[Buildroot] Creating a stable Buildroot release

[Buildroot] Creating a stable Buildroot release

[Ulf Samuelsson]

Since this was brought up, I think I'd better share my views.

?I think we should separate the build of the toolchain
and at the end of the toolchain build, we
should create files which gets included by 
the Buildroot file system Configs and Makefiles.

Possibly we should require a certain combination
of toolchain configs for a distribution.

For each stable version, I believe we should select *one*
version of each package and stay with that version.
We should not have to test multiple combinations 
We need to support a development version as well.

At the moment, we only know if a package is old, by
the disappearance of its tarball from Internet.
Would be good if someone figured out a way to
detect new packages.

Using a single version probably means that we need 
to have several makefiles
adn Config files for each package.
One per distribution.


?package--><package1>--><V1.0>-> <package1>.mk
				Config.in
       --><package2>--><V1.0>-> <package2>.mk
				Config.in

	...


        --><packagen>--><V1.0>-> <packagen>.mk
				 Config.in



When you release a new distribution, this becomes:

?package--><package1>--><V1.0>-> <package1>.mk
				Config.in
?			<V2.0>-> <package1>.mk
?				 Config.in
       --><package2>--><V1.0>-> <package2>.mk
				Config.in
?			 <V2.0>-> <package2>.mk
				? Config.in

	...


        --><packagen>--><V1.0>-> <packagen>.mk
				Config.in
?			 <V2.0>-> <packagen>.mk
?				 Config.in

One way to implement this is to maintain
files of package versions.
Alternatively, you store the info in each directory.

Ideally you would want to have a conditional include
but maybe we can achieve this using links.

include "versions"
foreach package
	ln -s distrib-1.0/socat repo/socat/?$(SOCAT_VERSION)
ln -s package distrib-1.0

Once we have a working distribution, we should be very careful
on checking in changes, and we should not update package
versions.
That could be done in release candidates in separate directories
under the main package directory.



Best Regards
Ulf Samuelsson

[Buildroot] Creating a stable Buildroot release

[Daniel]

Dear All:
    I'm new to buildroot. 
    I think a stable release is good for future maintainment. Recently, I have browsed the website, but you know, as a fresh-man, 
it's better to get some step by step reference to add packages, libs, cross-compile tools and special features into the buildroot.

Since we have so many packages, libs and udapted features avaliable. The best way is to tell people how to do their work much easier and efficient
rather do the work for them. As there are so many updates everyday.

So I really think a stable release + multipule step by step document is a good idea. And this kind of idea can let engineer all over the world to join
the buildroot project, what do u think? :)

BTW, can anyone help to send some documents to me, which can simple tell me how to step by step setup the build root environment. Thx~~
	

======= 2009-01-04 06:35:12 written in your letter?=======

>Since this was brought up, I think I'd better share my views.
>
>?I think we should separate the build of the toolchain
>and at the end of the toolchain build, we
>should create files which gets included by 
>the Buildroot file system Configs and Makefiles.
>
>Possibly we should require a certain combination
>of toolchain configs for a distribution.
>
>For each stable version, I believe we should select *one*
>version of each package and stay with that version.
>We should not have to test multiple combinations 
>We need to support a development version as well.
>
>At the moment, we only know if a package is old, by
>the disappearance of its tarball from Internet.
>Would be good if someone figured out a way to
>detect new packages.
>
>Using a single version probably means that we need 
>to have several makefiles
>adn Config files for each package.
>One per distribution.
>
>
>?package--><package1>--><V1.0>-> <package1>.mk
>				Config.in
>       --><package2>--><V1.0>-> <package2>.mk
>				Config.in
>
>	...
>
>
>        --><packagen>--><V1.0>-> <packagen>.mk
>				 Config.in
>
>
>
>When you release a new distribution, this becomes:
>
>?package--><package1>--><V1.0>-> <package1>.mk
>				Config.in
>?			<V2.0>-> <package1>.mk
>?				 Config.in
>       --><package2>--><V1.0>-> <package2>.mk
>				Config.in
>?			 <V2.0>-> <package2>.mk
>				? Config.in
>
>	...
>
>
>        --><packagen>--><V1.0>-> <packagen>.mk
>				Config.in
>?			 <V2.0>-> <packagen>.mk
>?				 Config.in
>
>One way to implement this is to maintain
>files of package versions.
>Alternatively, you store the info in each directory.
>
>Ideally you would want to have a conditional include
>but maybe we can achieve this using links.
>
>include "versions"
>foreach package
>	ln -s distrib-1.0/socat repo/socat/?$(SOCAT_VERSION)
>ln -s package distrib-1.0
>
>Once we have a working distribution, we should be very careful
>on checking in changes, and we should not update package
>versions.
>That could be done in release candidates in separate directories
>under the main package directory.
>
>
>
>Best Regards
>Ulf Samuelsson
>
>_______________________________________________
>buildroot mailing list
>buildroot at busybox.net
>http://lists.busybox.net/mailman/listinfo/buildroot

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
			

????????Sincerely yours,
 
				 
????????Daniel Li
????????2009-01-04