[OE-core] Ideal (combined) repo layout?

[Koen Kooi]

Hi,

I've been experimenting with a combined repo (https://github.com/koenkooi/Angstrom-integration-layer/) the past few days and I have some mixed feelings about it. I tried to mimic the yocto setup and the questions I get from people are "how do I know where all the stuff is originally from", "what if I want to contribute upstream" and "git submodules are awesome, combo repos aren't". 

So let's assume that we want a single git repo that people can clone the way they expect (awesome, submodules ruled out already), is intuitive to use and facilitates contributing back upstream. Since this is a from scratch effort I don't need to mimic yocto since, but can if it makes sense. Having said all that, here's the layout I was thinking of:

sources/
	o bitbake (external git, bitbake)
	o layers/
		* meta (external git, oe-core)
		* meta-openembedded (external git, meta-oe)
		* meta-efl (external git, meta-oe)
		* meta-angstrom (external git, meta-angstrom)
		* ...
	o downloads (DL_DIR)

build/
	o tmp(-$TCLIBC) (TMPDIR)
	o shared-state-cache (SSTATE_DIR)

output/
	o images (DEPLOY_DIR_IMAGE)
	o packages (DEPLOY_DIR_(IPK/RPM/DEB)

conf/
	o auto.conf  bblayers.conf  local.conf  sanity_info  site.conf (under git control)

All the meta-* directories are at the same level and the build output is easier to find and not hidden a few levels deep in build/TMPDIR. I think this would be an improvement over the existing angstrom and yocto layout, but I've been doing this for the past 7 years so I'd appreciate a fresh look from other people[1].

regards,

Koen

[1] especially if you have been or are presently using eclipse, I don't get along with IDEs