[Openembedded-architecture] bblayers.conf - Past, Present and Future?

[Otavio Salvador]

Hello Richard,

On Wed, May 11, 2016 at 8:42 AM, Richard Purdie
<richard.purdie at linuxfoundation.org> wrote:
> We currently have a few different ways people setup and build
> combinations of OE layers. Koen's presentation and ELC covers some of
> this, we've also heard representations at OEDEM/OEDAM and I think
> everyone would agree that its worth seeing if there is some way we
> could improve the situation.
>
> We have various tools/options:
>
> * TEMPLATECONF
> * combo-layer
> * repo
> * git submodules
>
> and we all have views, some of them quite strong about different
> elements of these.

I am on the repo 'camp'.

Back in 2011 when we were creating the FSL Community BSP structure, we
were using combo-layer internally at O.S. Systems and we tested git
submodules and repo. We ended opting to go with repo and it turns to
be an easy to use setup. However, fetching the repositories is just
part of the problem...

...
> In parallel, we're seeing people trying to use OE in CI systems. To
> make buildbot work for the Yocto Project, we have a ton of
> configuration and "fetching" code and I know Jenkins integration runs
> into the same issues. We'd love to be able to throw away the need to
> have CI specific layer addition code, or the bulk of the custom git
> fetcher we ended up having to add there for example.

We have a script which hides most of this for us. The OSYIS[1] help us
to hide this.

1. http://code.ossystems.com.br/gitweb?p=osyis.git

For Jenkins we just fetch the code (which it has nice plugins for
repo) and use the OSYIS to setup the build for us. It has support for
modules which allow for custom handles to be written when need.

I think adding a setup logic on BitBake violates the KISS principle.
It does not belongs there and ought to be done externally. We have
developed the ossystems-yocto-base-scripts[2][3] which leverages the
initial setup-environment idea implemented in the FSL Community BSP
and enables the use of Python hooks for layers.

2. http://code.ossystems.com.br/gitweb?p=ossystems-yocto-base-scripts.git
3. http://doc.ossystems.com.br/managing-platforms.html

Some ideas were inspired on Mentor Graphics scripts, while others were
designed by us.

I think a mix of our tools, with the Mentor Graphics ones, would
provide a good basis for it. This is something Christopher and I been
discussing for some time but did not yet started to work on.

-- 
Otavio Salvador                             O.S. Systems
http://www.ossystems.com.br        http://code.ossystems.com.br
Mobile: +55 (53) 9981-7854            Mobile: +1 (347) 903-9750