[OE-core] Proposal: Creating meta-networking

[Joe MacDonald]

On Fri, Jun 15, 2012 at 3:55 PM, Philip Balister <philip at balister.org> wrote:
> On 06/15/2012 02:55 PM, Andrei Gherzan wrote:
>> On Fri, Jun 15, 2012 at 9:08 PM, Otavio Salvador <otavio at ossystems.com.br>wrote:
>>
>>> On Fri, Jun 15, 2012 at 12:42 PM, Khem Raj <raj.khem at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> I think creating a networking layer is fine idea, alongside meta-oe,
>>>> as a separate layer in meta-openembedded repo. Reshuffling recipes
>>>> from meta-oe into different layers is fine. I would like to avoid copies.
>>>
>>> I'd prefer if it used another git repository; people needing to use it
>>> shouldn't be forced to clone whole meta-oe.
>>>
>>> This would be my proposal as well. To have this as a separate layer.
>
> meta-oe already hosts several layers. It is kind of nice not to have to
> clone a slowly increasing number of git repos. Rather clone a few and
> manage the layers within them.

I'm inclined to agree.  I see the value in keeping this in meta-oe,
but my goal with this layer is that it's as self-contained as
possible.  Meaning that it could be used by someone building a small,
network connected system.  I'm thinking there'd be value in reflecting
in the layer itself by being a separate repo that can be cloned
independent of the rest of meta-oe.

I can definitely see both sides of the debate, though.

> My larger concern with the networking layer, is what layers will it
> depend on? Will the layer dependencies change based on the distro
> features? This is the hardest thing to get right with layer grouping.

Agreed.  The intent is for it to not depend on any layers other than
oe-core.  The reality will likely be something short of that ideal,
but what I`ve been playing with as my proof-of-concept is nicely
self-contained.  You bring up a really good point, though, about layer
dependencies changing based on distro features.  I think that`s
something that we`d have to manage carefully.

-J.