diff --git a/configs/snps_hs38_smp_vdk_defconfig b/configs/snps_hs38_smp_vdk_defconfig
index b38cb1ef574..42edaef7ae0 100644
--- a/configs/snps_hs38_smp_vdk_defconfig
+++ b/configs/snps_hs38_smp_vdk_defconfig
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_HOSTNAME="hs38_vdk"
 BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_ISSUE="Welcome to the HS38 VDK Software Development Platform"
 BR2_ROOTFS_OVERLAY="board/synopsys/axs10x/fs-overlay"
 BR2_TARGET_ROOTFS_EXT2=y
+BR2_TARGET_ROOTFS_TAR_GZIP=y
 
 # Headers
 BR2_KERNEL_HEADERS_VERSION=y
@@ -15,7 +16,23 @@ BR2_PACKAGE_HOST_LINUX_HEADERS_CUSTOM_4_2=y
 
 # Kernel
 BR2_LINUX_KERNEL=y
-BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_VERSION=y
-BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_VERSION_VALUE="4.2"
-BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_DEFCONFIG="vdk_hs38_smp"
+BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_GIT=y
+BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_REPO_URL="https://github.com/foss-for-synopsys-dwc-arc-processors/linux"
+BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_REPO_VERSION="arc-3.18-1"
+BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_DEFCONFIG="hs38_smp_vdk"
 BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_VMLINUX=y
+
+# Extra toolchain options for HS38 VDK release
+BR2_TOOLCHAIN_BUILDROOT_INET_RPC=y
+BR2_TOOLCHAIN_BUILDROOT_WCHAR=y
+BR2_PTHREAD_DEBUG=y
+BR2_TOOLCHAIN_BUILDROOT_CXX=y
+
+# Extra packages options for HS38 VDK release
+BR2_PACKAGE_FFMPEG=y
+BR2_PACKAGE_MPLAYER=y
+BR2_PACKAGE_GDB=y
+BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_SERVER=y
+BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_DEBUGGER=y
+BR2_PACKAGE_DIRECTFB=y
+BR2_PACKAGE_DROPBEAR=y
diff --git a/configs/snps_hs38_vdk_defconfig b/configs/snps_hs38_vdk_defconfig
index 49ad496841e..f79eb1b372a 100644
--- a/configs/snps_hs38_vdk_defconfig
+++ b/configs/snps_hs38_vdk_defconfig
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_HOSTNAME="hs38_vdk"
 BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_ISSUE="Welcome to the HS38 VDK Software Development Platform"
 BR2_ROOTFS_OVERLAY="board/synopsys/axs10x/fs-overlay"
 BR2_TARGET_ROOTFS_EXT2=y
+BR2_TARGET_ROOTFS_TAR_GZIP=y
 
 # Headers
 BR2_KERNEL_HEADERS_VERSION=y
@@ -15,7 +16,23 @@ BR2_PACKAGE_HOST_LINUX_HEADERS_CUSTOM_4_2=y
 
 # Kernel
 BR2_LINUX_KERNEL=y
-BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_VERSION=y
-BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_VERSION_VALUE="4.2"
-BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_DEFCONFIG="vdk_hs38"
+BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_GIT=y
+BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_REPO_URL="https://github.com/foss-for-synopsys-dwc-arc-processors/linux"
+BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_REPO_VERSION="arc-3.18-1"
+BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_DEFCONFIG="hs38_vdk"
 BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_VMLINUX=y
+
+# Extra toolchain options for HS38 VDK release
+BR2_TOOLCHAIN_BUILDROOT_INET_RPC=y
+BR2_TOOLCHAIN_BUILDROOT_WCHAR=y
+BR2_PTHREAD_DEBUG=y
+BR2_TOOLCHAIN_BUILDROOT_CXX=y
+
+# Extra packages options for HS38 VDK release
+BR2_PACKAGE_FFMPEG=y
+BR2_PACKAGE_MPLAYER=y
+BR2_PACKAGE_GDB=y
+BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_SERVER=y
+BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_DEBUGGER=y
+BR2_PACKAGE_DIRECTFB=y
+BR2_PACKAGE_DROPBEAR=y