This document provides instructions for installing and using the manifest tool.
Below is the table of contents:
Note: For a comprehensive list of changes between release versions, please refer to the changelog.
On the device side, the firmware update process commences when the device receives an update manifest.
The OEM (original equipment manufacturer) or the update author cryptographically signs the manifest with
a private key paired with a public key existing on the device, enabling the device to verify the
manifest's authenticity before accepting the firmware update.
Device Management provides support for the following:
The manifest-tool Python package includes the following command line tools:
manifest-tool - Used for creating manifest files.manifest-delta-tool - Generates delta patch
files.manifest-package-tool - Creates combined package file.manifest-dev-tool - A developer tool for
simplifying update campaigns.It is advisable to install the manifest-tool Python package within a segregated
Python virtual environment.
Prerequisites:
pip install manifest-tool
Note: If your system runs Python 3.6 or an older version, you will need to use an earlier version of this tool. You can install version 2.4.1 as follows:
pip install manifest-tool==2.4.1
Prerequisites:
$ git clone https://github.com/PelionIoT/manifest-tool.git
$ pip install <path to manifest-tool's local source tree>
Note: You can use $ pip install --editable <manifest-tool> to install the package
in Python setuptools development mode. For more information, please see the setuptools development mode documentation.
This section provides an explanation of how to use the command-line tools included in the
manifest-tool Python package, which are as follows:
manifest-tool commands:
manifest-tool create - Creates manifests.manifest-tool create-v1 - Creates V1
schema-compatible manifests.manifest-tool parse - Parses and verifies
existing manifest files.manifest-tool schema - Shows the bundled input
validation schema.manifest-tool public-key - Generates an
uncompressed public key.Note: To access more detailed information about all commands,
you can run manifest-tool --help. Additionally, for specific command details, including their
parameters and how to use them, you can run manifest-tool <command> --help.
The manifest-tool create command is used to generate a manifest.
This tool takes a configuration file that defines the update type and
creates a manifest based on the provided details.
Prerequisites
An update private key and public key certificate.
Keep the private key secure, as it enables the installation of new firmware images on your devices.
Provision the public key to the device.
To generate a private key, use the following command:
$ openssl ecparam -genkey -name prime256v1 -outform PEM -out my.priv.key.pem
To generate a public key in uncompressed point format (X9.62), use
the manifest-tool public-key
command.
Upload the new firmware image to a server that your devices can access.
The configuration file should be in JSON or YAML format and include the following fields:
vendor: # One of the "domain" or "vendor-id" fields is expected.
domain: izumanetworks.com # The FW owner domain, used to generate a vendor UUID.
# Expected to include a dot (".").
# OR
vendor-id: fa6b4a53d5ad5fdfbe9de663e4d41ffe # A valid vendor UUID.
custom-data-path: my.custom-data.bin # Vendor's custom data file
# to be passed to the target devices.
# This is only relevant for manifest v3 format.
device: # One of the "model-name" or "class-id" fields is expected
model-name: Smart Slippers # A device model name, used to generate a class UUID.
# OR
class-id: 327c726ac6e54f7a82fbf1d3beda80f0 # A valid device-class UUID.
priority: 1 # Update priority to be passed to the authorization callback,
# which is implemented on the device side.
payload:
url: http://some-url.com/files?id=1234 # Address from which the device downloads
# the candidate payload.
# Obtained by clicking "Copy HTTP URL" on
# the Firmware image details screen
# in Device Management Portal,
# or by copying the `datafile` attribute.
file-path: ./my.fw.bin # Local path to the candidate payload file
# or the delta patch file.
# Used for digest calculation and signing.
format: raw-binary # One of the following:
# raw-binary - full image update campaigns.
# arm-patch-stream - delta patch update campaigns.
# For manifest v3 only:
# combined - combined updates.
# encrypted-raw - full image update with the encrypted image.
# encrypted-combined - combined updates with encrypted image.
encrypted: # Required for 'encrypted-raw', and 'encrypted-patch' formats.
digest: 3725565932eb5b9fbd5767a3a534cb6a1a87813e0b4a76deacb9b36695c71307
# The encrypted payload digest,
# obtained by copying the `encrypted_datafile_checksum` attribute
# from the Firmware image details screen in the Device Management Portal.
size: 471304 # The encrypted payload size,
# obtained by copying the `encrypted_datafile_size` attribute
# from the Firmware image details screen in the Device Management Portal.
component: MAIN # [Optional] The name of the component to be updated,
# relevant for manifest v3 format.
# By default, it is set to "MAIN" for updating
# the main application image.
sign-image: True # [Optional] A boolean field accepting True or False values,
# relevant for manifest v3 format.
# When set to True, a 64-byte raw signature over the installed
# image will be added to the manifest.
# This image signature can be used when the device bootloader
# expects to work with signed images (e.g. secure-boot).
# By default, it's set to False.
signing-tool: ./sign.sh # Path to the external signing tool.
# Enables signing with existing infrastructure.
# The tool should accept the arguments: <digest algorithm> <key identifier> <input file> <output file>.
# The `--key` CLI argument will be used as <key identifier>.
Example
Consider the following configuration file named my.config.yaml:
vendor:
domain: izumanetworks.com
device:
model-name: Smart Flip-flops
priority: 1
payload:
url: http://some-url.com/files?id=1234
file-path: ./my.fw.bin
format: raw-binary
component: MAIN
You can run the following command to create the manifest:
manifest-tool create \
--config my.config.yaml \
--key my.priv.key.pem \
--fw-version 1.2.3 \
--output my.manifest.bin
Note: The value of --fw-version refers to the firmware version of the
component to be updated. The value can be between 0.0.1 and 999.999.999 and must be greater than
the firmware version currently installed on the device.
The manifest-tool create-v1 command is designed for older versions of the
Device Management update client, which use manifest schema V1.
These older versions assume that the public key is packaged in an x.509 certificate.
Prerequisites
An update private key and public key certificate.
Keep the private key secure as it enables the installation of new firmware images on your devices.
Provision the public key to the device.
To generate a private key, use the following command:
$ openssl ecparam -genkey -name prime256v1 -outform PEM -out my.priv.key.pem
To generate a public key x.509 certificate, run the following commands:
$ openssl req -new -sha256 \
-key my.priv.key.pem \
-inform PEM \
-out my.csr.csr
$ openssl req -x509 -sha256 \
-days 7300 \
-key my.priv.key.pem \
-in my.csr.csr \
-outform der \
-out my.x509.certificate.der
Note: Device Management update client treats the x.509 certificate as a container ONLY and does not enforce its validity. such as expiration, chain of trust, etc., although it may be validated by other Device Management components. For production purposes, it is recommended creating a certificate with a lifespan greater than the product's expected lifespan, e.g. 20 years.
Upload the new firmware binary to a server that your devices can access, and obtain the URL for the uploaded firmware binary.
A configuration file in JSON or YAML format, as required for the manifest-tool create command.
Example
To create a V1 schema-compatible manifest, you can run the following command:
manifest-tool create-v1 \
--config my.config.yaml \
--key my.priv.key.pem \
--update-certificate my.x509.certificate.der \
--output my.manifest.bin
The manifest-tool parse command is used to parse and validate existing manifest files.
Prerequisites
my.manifest.bin).Example
You can run the following command to parse and validate a manifest file:
$ manifest-tool parse \
my.manifest.bin \
--private-key my.priv.key.pem
----- Manifest dump start -----
Manifest:
vendor-id=fa6b4a53d5ad5fdfbe9de663e4d41ffe
class-id=3da0f138173350eba6f665498eace1b1
update-priority=15
payload-version=1572372313
payload-digest=b5f07d6c646a7c014cc8c03d2c9caf066bd29006f1356eaeaf13b7d889d3502b
payload-size=512
payload-uri=https://my.server.com/some.file?new=1
payload-format=raw-binary
----- Manifest dump end -----
2019-10-29 20:05:13,478 INFO Signature verified!
The manifest-tool schema command is used to print the input validation JSON schema
that is bundled with the current tool.
This schema can serve as a self-documenting reference to help you better understand and validate
the manifest tool's input configuration.
Example
You can execute the following command to print the input validation schema:
$ manifest-tool schema
The manifest-tool public-key command is used to create a public key file in uncompressed point format.
Provisioning this file to the device enables the device to verify the manifest's signature.
Example
To create a public key file from a private key (for example, my.priv.key.pem) and
save it as my.pub.key.bin, you can use the following command:
manifest-tool public-key my.priv.key.pem --out my.pub.key.bin
The manifest-delta-tool is used to generate delta patch files, which are required for delta updates.
Run manifest-delta-tool --help for more information about usage and
arguments.
Prerequisites
Example
You can use the following command to generate a delta patch file:
$ manifest-delta-tool -c current_fw.bin -n new_fw.bin -o delta-patch.bin
Notes:
An additional configuration file with the same name but with the .yaml
extension will be generated. Both files are required by the manifest tool.
Only the output file specified by the --output argument should be uploaded to the Izuma cloud.
The compression block size has a direct impact on the amount of memory required by the device receiving the update. The device requires twice the amount of RAM during runtime to decompress and apply the patch.
The compression block must be aligned with the network (COAP/HTTP) buffer size used for download. Misalignment in sizes may result in device's failure to process the delta patch file.
Use this tool to generate combined package files for combined updates.
manifest-package-tool commands:
manifest-package-tool create - Creates a combined package file for combined updates.manifest-package-tool parse - Parses and verifies existing combined package files.Note: Run manifest-package-tool --help for more information about all commands, or manifest-package-tool <command> --help for more information about a specific command, including its parameters and how to use them.
The manifest-package-tool create command is used to create a combined package file
based on a configuration file that contains information about firmware images for a combined update.
Prerequisites
The configuration file should be in JSON or YAML format and include the following fields:
images: # Two or more images
- file_name: ./my.fw1.bin # Local path to one of the firmware images.
sub_comp_name: fw1_id # Name of the subcomponent firmware image.
vendor_data: fw1_vend # Vendor data for the firmware image.
- file_name: ./my.fw2.bin # Local path to another firmware image.
sub_comp_name: fw2_id # Name of the subcomponent firmware image.
vendor_data: fw2_vend # Vendor data for the firmware image.
New firmware images to be included in the combined package.
In this example ./my/fw1.bin and ./my.fw2.bin.
Example
You can create a combined package by using the following command:
$ manifest-package-tool create --config combined_package_config.yaml --output combined_package_file
In this example, combined_package_config.yaml is the input configuration file.
The tool creates a tar-format combined package with the firmware images listed in the configuration file, where:
file_name is the local path to the image file.sub_comp_name is the name the tool gives to the subcomponent firmware image file in the combined package.
This name must match the name (sub_comp_name) defined on the device.vendor_data is the vendor information of the firmware image.In addition to the firmware image files, the tool creates a descriptor __desc__ file
inside the tar package, which provides information about the contents of the combined package to
the FOTA update client.
Notes:
The FOTA update client reports on a combined update as an update of a
single component (defined as comp_name on the device), consisting of multiple subcomponents
(each defined as sub_comp_name on the device). When creating a combined package, each sub_comp_name
must correspond to a sub_comp_name on the device.
For more information, see Implementing combined update
When creating a manifest for a combined update using manifest-tool, in the manifest configuration
file, set the format field to combined or encrypted-combined, set the component field to the
name of the component you are updating, and set the file-path field to the path of the combined
package file.
To use a combined package file with the manifest-dev-tool create or update commands,
set the path of the combined package file in the -p argument and pass the --combined-image flag
to indicate that the current candidate payload is a combined image.
The manifest-package-tool parse command is used to parse and validate existing combined package files.
Prerequisites
combined_package_file).Example
You can run the following command to parse and validate a combined package file:
$ manifest-package-tool parse --package combined_package_file
Contents of the tar package -
File name : _desc_
File name : fw1_id
File name : fw1_id
Information of update images:
OrderedDict([('id', b'fw1_id'), ('vendor-data', b'fw1_vend'), ('vendor-data-size', 8), ('image-size', 417053)])
OrderedDict([('id', b'fw2_id'), ('vendor-data', b'fw2_vend'), ('vendor-data-size', 8), ('image-size', 253482)])
The manifest-dev-tool is a developer tool designed for running a simplified update campaign.
It is primarily intended for use in development flows and testing.
manifest-dev-tool commands:
manifest-dev-tool init - Initializes the
developer environment.manifest-dev-tool create - A simplified
tool for creating manifests.manifest-dev-tool create-v1 -
A simplified tool for creating manifests using the V1 schema.manifest-dev-tool update - Allows you to
perform end-to-end tests without leaving the command shell.manifest-dev-tool update-v1 - Allows
you to perform end-to-end tests without leaving the command shell using a
V1-schema manifest.Note: You can run manifest-dev-tool --help for more information about
all commands, or manifest-dev-tool <command> --help for more detailed information about a
specific command, including its parameters and how to use them.
The manifest-dev-tool init command is used to initialize the developer environment.
Generates credentials and a configuration file in the tool's cache directory:
dev.key.pem - An update private key.dev.cert.der - An update public key certificate.dev.cfg.yaml - Developer configuration file.The default cache directory name is .manifest-dev-tool.
Generates an update resource C file with symbols that allow
bypassing the provisioning step in the developer flow.
The default name is update_default_resources.c.
Notes
manifest-dev-tool init in the development stage only..izuma-dev-presets.yaml file in your home directory
and pass it using the --gw-preset option.Example of .izuma-dev-presets.yaml:
usa:
host: https://api.us-east-1.mbedcloud.com
access_key: ak_SOME_VERY_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY
japan:
host: https://api.ap-northeast-1.mbedcloud.com
access_key: ak_SOME_OTHER_VERY_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY
To obtain an access key and API host URL, in the Device Management Portal,
click Access Management > Access keys > New access key.
Limit access to the .izuma-dev-presets.yaml file to your user only.
Example
You can run manifest-dev-tool init with an access key as follows:
manifest-dev-tool init --access-key [Device Management access key]
Or
manifest-dev-tool init --gw-preset usa
The manifest-dev-tool create command is used to create developer manifest files
without requiring an input configuration file.
Example
You can create a developer manifest with the following command:
manifest-dev-tool create \
--payload-url http://test.pdmc.izumanetworks.com?fileId=1256 \
--payload-path new_fw.bin \
--fw-version 1.2.3 \
--component-name MAIN \
--output update-manifest.bin
Notes:
manifest-delta-tool
in the --payload-path argument and ensure that the .yaml output with the same name sits
next to that output file.--sign-image argument to update a device with a secure bootloader
that requires an image signature.The manifest-dev-tool create-v1 command is used to create developer manifest files in v1
format without requiring an input configuration file.
Example
You can create a developer manifest in v1 format with the following command:
manifest-dev-tool create-v1 \
--payload-url http://test.pdmc.izumanetworks.com?fileId=1256 \
--payload-path new-fw.bin \
--output update-manifest.bin
Note: To run a delta update, specify the output of manifest-delta-tool
in the --payload-path argument and ensure that the .yaml output with the same name sits next to that output file.
The manifest-dev-tool update command is similar to manifest-dev-tool create,
but it also allows you to interact with Device Management to run a full update campaign.
The command performs the following actions:
--start-campaign or
--wait-for-completion argument.--wait-for-completion argument, the tool waits for
the campaign to complete for the time period specified by --timeout or
until the campaign reaches one of its terminating states.--wait-for-completion argument without the
--no-cleanup flag, the tool removes the uploaded test resources
from Device Management before exiting.Example
You can run a full update campaign with the following command:
manifest-dev-tool update \
--payload-path my_new_fw.bin \
--fw-version 1.2.3 \
--wait-for-completion
Note: The tool creates the device filter for the campaign based on the
unique class-id and vendor-id fields generated by the
manifest-dev-tool init command.
The manifest-dev-tool update-v1 command is similar to manifest-dev-tool update,
but it works with a v1-format manifest.
Example
You can run a full update campaign with a v1-format manifest using the following command:
manifest-dev-tool update-v1 \
--payload-path my_new_fw.bin \
--wait-for-completion
Clone the https://github.com/PelionIoT/mbed-cloud-client-example repository.
From within the repository, execute the following command to initialize the developer environment
and generate an update_default_resources.c file:
manifest-dev-tool init -a $MY_ACCESS_KEY
Build the firmware image for your device.
Save the mbed-cloud-client-example_update.bin file.
Flash the mbed-cloud-client-example.bin to the device.
Wait for the device to register in the cloud.
Make some changes to the source of the firmware application.
Build the firmware update candidate for your device.
manifest-delta-tool -c <original mbed-cloud-client-example_update.bin> -n <new mbed-cloud-client-example_update.bin> -o delta.bin
Issue an update campaign with the following command::
manifest-dev-tool update --payload-path <new mbed-cloud-client-example_update.bin or delta.bin> --wait-for-completion
Manifest tool v2.0.0 is not compatible with previous versions.
This section explains how to migrate your existing configuration and credentials for use with manifest-tool version 2.2.0 and higher.
Initializing the development environment using previously-defined configuration and credentials.
Run the following manifest-dev-tool init command:
manifest-dev-tool init --api-url <API URL> \
--access-key <Access key> \
--vendor-id <Vendor ID> \
--class-id <Class ID> \
--key <private key path> \
--update-certificate <certificate path>
Where <API URL> and <Access key> are the values from the previous .mbed_cloud_config.json file,
<Vendor ID> and <Class ID> are the values from the previous .manifest_tool.json file,
and <private key path> and <certificate path> are the paths to your private key and
update certificate, respectively.
Once the command finishes successfully, you can remove the previously created files.
Adapting the create manifest configuration
If you use manifest-tool (not manifest-dev-tool), create a new configuration file,
as described in manifest-tool create, and copy the relevant information
from your existing .manifest_tool.json file. This ensures that your existing configuration and
credentials are adapted for use with the new version of manifest-tool.
Typically, the manifest tool is responsible for digitally signing the manifest binary.
However, in a production environment where a hardware security module (HSM) is utilized for signing operations, it is preferable to have the HSM perform the manifest signing instead.
The manifest tool can seamlessly integrate with an external signing tool for this purpose.
The external signing tool should be configured to accept the following parameters:
<digest algorithm> <key identifier> <input file> <output file>
Only SHA256 is currently supported as .
Before invoking the script, the manifest tool populates the <input file> with the data to be signed.
Once the script execution is completed, the manifest tool retrieves the signature from the <output file>.
It's important to note that both of these files should be in their raw binary form.
Here is an explanation of how to utilize an external signing tool in both developer and production modes.
Production mode
To generate a manifest signed by an external signing tool, follow these steps:
manifest-tool create command:
signing-tool: ./sign.sh # Path to the external signing tool.
# Enables signing with existing infrastructure.
# The tool should accept the arguments: <digest algorithm> <key identifier> <input file> <output file>.
# The `--key` CLI argument will be used as <key identifier>.
manifest-tool create command with the $SIGNING_KEY_ID
argument. This will use the specified $SIGNING_KEY_ID with the signing-tool script.
manifest-tool create \
--config config.yaml \
--key $SIGNING_KEY_ID \
--fw-version 1.2.3 \
--output my.manifest.bin
These steps enable the creation of a manifest signed by the designated external signing tool in a production environment.
Developer mode
To test the external signing tool feature, it can be beneficial to use the developer flow.
Start by executing the manifest-dev-tool init command with the -s, --key and --update-certificates parameters as follows:
The $UPDATE_CERTIFICATE certificate should match the $KEY
manifest-dev-tool init \
-a $MY_ACCESS_KEY \
-s $SIGNING_TOOL \
--key $KEY \
--update-certificate $UPDATE_CERTIFICATE
After the initiation of the manifest-dev-tool, the subsequent manifest-dev-tool commands such as update, update-v1, create, and create-v1 will employ the external SIGNING_TOOL script to sign the manifest using the specified SIGNING_KEY_ID.
When encountering unexpected errors with the manifest tool, it can be helpful to get more context on the failure. Here are some common issues and their solutions:
Getting more context on unexpected errors.
When the tool exits with a non-zero return code, it may be helpful to get more context on the failure.
Solution: Execute the tool with the --debug flag at the top
argument parser level. For example:
manifest-dev-tool --debug update
manifest-dev-tool update ... --wait-for-completion takes longer than expected.
manifest-dev-tool update creates a unique class-id and
vendor-id generated per developer. Device Management expects a
single device with these properties to connect to Device Management.
During development, a device's device-id might change
after wiping out its storage, leading to two different devices with
the same class-id and vendor-id. In this scenario,
Device Management will try to update both devices,
although one of them no longer exists.
Solution: Manually delete the unwanted device from Device
Management. Alternatively, run manifest-dev-tool update ... --wait-for-completion with --device-id DEVICE_ID to override the
default campaign filter and target a specific device by its ID.
Update fails and manifest-dev-tool update ... --wait-for-completion cleans all resources.
You might want to leave the resources (firmware image candidate, update manifest, and update campaign) on a service for further investigation or retry.
Solution: Execute manifest-dev-tool update ... --wait-for-completion with the --no-cleanup flag.
Device does not support this manifest schema
Solution: Your device does not support the created manifest schema.
Switch from the create or update command to the create-v1 or update-v1 command respectively
and vice versa. Make sure the manifest schema aligns with your device's compatibility.
FAQs
Tool/lib to create and parse manifests
We found that manifest-tool demonstrated a healthy version release cadence and project activity because the last version was released less than a year ago. It has 2 open source maintainers collaborating on the project.
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