Device Tree Explorer

A modern C++ and Qt application for visualizing and editing Device Tree (DTB/DTS) files with both GUI and CLI interfaces.

Features

Core Functionality

• Visualize and edit Device Tree files - Load and display DTB/DTS files in a user-friendly tree structure
• Diff two DTBs/DTS - Compare device trees to see changes (overlays vs base)
• Validate properties - Check device tree validity and schema compliance (future feature)
• Export parsed tree - Export to JSON/YAML for automation and integration
• CLI mode - Full command-line interface for headless environments
• Cross-platform - Linux (primary), Windows/macOS (optional)

GUI Features

• Modern Qt6-based interface
• Tree view for device tree nodes
• Property table for detailed property editing
• Source view for raw DTS content
• Diff viewer with visual change highlighting
• Drag and drop file support
• Search and filter capabilities

CLI Features

• Colored output with ANSI support
• Comprehensive error handling and validation
• Multiple export formats (JSON, YAML, DTS, DTB)
• File conversion between DTB and DTS
• Search and list functionality
• Progress indicators and detailed feedback

Installation

Prerequisites

• Linux: Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 11+, or similar
• C++20 compatible compiler (GCC 10+, Clang 12+)
• CMake 3.16+
• Qt6 (Core, Widgets, Gui)
• Device Tree Compiler (dtc) - for validation and conversion

Building from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/osamakader/DTE.git
cd DTE

# Create build directory
mkdir -p build && cd build

# Configure with CMake
cmake ..

# Build
make -j$(nproc)

# Install (optional)
sudo make install

Dependencies

Ubuntu/Debian

sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential cmake qt6-base-dev qt6-base-dev-tools \
                 device-tree-compiler pkg-config

Fedora/RHEL

sudo dnf install gcc-c++ cmake qt6-qtbase-devel device-tree-compiler pkg-config

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S base-devel cmake qt6-base device-tree-compiler pkg-config

Usage

GUI Mode

Launch the graphical interface:

./bin/DeviceTreeExplorer

Or with command line options:

# Open a specific file
./bin/DeviceTreeExplorer -f device.dtb

# Compare with another file
./bin/DeviceTreeExplorer -f base.dtb -d overlay.dtb

# Export to JSON
./bin/DeviceTreeExplorer -f device.dtb -e json -o output.json

CLI Mode

The CLI provides a comprehensive set of commands for device tree operations:

# Show help
./bin/dte-cli --help

# Get information about a device tree
./bin/dte-cli info device.dtb

# Validate a device tree
./bin/dte-cli validate device.dts

# Compare two device trees
./bin/dte-cli diff base.dtb overlay.dtb

# Export to different formats
./bin/dte-cli export device.dtb json output.json
./bin/dte-cli export device.dtb yaml output.yaml

# Convert between formats
./bin/dte-cli convert device.dtb device.dts
./bin/dte-cli convert device.dts device.dtb

# Search for nodes
./bin/dte-cli search device.dtb "cpu"

# List tree structure
./bin/dte-cli list device.dtb
./bin/dte-cli list device.dtb "/soc"

CLI Commands Reference

info <filename>

Display detailed information about a device tree file.

Output includes:

• File size and format
• Total node and property counts
• Root node information
• File validation status

validate <filename>

Validate a device tree file for syntax and structure errors.

Features:

• Syntax checking
• Structure validation
• Property type verification
• Detailed error reporting

diff <base_file> <overlay_file>

Compare two device tree files and show differences.

Output includes:

• Added/removed/modified nodes
• Property changes
• Color-coded diff output
• Summary statistics

export <input_file> <format> <output_file>

Export device tree to different formats.

Supported formats:

• json - JSON format for automation
• yaml - YAML format for configuration
• dts - Device Tree Source format
• dtb - Device Tree Blob format

convert <input_file> <output_file>

Convert between DTB and DTS formats.

Supported conversions:

• DTB → DTS (decompilation)
• DTS → DTB (compilation)

search <filename> <pattern>

Search for nodes or properties matching a pattern.

Features:

• Pattern matching
• Recursive search
• Color-coded results
• Path display

list <filename> [path]

List the structure of a device tree.

Features:

• Tree visualization
• Property display
• Optional path filtering
• Hierarchical output

Examples

Basic Device Tree Analysis

# Get information about a device tree
./bin/dte-cli info /proc/device-tree

# Validate a custom device tree
./bin/dte-cli validate my-device.dts

# List the structure
./bin/dte-cli list my-device.dts

Comparing Device Trees

# Compare base and overlay
./bin/dte-cli diff base.dtb overlay.dtb

# Compare different versions
./bin/dte-cli diff v1.0.dts v2.0.dts

Export and Integration

# Export for automation
./bin/dte-cli export device.dtb json config.json

# Export for documentation
./bin/dte-cli export device.dtb yaml docs/device-tree.yaml

# Convert for editing
./bin/dte-cli convert device.dtb device.dts

Search and Analysis

# Find all CPU nodes
./bin/dte-cli search device.dtb "cpu"

# Find memory-related properties
./bin/dte-cli search device.dtb "memory"

# List specific subtree
./bin/dte-cli list device.dtb "/soc/ethernet"

Error Handling

The application provides comprehensive error handling:

File Errors

• File not found
• Permission denied
• Invalid file format
• Corrupted data

Parsing Errors

• Invalid DTB magic number
• Corrupted structure
• Invalid property values
• Version incompatibility

Validation Errors

• Missing required properties
• Invalid property types
• Structure violations
• Schema compliance issues

CLI Error Output

• Color-coded error messages
• Detailed error descriptions
• Suggested solutions
• Exit codes for automation

Development

Project Structure

DTE/
├── CMakeLists.txt          # Main build configuration
├── include/                # Public headers
│   ├── DeviceTree.h       # Core data structures
│   ├── DeviceTreeParser.h # Parser interfaces
│   ├── DeviceTreeDiff.h   # Diff functionality
│   ├── MainWindow.h       # GUI interface
│   └── CLIApp.h          # CLI interface
├── src/                   # GUI implementation
│   ├── CMakeLists.txt
│   ├── main.cpp          # GUI entry point
│   ├── DeviceTree.cpp    # Core implementation
│   ├── DeviceTreeParser.cpp # Parser implementation
│   ├── DeviceTreeDiff.cpp   # Diff implementation
│   ├── MainWindow.cpp    # GUI implementation
│   └── ...
├── cli/                   # CLI implementation
│   ├── CMakeLists.txt
│   ├── main.cpp          # CLI entry point
│   └── CLIApp.cpp        # CLI implementation
└── resources/            # Application resources
    ├── icons/            # Application icons
    └── translations/     # Localization files

Building for Development

# Debug build
cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug ..
make

# Release build with optimizations
cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ..
make

Testing

# Run basic tests
./bin/dte-cli --version
./bin/dte-cli --help

# Test with sample files
./bin/dte-cli info /proc/device-tree
./bin/dte-cli validate sample.dts

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests if applicable
5. Submit a pull request

Code Style

• Follow modern C++20 practices
• Use Qt6 conventions for GUI code
• Include proper error handling
• Add documentation for new features

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Built with Qt6 for cross-platform GUI
• Uses Device Tree Compiler (dtc) for validation
• Inspired by modern device tree tools
• Community contributions welcome

Support

For issues and questions:

• Check the documentation
• Search existing issues
• Create a new issue with details
• Include error messages and file examples