</para>
</section>
</section>
+
+ <section id="package-feeds-dev-environment">
+ <title>Package Feeds</title>
+
+ <para>
+ When the OpenEmbedded build system generates an image or an SDK,
+ it gets the packages from a package feed area located in the
+ <ulink url='&YOCTO_DOCS_DEV_URL;#build-directory'>Build Directory</ulink>.
+ The main
+ <link linkend='a-closer-look-at-the-yocto-project-development-environment'>Yocto Project Development Environment</link>
+ figure shows this package feeds area in the upper-right corner.
+ </para>
+
+ <para>
+ This section looks a little closer into the package feeds area used
+ by the build system.
+ Here is a more detailed look at the area:
+ <imagedata fileref="figures/package-feeds.png" align="center" width="7in" depth="6in" />
+ </para>
+
+ <para>
+ Package feeds are an intermediary step in the build process.
+ BitBake generates packages whose type is defined by the
+ <link linkend='var-PACKAGE_CLASSES'><filename>PACKAGE_CLASSES</filename></link>
+ variable.
+ Before placing the packages into package feeds,
+ the build process validates them with generated output quality
+ assurance checks through the
+ <link linkend='ref-classes-insane'><filename>insane.bbclass</filename></link>
+ class.
+ </para>
+
+ <para>
+ The package feed area resides in
+ <filename>tmp/deploy</filename> of the Build Directory.
+ Folders are created that correspond to the package type
+ (IPK, DEB, or RPM) created.
+ Further organization is derived through the value of the
+ <link linkend='var-PACKAGE_ARCH'><filename>PACKAGE_ARCH</filename></link>
+ variable for each package.
+ For example, packages can exist for the i586 or qemux86
+ architectures.
+ The package files themselves reside within the appropriate
+ architecture folder.
+ </para>
+
+ <para>
+ BitBake uses the <filename>do_package_write_*</filename> task to
+ place generated packages into the package holding area (e.g.
+ <filename>do_package_write_ipk</filename> for IPK packages).
+ </para>
+ </section>
</section>
<section id="cross-development-toolchain-generation">