[OE-core] Linux kernel build dependency of 'bc'

[Otavio Salvador]

On Thu, Jun 6, 2013 at 1:12 PM, Chris Larson <clarson at kergoth.com> wrote:

> On Thu, Jun 6, 2013 at 9:08 AM, Paul Eggleton <
> paul.eggleton at linux.intel.com> wrote:
>
>> On Thursday 06 June 2013 12:11:04 Otavio Salvador wrote:
>> > I got a build failure in my auto builder; it has a very lean system
>> install
>> > and it spot something it is new for me. It seems the kernel now depends
>> on
>> > 'bc' util.
>> >
>> > I tried to find a 'bc-native'  and couldn't find so I'd like to know if
>> it
>> > is a known issue and if someone is already working in a 'bc-native'
>> recipe
>> > to proper fix the issue.
>>
>> We used to have bc in our list of required host packages in the Yocto
>> Project
>> quick start guide, but after some testing a few versions ago I removed it
>> because it didn't seem to be needed. FWIW I don't have it installed on my
>> primary build machine and I haven't noticed any problems as a result.
>>
>> Rather than creating bc-native I think we should find out where the
>> dependency
>> on bc exists and try to patch it out (if practical); if it really is
>> needed
>> and too hard to remove, we can just add bc to the list of required host
>> packages. I hope that's not the case though.
>>
>
> Apparently Peter Anvin added use of bc to avoid the dependency on perl.
> Multiple other distros got bit by this added dep (gentoo, linux from
> scratch, etc). Rob Landley was not too happy about it (he had perl removal
> patches for the kernel which didn't require bc):
>
> "The perl removal patches are finally upstream! But Peter Anvin's quest to
> unnecessarily complicate the kernel build continues, he replaced one with
> "bc" which is a turing-complete programming language that's so seldom used
> busybox hasn't got it. His patch broke Linux From Scratch (they had to add
> bc to chapter 5; in the past 12 years it's never been there). I have no
> idea _why_ he did this since the C implementation I contributed was
> actually smaller and simpler than what he wrote. Oh well."
>

I think it is easier to have bc-native;  this avoids one host dependency
and allow for update on it if need.

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