[PATCH] ref-manual: add intro content to Ref Manual "Tasks" section

[PATCH] ref-manual: add intro content to Ref Manual "Tasks" section

[Robert P. J. Day]

As in done in the "Classes" section, add a couple paragraphs to
explain how the developer can examine the tasks for a recipe.

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

---

diff --git a/documentation/ref-manual/tasks.rst b/documentation/ref-manual/tasks.rst
index e6301e708..7c8bd0a82 100644
--- a/documentation/ref-manual/tasks.rst
+++ b/documentation/ref-manual/tasks.rst
@@ -9,6 +9,35 @@ tasks to complete configuring, compiling, and packaging software. This
 chapter provides a reference of the tasks defined in the OpenEmbedded
 build system.

+To see the tasks defined (in alphabetical order) for a given recipe,
+you can run:
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+   $ bitbake -c listtasks recipename
+   do_build                              Default task for a recipe - depends on all other normal tasks required to 'build' a recipe
+   do_checkuri                           Validates the SRC_URI value
+   do_clean                              Removes all output files for a target
+   do_cleanall                           Removes all output files, shared state cache, and downloaded source files for a target
+   do_cleansstate                        Removes all output files and shared state cache for a target
+   do_compile                            Compiles the source in the compilation directory
+   .. etc etc ...
+
+In addition, once a recipe has been built, you can find in that recipe's
+``${WORKDIR}/temp/`` directory not only all of the "run" and "log" files
+for every task executed for that recipe, but a ``log.task_order`` file
+that lists the order of execution of those tasks:
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+   $ cat log.task_order
+   20260626-045459.439754 do_fetch (3798706): log.do_fetch.3798706
+   20260626-045459.805253 do_unpack (3798765): log.do_unpack.3798765
+   20260626-045501.005518 do_patch (3798918): log.do_patch.3798918
+   20260626-045501.012781 do_prepare_recipe_sysroot (3798919): log.do_prepare_recipe_sysroot.3798919
+   20260626-045501.210527 do_populate_lic (3798933): log.do_populate_lic.3798933
+   ... etc etc ...
+
 Normal Recipe Build Tasks
 =========================

Re: [docs] [PATCH] ref-manual: add intro content to Ref Manual "Tasks" section

[Antonin Godard]

Hi,

On Fri Jun 26, 2026 at 11:11 AM CEST, Robert P. J. Day wrote:
>
> As in done in the "Classes" section, add a couple paragraphs to
> explain how the developer can examine the tasks for a recipe.
>
> Signed-off-by: Robert P. J. Day <rpjday@crashcourse.ca>
>
> ---
>
> diff --git a/documentation/ref-manual/tasks.rst b/documentation/ref-manual/tasks.rst
> index e6301e708..7c8bd0a82 100644
> --- a/documentation/ref-manual/tasks.rst
> +++ b/documentation/ref-manual/tasks.rst
> @@ -9,6 +9,35 @@ tasks to complete configuring, compiling, and packaging software. This
>  chapter provides a reference of the tasks defined in the OpenEmbedded
>  build system.
>
> +To see the tasks defined (in alphabetical order) for a given recipe,
> +you can run:
> +
> +.. code-block:: console
> +
> +   $ bitbake -c listtasks recipename
> +   do_build                              Default task for a recipe - depends on all other normal tasks required to 'build' a recipe
> +   do_checkuri                           Validates the SRC_URI value
> +   do_clean                              Removes all output files for a target
> +   do_cleanall                           Removes all output files, shared state cache, and downloaded source files for a target
> +   do_cleansstate                        Removes all output files and shared state cache for a target
> +   do_compile                            Compiles the source in the compilation directory
> +   .. etc etc ...

Nitpick, but I think "..." is enough.

> +
> +In addition, once a recipe has been built, you can find in that recipe's
> +``${WORKDIR}/temp/`` directory not only all of the "run" and "log" files

It would be nice to also explain what those "run" and "log" files are. Right
now, the phrasing implies that the reader already knows what they are. Just a
quick sentence or a rephrasing would be better I think.

> +for every task executed for that recipe, but a ``log.task_order`` file
> +that lists the order of execution of those tasks:
> +
> +.. code-block:: console
> +
> +   $ cat log.task_order
> +   20260626-045459.439754 do_fetch (3798706): log.do_fetch.3798706
> +   20260626-045459.805253 do_unpack (3798765): log.do_unpack.3798765
> +   20260626-045501.005518 do_patch (3798918): log.do_patch.3798918
> +   20260626-045501.012781 do_prepare_recipe_sysroot (3798919): log.do_prepare_recipe_sysroot.3798919
> +   20260626-045501.210527 do_populate_lic (3798933): log.do_populate_lic.3798933
> +   ... etc etc ...
> +
>  Normal Recipe Build Tasks
>  =========================

Thanks!
Antonin

Re: [docs] [PATCH] ref-manual: add intro content to Ref Manual "Tasks" section

[Robert P. J. Day]

On Mon, 29 Jun 2026, Antonin Godard via lists.yoctoproject.org wrote:

> Hi,
>
> On Fri Jun 26, 2026 at 11:11 AM CEST, Robert P. J. Day wrote:
> >
> > As in done in the "Classes" section, add a couple paragraphs to
> > explain how the developer can examine the tasks for a recipe.
> >
> > Signed-off-by: Robert P. J. Day <rpjday@crashcourse.ca>
> >
> > ---
> >
> > diff --git a/documentation/ref-manual/tasks.rst b/documentation/ref-manual/tasks.rst
> > index e6301e708..7c8bd0a82 100644
> > --- a/documentation/ref-manual/tasks.rst
> > +++ b/documentation/ref-manual/tasks.rst
> > @@ -9,6 +9,35 @@ tasks to complete configuring, compiling, and packaging software. This
> >  chapter provides a reference of the tasks defined in the OpenEmbedded
> >  build system.
> >
> > +To see the tasks defined (in alphabetical order) for a given recipe,
> > +you can run:
> > +
> > +.. code-block:: console
> > +
> > +   $ bitbake -c listtasks recipename
> > +   do_build                              Default task for a recipe - depends on all other normal tasks required to 'build' a recipe
> > +   do_checkuri                           Validates the SRC_URI value
> > +   do_clean                              Removes all output files for a target
> > +   do_cleanall                           Removes all output files, shared state cache, and downloaded source files for a target
> > +   do_cleansstate                        Removes all output files and shared state cache for a target
> > +   do_compile                            Compiles the source in the compilation directory
> > +   .. etc etc ...
>
> Nitpick, but I think "..." is enough.

  ok, i'll do that next time. or would you prefer that tweak?

rday

Re: [docs] [PATCH] ref-manual: add intro content to Ref Manual "Tasks" section

[Antonin Godard]

Hi,

On Mon Jun 29, 2026 at 10:42 AM CEST, Robert P. J. Day wrote:
[...]
>> > +   do_compile                            Compiles the source in the compilation directory
>> > +   .. etc etc ...
>>
>> Nitpick, but I think "..." is enough.
>
>   ok, i'll do that next time. or would you prefer that tweak?

There's another comment I made regarding run and log files. So you can tweak
this in the v2?

Antonin

Re: [docs] [PATCH] ref-manual: add intro content to Ref Manual "Tasks" section

[Robert P. J. Day]

On Mon, 29 Jun 2026, Antonin Godard via lists.yoctoproject.org wrote:

> Hi,
>
> On Mon Jun 29, 2026 at 10:42 AM CEST, Robert P. J. Day wrote:
> [...]
> >> > +   do_compile                            Compiles the source in the compilation directory
> >> > +   .. etc etc ...
> >>
> >> Nitpick, but I think "..." is enough.
> >
> >   ok, i'll do that next time. or would you prefer that tweak?
>
> There's another comment I made regarding run and log files. So you can tweak
> this in the v2?

  ok, will get to that shortly.

rday