the responsibility of the binary kernel package.
sys-boot/rpi3-boot-config
- Provides the 'starter' RPi3/4 configuration files /boot/cmdline.txt and /boot/config.txt (in both standard and Pi-Top trim).
sys-devel/portage-distccmon-gui
- Desktop file (and wrapper) to view Portage jobs with distccmon-gui (provided your user is a member of the portage group).
sys-firmware/bcm4340a1-firmware upstream
- Provides firmware (/etc/firmware/BCM43430A1.hcd) for the RPi's integrated Bluetooth transceiver. Adapted from the pi-bluetooth package from ArchLinux. Required by net-wireless/rpi3-bluetooth package (see above).
sys-firmware/brcm43430-firmware upstream
- Provides a configuration file (brcmfmac43430-sdio.txt) that is required for the RPi3/4's integrated WiFi (the main firmware is provided already, by sys-kernel/linux-firmware). Now also provides the equivalent file brcmfmac43455-sdio.txt, for use with the RPi3 B+ / RPi 4 B's dual-band WiFi WiFi chip set (Cypress CYW43455), plus the matching brcmfmac43430-sdio.clm_blob, and, when the 43455-fix USE flag is set, also provides a more modern copy of the uploadable file /lib/firmware/brcm/brcmfmac43455-sdio.bin (in preference to the older version shipped with sys-kernel/linux-firmware; see below).
sys-kernel/linux-firmware upstream
- Provides a large collection of redistributable Linux firmware files. The version in this overlay supports the 43455-fix USE flag, which when set does not install the file /lib/firmware/brcm/brcmfmac43455-sdio.bin (allowing a more modern version to be supplied by sys-firmware/brcm43430-firmware; see above).
x11-misc/arandr upstream
- Provides a slightly patched version of the arandr screen configuration GUI, which automatically applies setup files saved as ~/.screenlayout/default.sh upon login (incidentally, this autoload can be suppressed by holding down Ctrl during boot).
x11-misc/rpi3-safecompositor
- Provides an eponymous OpenRC service to off display compositing, on the RPi3 only, if a high pixel clock is detected (> 1.2175MHz, currently). This is because certain applications, for example LibreOffice v6 Draw and Impress, can cause the whole system to lock-up when used with compositing on under such conditions. As of v1.4.0 of the image / v1.0.1 of the ebuild, also turns of compositing when 'true' kms mode (vc4-kms-v3d) is in use.
x11-misc/rpi3-safecursor
- Provides the rpi3-safecursor OpenRC service, which will install a rule to force software cursor blitting (rather than the hardware default) if the user has not set disable_overscan=1 in config.txt. (Required because hardware cursor blitting in the open-source vc4 driver does not always take account of the overscan 'bezel' correctly on HDMI TVs, resulting in an offset cursor.) The service no-ops with any >= 4.14.y kernel however (e.g., the 4.19.y currently supplied with the image), as these have the fix already committed.
x11-misc/twofing upstream
- Provides the twofing daemon, which converts touchscreen gestures into mouse and keyboard events. Included primarily for use with the offical 7" RPi (1,2,3) touchscreen (not sure if this is yet compatible with the RPi4?).
xfce-extra/xfce4-battery-plugin upstream
- A modified version of the standard xfce4-battery-plugin gas gauge. It is patched with code from rricharz to query the status of the Pi-Top's battery over I2C; this code is activated by building rpi-64bit-meta with the pitop USE flag (NB - only for use on Pi-Top systems).
xfce-extra/xfce4-cpugraph-plugin upstream
- Provides a version of this plugin that periodically completely redraws, as the original is subject to occasional display corruption.
xfce-extra/xfce4-fixups-rpi3
- Effects some useful new-user fixups for Xfce4 on the RPi3 and RPi4 (forcing compositing to sync to the vertical blank etc.). Installs an /etc/xdg/autostart/xfce4-fixups-rpi3.desktop entry.
xfce-extra/xfce4-indicator-plugin upstream
- Provides xfce4-indicator-plugin-2.3.3-r2.ebuild; this has been removed from the main Gentoo tree, and v2.3.4 is currently masked.
xfce-extra/xfce4-keycuts-pitop
- Installs some simple keyboard shortcuts for the Pi-Top (an RPi3-based DIY laptop). Only installed on the image when the pitop USE flag is set on rpi-64bit-meta.
xfce-extra/xfce4-noblank
- Provides an /etc/xdg/autostart script to prevent the xscreensaver blanking the screen, even when it is notionally 'off'.
xfce-extra/xfce4-notifyd upstream
- Provides xfce4-notifyd-0.4.0.ebuild; this has been removed from the main Gentoo tree, but is still used on the image. Upgrades masked because of message truncation, which causes problems with PIN notification during Bluetooth device setup. To be fixed / resolved.

Other directories of interest

The following, non-ebuild directories may also be of interest:

metadata/news
- This simply contains some GLEP 42-compliant news items, specific to users of this overlay (and/or the bootable image).
profiles/...
- This specifies the custom profile used by the bootable image, which contains a number of custom USE-flag assignments, package masks, keyword overrides and so forth. For more details, please see the notes here.