lgirdwood · Nov 4, 2026 · Nov 4, 2026 · Nov 4, 2026 · Nov 4, 2026
@@ -156,6 +156,12 @@ jobs:
           - zephyr_revision: mnfst
             IPC_platforms: wcl imx95
 
+          # The default configuration targets Linux, also build the
+          # internal CI configuration (app/internal_ci_overlay.conf).
+          - zephyr_revision: mnfst
+            IPC_platforms: lnl ptl
+            config_overlay: internal_ci
+
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1  # v7.0.1
         # Download a full clone to fix `git describe`, sof_version.h and
@@ -232,6 +238,7 @@ jobs:
             --cmake-args=-DEXTRA_AFLAGS='-Werror -Wa,--fatal-warnings' \
             --cmake-args=--warn-uninitialized \
             --overlay=sof/app/configs/repro-build.conf \
+            ${{ matrix.config_overlay && format('--overlay=sof/app/{0}_overlay.conf', matrix.config_overlay) || '' }} \
             --no-tarball \
             ${{ matrix.build_opts }} ${{ matrix.IPC_platforms }}
 
@@ -252,7 +259,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@043fb46d1a93c77aae656e7c1c64a875d1fc6a0a  # v7.0.1
         if: always()
         with:
-          name: linux-build ${{ matrix.build_opts }} ${{ matrix.IPC_platforms }}
+          name: linux-build ${{ matrix.build_opts }} ${{ matrix.IPC_platforms }}${{ matrix.config_overlay && format(' {0}', matrix.config_overlay) || '' }}
           if-no-files-found: error
           path: |
             build-sof-staging

@@ -50,11 +50,14 @@ config FAST_GET
 
 config SOF_OS_LINUX_COMPAT_PRIORITY
 	bool "Prioritize backwards compatibility for old Linux kernels"
+	default y
 	help
 	  Build option to maintain maximal backwards compatibility with old
 	  versions of Linux SOF driver. When this is not set, firmware may
 	  require newer version of host, and/or use features that are not
-	  available in stable Linux kernel trees.
+	  available in stable Linux kernel trees. This is enabled by default
+	  as the default SOF build targets the Linux SOF driver, it is
+	  disabled by app/internal_ci_overlay.conf.
 
 rsource "Kconfig.xtos"
 

@@ -4,19 +4,37 @@ cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.21.0)
 
 # Board specific overlays (these must be before find_package(Zephyr))
 # -------------------------------------------------------------------
+#
+# The default build targets the Linux SOF driver. Overlays added here
+# are put before any user given overlays, so that the user overlays
+# take precedence.
 
-# Intel ACE3.x and newer (e.g. ptl, wcl, nvl): if "os_linux_overlay"
-# used, also add "ll_userspace_overlay". The board target may be given
-# in full in BOARD ("intel_adsp/ace30/ptl") or split into BOARD and
-# BOARD_QUALIFIERS ("intel_adsp" + "ace30/ptl"), so match on both.
-if(DEFINED EXTRA_CONF_FILE AND
-   "${BOARD}/${BOARD_QUALIFIERS}" MATCHES "^intel_adsp/ace[3-9][0-9]/")
-  string(FIND "${EXTRA_CONF_FILE}" "os_linux_overlay" _linux_overlay_idx)
-  string(FIND "${EXTRA_CONF_FILE}" "ll_userspace_overlay" _ll_overlay_idx)
-  if(_linux_overlay_idx GREATER_EQUAL 0 AND _ll_overlay_idx LESS 0)
-    list(APPEND EXTRA_CONF_FILE
-      "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ll_userspace_overlay.conf")
+# The board target may be given in full in BOARD ("intel_adsp/ace30/ptl")
+# or split into BOARD and BOARD_QUALIFIERS ("intel_adsp" + "ace30/ptl"),
+# so normalize the concatenation of the two.
+string(REGEX REPLACE "/+" "/" _sof_board "${BOARD}/${BOARD_QUALIFIERS}")
+string(REGEX REPLACE "/$" "" _sof_board "${_sof_board}")
+string(REPLACE "/" "_" _sof_board_conf "${_sof_board}")
+
+# Zephyr merges the overlays given in EXTRA_CONF_FILE and the deprecated
+# OVERLAY_CONFIG, from both CMake variables and the environment, so look
+# at all of them to find out which overlays are used.
+set(_sof_conf_files "${EXTRA_CONF_FILE};$ENV{EXTRA_CONF_FILE};${OVERLAY_CONFIG};$ENV{OVERLAY_CONFIG}")
+
+if("${_sof_conf_files}" MATCHES "internal_ci_overlay")
+  # Internal CI build: also add the board specific internal CI overlay,
+  # if there is one.
+  set(_sof_ci_overlay
+    "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/overlays/internal_ci/${_sof_board_conf}.conf")
+  if(EXISTS "${_sof_ci_overlay}")
+    list(PREPEND EXTRA_CONF_FILE "${_sof_ci_overlay}")
   endif()
+elseif("${_sof_board}" MATCHES "^intel_adsp/ace[3-9][0-9]/" AND
+       NOT "${_sof_conf_files}" MATCHES "ll_userspace_overlay")
+  # Intel ACE3.x and newer (e.g. ptl, wcl, nvl): Linux builds use
+  # user-space LL.
+  list(PREPEND EXTRA_CONF_FILE
+    "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ll_userspace_overlay.conf")
 endif()
 
 find_package(Zephyr HINTS $ENV{ZEPHYR_BASE})

@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ CONFIG_SYS_CLOCK_TICKS_PER_SEC=12000
 
 # Zephyr / power settings
 CONFIG_ADSP_IDLE_CLOCK_GATING=y
-CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=y
+CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=n
 CONFIG_PM_PREWAKEUP_CONV_MODE_CEIL=y
 CONFIG_PM_DEVICE_RUNTIME_ASYNC=n
 

@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ CONFIG_XTENSA_MMU_NUM_L2_TABLES=50
 CONFIG_SYS_CLOCK_TICKS_PER_SEC=12000
 
 # Zephyr / power settings
-CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=y
+CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=n
 CONFIG_PM_PREWAKEUP_CONV_MODE_CEIL=y
 CONFIG_PM_DEVICE_RUNTIME_ASYNC=n
 
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ CONFIG_DYNAMIC_THREAD=y
 CONFIG_DYNAMIC_THREAD_ALLOC=y
 CONFIG_DYNAMIC_THREAD_PREFER_ALLOC=y
 CONFIG_SOF_STACK_SIZE=8192
-CONFIG_SOF_USERSPACE_PROXY=y
 CONFIG_MAX_THREAD_BYTES=3
 
 CONFIG_MAX_DOMAIN_PARTITIONS=32
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ CONFIG_MM_DRV_INTEL_VIRTUAL_REGION_COUNT=3
 CONFIG_SYS_CLOCK_TICKS_PER_SEC=12000
 
 # Zephyr / power settings
-CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=y
+CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=n
 CONFIG_PM_PREWAKEUP_CONV_MODE_CEIL=y
 CONFIG_PM_DEVICE_RUNTIME_ASYNC=n
 

@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ CONFIG_MM_DRV_INTEL_VIRTUAL_REGION_COUNT=3
 CONFIG_SYS_CLOCK_TICKS_PER_SEC=12000
 
 # Zephyr / power settings
-CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=y
+CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=n
 CONFIG_PM_PREWAKEUP_CONV_MODE_CEIL=y
 CONFIG_SRAM_RETENTION_MODE=n
 CONFIG_PM_DEVICE_RUNTIME_ASYNC=n
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ CONFIG_PM_DEVICE_RUNTIME_ASYNC=n
 CONFIG_LOG_BACKEND_ADSP=n
 CONFIG_WINSTREAM_CONSOLE=n
 CONFIG_LOG_RUNTIME_FILTERING=y
-CONFIG_LOG_RUNTIME_DEFAULT_LEVEL=1
+CONFIG_LOG_RUNTIME_DEFAULT_LEVEL=3
 
 # Zephyr / debug: temporary, until fixed
 CONFIG_GDBSTUB=n
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ CONFIG_MM_DRV_INTEL_VIRTUAL_REGION_COUNT=3
 CONFIG_SYS_CLOCK_TICKS_PER_SEC=12000
 
 # Zephyr / power settings
-CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=y
+CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=n
 CONFIG_PM_PREWAKEUP_CONV_MODE_CEIL=y
 CONFIG_SRAM_RETENTION_MODE=n
 CONFIG_PM_DEVICE_RUNTIME_ASYNC=n
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ CONFIG_PM_DEVICE_RUNTIME_ASYNC=n
 CONFIG_LOG_BACKEND_ADSP=n
 CONFIG_WINSTREAM_CONSOLE=n
 CONFIG_LOG_RUNTIME_FILTERING=y
-CONFIG_LOG_RUNTIME_DEFAULT_LEVEL=1
+CONFIG_LOG_RUNTIME_DEFAULT_LEVEL=3
 
 # Zephyr / debug: temporary, until fixed
 CONFIG_GDBSTUB=n
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#
+# Overlay definitions to build SOF firmware for internal CI
+#
+# The default SOF build (board config files) targets the Linux SOF
+# driver. This overlay restores the configuration that was used
+# for non-Linux builds before Linux became the default.
+#
+# When this overlay is used, app/CMakeLists.txt also:
+#  - does not include the Intel ACE3.x+ LL userspace overlay
+#    (ll_userspace_overlay.conf)
+#  - includes the board specific internal CI overlay from
+#    overlays/internal_ci/<board>.conf, if present
+#
+
+# Do not restrict firmware to features supported by stable
+# Linux SOF driver versions. This also enables the additional
+# virtual heap buffers (VIRTUAL_HEAP_EXTENDED) on platforms
+# that support them.
+CONFIG_SOF_OS_LINUX_COMPAT_PRIORITY=n
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 # This is overlay configuration file to enable user-space LL audio
 # pipeline support.
 #
-# NOTE: this overlay is automatically included if an Intel ACE3.x
-#       or newer target (e.g. ptl, wcl, nvl) is built with generic
-#       "os_linux_overlay.conf"
+# NOTE: this overlay is automatically included when an Intel ACE3.x
+#       or newer target (e.g. ptl, wcl, nvl) is built, unless the
+#       build uses "internal_ci_overlay.conf"
 
 # Enable user-space LL support in SOF
 # -----------------------------------

@@ -1,27 +1,11 @@
 #
-# Overlay definitions to build SOF firmware for use
-# with SOF driver in Linux kernel
+# DEPRECATED: the default SOF build now targets the Linux SOF driver,
+# so this overlay is no longer needed and is intentionally empty.
+#
+# It is kept so that existing build scripts that pass
+# "-o app/os_linux_overlay.conf" keep working, and it will be removed
+# in a future release.
+#
+# The previous non-Linux default configuration is available via
+# app/internal_ci_overlay.conf.
 #
-
-# As a general rule, update of SOF firmware shall never
-# break existing systems by depending on Linux kernel patches
-# that have been upstreamed after commercial availability
-# of a product.
-CONFIG_SOF_OS_LINUX_COMPAT_PRIORITY=y
-
-# SOF Linux driver does not require FW to retain its
-# state, so context save can be disabled
-CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=n
-CONFIG_SOF_USERSPACE_PROXY=n
-
-# Logging options
-
-# Set default runtime log level to INFO (3).
-# Note: This setting only has effect when CONFIG_LOG_RUNTIME_FILTERING is enabled.
-# By default, the runtime level equals the compile-time level, but it is explicitly
-# set here to INFO to ensure expected behavior if platform configurations set a
-# lower default level (e.g., ERROR).
-CONFIG_LOG_RUNTIME_DEFAULT_LEVEL=3
-
-# Disable additional VMH buffers to use memory for virtual regions.
-CONFIG_VIRTUAL_HEAP_EXTENDED=n
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# Board specific internal CI settings for lnl, automatically
+# included after internal_ci_overlay.conf. See internal_ci_overlay.conf.
+
+# Retain FW context in IMR over D3
+CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=y
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# Board specific internal CI settings for ptl, automatically
+# included after internal_ci_overlay.conf. See internal_ci_overlay.conf.
+
+# Retain FW context in IMR over D3
+CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=y
+
+# Run userspace modules inside the userspace proxy
+CONFIG_SOF_USERSPACE_PROXY=y
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# Board specific internal CI settings for wcl, automatically
+# included after internal_ci_overlay.conf. See internal_ci_overlay.conf.
+
+# Retain FW context in IMR over D3
+CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=y
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# Board specific internal CI settings for nvl, automatically
+# included after internal_ci_overlay.conf. See internal_ci_overlay.conf.
+
+# Retain FW context in IMR over D3
+CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=y
+
+# Default runtime log level ERROR
+CONFIG_LOG_RUNTIME_DEFAULT_LEVEL=1
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# Board specific internal CI settings for nvls, automatically
+# included after internal_ci_overlay.conf. See internal_ci_overlay.conf.
+
+# Retain FW context in IMR over D3
+CONFIG_ADSP_IMR_CONTEXT_SAVE=y
+
+# Default runtime log level ERROR
+CONFIG_LOG_RUNTIME_DEFAULT_LEVEL=1
@@ -12,13 +12,13 @@ easy to maintain.
 
 ## Why this exists
 
-SOF supports several privilege configurations. On PTL (`intel_adsp_ace30_ptl`) the board
-config enables `CONFIG_USERSPACE` and `CONFIG_SOF_USERSPACE_PROXY`, running individual audio
-modules in isolated user threads via the proxy container. For Linux builds
-(`os_linux_overlay.conf`), `app/CMakeLists.txt` automatically includes
-`app/ll_userspace_overlay.conf` on Intel ACE3.x and newer targets (e.g. ptl, wcl, nvl), which
-additionally enables `CONFIG_SOF_USERSPACE_LL` so the entire LL pipeline and the module-facing
-IPC run in user threads. This is the standard Linux build configuration for these targets.
+SOF supports several privilege configurations. The default build targets the Linux SOF
+driver: on Intel ACE3.x and newer targets (e.g. ptl, wcl, nvl), `app/CMakeLists.txt`
+automatically includes `app/ll_userspace_overlay.conf`, which enables `CONFIG_USERSPACE` and
+`CONFIG_SOF_USERSPACE_LL` so the entire LL pipeline and the module-facing IPC run in user
+threads. With `app/internal_ci_overlay.conf` the LL userspace overlay is not included and, on
+PTL (`intel_adsp_ace30_ptl`), `CONFIG_SOF_USERSPACE_PROXY` is enabled instead, running
+individual audio modules in isolated user threads via the proxy container.
 The kernel keeps the OS/HAL, boot, drivers, and the syscall validators in both cases.
 
 The privilege boundary is real, but nothing in the source *layout* signals which side a given

@@ -120,11 +120,12 @@ config VIRTUAL_HEAP_EXTENDED
 	bool "Extend the Virtual Heap configuration with additional buffers"
 	depends on MM_DRV_INTEL_ADSP_MTL_TLB
 	depends on VIRTUAL_HEAP
-	default y
+	default y if !SOF_OS_LINUX_COMPAT_PRIORITY
 	help
 	  Enable additional Virtual Heap buffers. Some configurations need this
 	  while others need the memory for other purposes, e.g. for the virtual
-	  page / virtual region storage.
+	  page / virtual region storage. Linux builds do not need the
+	  additional buffers.
 
 config SOF_ZEPHYR_VIRTUAL_HEAP_REGION_SIZE
 	hex "Size in bytes of virtual memory region for virtual heap shared for all cores"

@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ Building for Intel Panther Lake:
 ./scripts/xtensa-build-zephyr.py --cmake-args=-DCONFIG_SOF_BOOT_TEST_STANDALONE=y \
         --cmake-args=-DCONFIG_SOF_USERSPACE_INTERFACE_DMA=y \
         --cmake-args=-DCONFIG_SOF_USERSPACE_LL=y \
+        -o app/internal_ci_overlay.conf \
         -o app/overlays/ptl/userspace_overlay.conf -o app/winconsole_overlay.conf ptl
 
 Running test: