Root filesystem customization involves adding or modifying content to the base image. Metadata for this content goes into one or more software layers, depending on the amount of customization needed.
A typical embedded project will have just one software layer containing all non-hardware-specific customizations. But it is also possible to have extra layers for graphical frameworks or system-wide elements.
Before starting work on a new layer, it is a good practice to check whether someone else provides a similar layer. Also, if you are trying to integrate an open source project, check whether a layer with it already exists. There is an index of available layers at http://layers.openembedded.org/.
A new software layer can be created in the same way we did for a BSP layer in the previous chapter. We can, for example, create a new meta-custom layer using the yocto-layer command as we learned in the Creating a custom BSP layer recipe in Chapter...