[PATCH v2] dev-manual: mention that "bmap-tools" is transitional package

[PATCH v2] dev-manual: mention that "bmap-tools" is transitional package

[Robert P. J. Day]

For modern Debian and Ubuntu releases, mention that the "bmap-tools"
package is transitional to the newer "bmaptool" package.

Signed-off-by: Robert P. J. Day <rpjday@crashcourse.ca>

---

  sorry about the earlier typo in the subject line

diff --git a/documentation/dev-manual/bmaptool.rst b/documentation/dev-manual/bmaptool.rst
index 87162a49c..1e5ad2bba 100644
--- a/documentation/dev-manual/bmaptool.rst
+++ b/documentation/dev-manual/bmaptool.rst
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ system image files much faster.

          $ bitbake bmaptool-native -caddto_recipe_sysroot

+   -  Finally, in modern Ubuntu and Debian releases, the ``bmap-tools``
+      package is a transitional package; it exists solely to ensure
+      backward compatibility and smooth upgrades from older installations.
+      You can safely remove it and install the active package, ``bmaptool``,
+      which contains the actual utilities for flashing block images.
+
 Following, is an example that shows how to flash a Wic image. Realize
 that while this example uses a Wic image, you can use `bmaptool` to flash
 any type of image. Use these steps to flash an image using `bmaptool`:

Re: [docs] [PATCH v2] dev-manual: mention that "bmap-tools" is transitional package

[Quentin Schulz]

Hi Robert,

On 6/11/26 5:34 PM, Robert P. J. Day via lists.yoctoproject.org wrote:
> 
> For modern Debian and Ubuntu releases, mention that the "bmap-tools"
> package is transitional to the newer "bmaptool" package.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Robert P. J. Day <rpjday@crashcourse.ca>
> 
> ---
> 
>    sorry about the earlier typo in the subject line
> 
> diff --git a/documentation/dev-manual/bmaptool.rst b/documentation/dev-manual/bmaptool.rst
> index 87162a49c..1e5ad2bba 100644
> --- a/documentation/dev-manual/bmaptool.rst
> +++ b/documentation/dev-manual/bmaptool.rst
> @@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ system image files much faster.
> 
>            $ bitbake bmaptool-native -caddto_recipe_sysroot
> 
> +   -  Finally, in modern Ubuntu and Debian releases, the ``bmap-tools``
> +      package is a transitional package; it exists solely to ensure
> +      backward compatibility and smooth upgrades from older installations.
> +      You can safely remove it and install the active package, ``bmaptool``,
> +      which contains the actual utilities for flashing block images.
> +

Just list this in the first bullet point which is related to Ubuntu and 
Debian distributions?

I could see switching the default package to install from bmap-tools to 
bmaptool and add a note (Sphinx note) that on older releases, it was 
named bmap-tools so install that package instead.

Note that Fedora 43+ has bmap-tools, and Leap 16+ 
python3-bmap-tools/python3-bmaptools.

Cheers,
Quentin

Re: [docs] [PATCH v2] dev-manual: mention that "bmap-tools" is transitional package

[Robert P. J. Day]

On Fri, 19 Jun 2026, Quentin Schulz wrote:

> Hi Robert,
>
> On 6/11/26 5:34 PM, Robert P. J. Day via lists.yoctoproject.org wrote:
> >
> > For modern Debian and Ubuntu releases, mention that the "bmap-tools"
> > package is transitional to the newer "bmaptool" package.
> >
> > Signed-off-by: Robert P. J. Day <rpjday@crashcourse.ca>
> >
> > ---
> >
> >    sorry about the earlier typo in the subject line
> >
> > diff --git a/documentation/dev-manual/bmaptool.rst
> > b/documentation/dev-manual/bmaptool.rst
> > index 87162a49c..1e5ad2bba 100644
> > --- a/documentation/dev-manual/bmaptool.rst
> > +++ b/documentation/dev-manual/bmaptool.rst
> > @@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ system image files much faster.
> >
> >            $ bitbake bmaptool-native -caddto_recipe_sysroot
> >
> > +   -  Finally, in modern Ubuntu and Debian releases, the ``bmap-tools``
> > +      package is a transitional package; it exists solely to ensure
> > +      backward compatibility and smooth upgrades from older installations.
> > +      You can safely remove it and install the active package,
> > ``bmaptool``,
> > +      which contains the actual utilities for flashing block images.
> > +
>
> Just list this in the first bullet point which is related to Ubuntu and Debian
> distributions?
>
> I could see switching the default package to install from bmap-tools to
> bmaptool and add a note (Sphinx note) that on older releases, it was named
> bmap-tools so install that package instead.
>
> Note that Fedora 43+ has bmap-tools, and Leap 16+
> python3-bmap-tools/python3-bmaptools.

  my patch was already merged into master-next, but i like your
suggestion so if antonin thinks it's worth it, he can revert that
earlier patch and i can do it your way.

rday

Re: [docs] [PATCH v2] dev-manual: mention that "bmap-tools" is transitional package

[Antonin Godard]

On Fri Jun 19, 2026 at 8:32 PM CEST, Robert P. J. Day wrote:
> On Fri, 19 Jun 2026, Quentin Schulz wrote:
[...]
>> > +   -  Finally, in modern Ubuntu and Debian releases, the ``bmap-tools``
>> > +      package is a transitional package; it exists solely to ensure
>> > +      backward compatibility and smooth upgrades from older installations.
>> > +      You can safely remove it and install the active package,
>> > ``bmaptool``,
>> > +      which contains the actual utilities for flashing block images.
>> > +
>>
>> Just list this in the first bullet point which is related to Ubuntu and Debian
>> distributions?
>>
>> I could see switching the default package to install from bmap-tools to
>> bmaptool and add a note (Sphinx note) that on older releases, it was named
>> bmap-tools so install that package instead.
>>
>> Note that Fedora 43+ has bmap-tools, and Leap 16+
>> python3-bmap-tools/python3-bmaptools.
>
>   my patch was already merged into master-next, but i like your
> suggestion so if antonin thinks it's worth it, he can revert that
> earlier patch and i can do it your way.

I dropped it, I also like Quentin's suggestion.

Thanks both,
Antonin