# Excluding the kernel and dtb files from the rootfs **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussions\ **Tags:** yocto, dunfell\ **Created:** [December 8, 2020, 9:13pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/excluding-the-kernel-and-dtb-files-from-the-rootfs/2957 "2020-12-08T21:13:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![amrbekhit](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/amrbekhit/32/479_2.png) [@amrbekhit](https://hub.mender.io/u/amrbekhit)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2020, 9:13pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/excluding-the-kernel-and-dtb-files-from-the-rootfs/2957/1 "2020-12-08T21:13:27Z")
Hello, I’m using Yocto Dunfell and meta-mender to create an image for the Colibri IMX6ULL board. The default image (without mender) does not include the kernel in the file system, whereas the mender layer does. I need to exclude the kernel and dtb files from the root file system, but am struggling to figure out how turn that off in the mender layer. I’ve made sure to remove “kernel-image” and “kernel-devicetree” from MACHINE\_ESSENTIAL\_EXTRA\_RDEPENDS (verified by running bitbake -e), but the files are still there in /boot. Completely removing the mender layer solves the issue, so it’s definitely something there. Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![mirzak](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/mirzak/32/2056_2.png) [@mirzak](https://hub.mender.io/u/mirzak)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2020, 8:38am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/excluding-the-kernel-and-dtb-files-from-the-rootfs/2957/2 "2020-12-09T08:38:47Z")
Hm, `MACHINE_ESSENTIAL_EXTRA_RDEPENDS` should enough, > Are you using one of the meta-mender-community layers as well? Can you check your `IMAGE_INSTALL`? ---
**Author:** ![amrbekhit](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/amrbekhit/32/479_2.png) [@amrbekhit](https://hub.mender.io/u/amrbekhit)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2020, 9:31am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/excluding-the-kernel-and-dtb-files-from-the-rootfs/2957/3 "2020-12-09T09:31:49Z")
Hi Mirza, I’m removing `kernel-image` and `kernel-devicetree` from `MACHINE_ESSENTIAL_EXTRA_RDEPENDS` in my image recipe: ``` # Don't install the kernel and dts into the rootfs MACHINE_ESSENTIAL_EXTRA_RDEPENDS_remove = "kernel-image kernel-devicetree" ``` Running `bitbake idh-os-image -e` shows that the variable is indeed being cleared (`idh-os-image` is my custom image recipe): ``` # $MACHINE_ESSENTIAL_EXTRA_RDEPENDS [7 operations] # set /workdir/build/../layers/openembedded-core/meta/conf/documentation.conf:277 # [doc] "A list of required machine-specific packages to install as part of the image being built. Because this is a 'machine essential' variable, the list of packages are essential for the machine to boot." # set? /workdir/build/../layers/openembedded-core/meta/conf/bitbake.conf:823 # "" # _append[mender-image_x86] /workdir/build/../layers/meta-mender/meta-mender-core/classes/mender-setup-image.inc:8 # " kernel-image" # _append[mender-image_x86-64] /workdir/build/../layers/meta-mender/meta-mender-core/classes/mender-setup-image.inc:9 # " kernel-image" # _append[mender-image_arm] /workdir/build/../layers/meta-mender/meta-mender-core/classes/mender-setup-image.inc:10 # " kernel-image kernel-devicetree" # _append[mender-image_aarch64] /workdir/build/../layers/meta-mender/meta-mender-core/classes/mender-setup-image.inc:11 # " kernel-image kernel-devicetree" # _remove /workdir/build/../layers/meta-precept/recipes-images/images/idh-os-image.bb:55 # "kernel-image kernel-devicetree" # pre-expansion value: # " kernel-image kernel-devicetree" MACHINE_ESSENTIAL_EXTRA_RDEPENDS=" " ``` `IMAGE_INSTALL` seems OK: ``` # $IMAGE_INSTALL [6 operations] # set /workdir/build/../layers/openembedded-core/meta/conf/documentation.conf:216 # [doc] "Specifies the packages to install into an image. Image recipes set IMAGE_INSTALL to specify the packages to install into an image through image.bbclass." # _append /workdir/build/../layers/meta-mender/meta-mender-core/classes/mender-setup.bbclass:220 # " mender-client" # set? /workdir/build/../layers/openembedded-core/meta/classes/core-image.bbclass:73 # "${CORE_IMAGE_BASE_INSTALL}" # set? /workdir/build/../layers/openembedded-core/meta/classes/image.bbclass:80 # "" # set /workdir/build/../layers/openembedded-core/meta/classes/image.bbclass:81 # [type] "list" # append /workdir/build/../layers/meta-precept/recipes-images/images/idh-os-image.bb:43 # " packagegroup-boot packagegroup-basic packagegroup-base-tdx-cli packagegroup-machine-tdx-cli packagegroup-wifi-tdx-cli packagegroup-wifi-fw-tdx-cli udev-extraconf ${CONMANPKGS} ${@bb.utils.contains('DISTRO_FEATURES', 'systemd', 'timestamp-service systemd-analyze', '', d)} packagegroup-idh-os packagegroup-precept " # pre-expansion value: # "${CORE_IMAGE_BASE_INSTALL} packagegroup-boot packagegroup-basic packagegroup-base-tdx-cli packagegroup-machine-tdx-cli packagegroup-wifi-tdx-cli packagegroup-wifi-fw-tdx-cli udev-extraconf ${CONMANPKGS} ${@bb.utils.contains('DISTRO_FEATURES', 'systemd', 'timestamp-service systemd-analyze', '', d)} packagegroup-idh-os packagegroup-precept mender-client" IMAGE_INSTALL=" packagegroup-core-boot packagegroup-base-extended packagegroup-boot packagegroup-basic packagegroup-base-tdx-cli packagegroup-machine-tdx-cli packagegroup-wifi-tdx-cli packagegroup-wifi-fw-tdx-cli udev-extraconf connman connman-plugin-loopback connman-plugin-ethernet connman-plugin-wifi connman-client timestamp-service systemd-analyze packagegroup-idh-os packagegroup-precept mender-client" ``` Edit: I’m only using the `meta-mender` layer. ---
**Author:** ![amrbekhit](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/amrbekhit/32/479_2.png) [@amrbekhit](https://hub.mender.io/u/amrbekhit)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 5:12am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/excluding-the-kernel-and-dtb-files-from-the-rootfs/2957/4 "2020-12-10T05:12:57Z")
Just to confirm - the problem was the fact that I was clearing `MACHINE_ESSENTIAL_EXTRA_RDEPENDS` in my image recipe. Placing it in `local.conf` resolves the issue.