Re: [OE-core] [PATCH v4] util-linux: split uuid in separate recipe to allow bootstrapping

["Richard Purdie" <richard.purdie@linuxfoundation.org>]

On Wed, 2021-01-20 at 12:13 +1300, Paul Eggleton wrote:
> On Wednesday, 20 January 2021 09:52:41 NZDT Richard Purdie wrote:
> > I think the one remaining issue here is the need to change the DEPENDS
> > of so many other recipes, likely not just here in this patch but in
> > other layers. I think if util-linux DEPENDS on util-linux-uuid that
> > might remove the need for those changes? That should still allow you to
> > break the circular dependency problem?
> 
> I have to admit to a gap in my own knowledge of how our build system handles 
> transitive dependencies. Of course the recipe sysroot should still get 
> everything it needs in it even if the dependency is only indirectly included, 
> in the back of my mind I have the impression that there are expectations that 
> all dependencies are explicitly called out and there are subtle issues if they 
> aren't, but that could be a mistaken impression on my part.

I do wonder a little about that as well. As you say, sysroot
dependencies should handle this. Anything linking against libuuid
should also establish an package level runtime dependency through the
linkage so I think this should work.

We definitely don't explicitly list every dependency in every recipe.

If this can work, it makes the migration path for people easier so I
think its at least worth investigating/testing.

Just while I'm thinking, the PACKAGES_remove also bothers me a little.
Can we rearrange the variables so libuuid is only added in the libuuid
recipe variant?

[the idea being that since we control the metadata in oe-core, we
shouldn't need to use _remove and can restructure so we don't need to,
they're hard to undo. I know we do use it in places sadly even in core]

> > I suspect libuuid should really be maintained/built as a separate
> > software project given the dependency problems but that isn't my
> > decision, we just have to deal with it.
> 
> I agree that it would be better being separate, FWIW.
> 
> > I am also worried this is going to break AUH and mean we have to
> > manually handle this recipe but again, I suspect there is little to be
> > done and we just have to deal with it.
> 
> Could we perhaps fix the AUH to handle this properly? Do we need some kind of 
> mechanism to get it to always upgrade the two recipes together or is that only 
> part of the issue?

I don't know for sure that AUH won't handle it, I just worry about it.
If it doesn't it definitely could be something we could fix there. I
just don't know of anyone with the time to spend on what is a marginal
corner case if it doesn't work.

Cheers,

Richard