Re: [docs] [PATCH v8] docs: cover devtool ide

[Michael Opdenacker <michael.opdenacker@bootlin.com>]

Hi Adrian

Many thanks for this update!

Just a few more comments and suggestions...

On 02.11.23 at 23:29, Adrian Freihofer wrote:
> Cover the new devtool ide plugin in the extensible sdk section.
>
> Many thanks to Enguerrand de Ribaucourt for his re-view and
> contributions.
>
> Signed-off-by: Adrian Freihofer <adrian.freihofer@siemens.com>
> ---
>   documentation/sdk-manual/extensible.rst | 121 +++++++++++++++++++++++-
>   1 file changed, 120 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/documentation/sdk-manual/extensible.rst b/documentation/sdk-manual/extensible.rst
> index 355c6cb0e4a..21eff792a27 100644
> --- a/documentation/sdk-manual/extensible.rst
> +++ b/documentation/sdk-manual/extensible.rst
> @@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ their own pros and cons:
>      need to provide a well-functioning binary artefact cache over the network
>      for developers with underpowered laptops.
>   
> +.. _setting_up_ext_sdk_in_build:
> +
>   Setting up the Extensible SDK environment directly in a Yocto build
>   -------------------------------------------------------------------
>   
> @@ -230,13 +232,15 @@ all the commands.
>      See the ":doc:`/ref-manual/devtool-reference`"
>      section in the Yocto Project Reference Manual.
>   
> -Three ``devtool`` subcommands provide entry-points into development:
> +``devtool`` subcommands provide entry-points into development:
>   
>   -  *devtool add*: Assists in adding new software to be built.
>   
>   -  *devtool modify*: Sets up an environment to enable you to modify
>      the source of an existing component.

to let you modify?
This sounds lighter.

>   
> +-  *devtool ide*: Generates a configuration for an IDE.
> +
>   -  *devtool upgrade*: Updates an existing recipe so that you can
>      build it for an updated set of source files.
>   
> @@ -614,6 +618,121 @@ command:
>         decide you do not want to proceed with your work. If you do use this
>         command, realize that the source tree is preserved.
>   
> +Use ``devtool ide`` to generate a configuration for the IDE
> +-----------------------------------------------------------
> +
> +``devtool ide`` automatically configures IDEs for cross-compiling and remote debugging.
> +To make sure that all parts of the eSDK required by the generated IDE configuration are
> +available, ``devtool ide`` uses bitbake in the background to bootstrap the SDK.
BitBake
> +
> +#. *Recipe mode*: Generate the IDE configuration for a workspace created by ``devtool modify``.
> +
> +   In order to use the tool, a few settings must be made.

"make a setting" sounds fuzzy.

What about "a few variables must be set"?

> +   As a starting example, the following lines of code can be added to the ``local.conf`` file::
> +
> +      # Build the companion debug file system
> +      IMAGE_GEN_DEBUGFS = "1"
> +      # Optimize build time: with devtool ide the dbg tar is not needed
> +      IMAGE_FSTYPES_DEBUGFS = ""
> +
> +      # ssh is mandatory, no password simplifies the usage
> +      EXTRA_IMAGE_FEATURES += "\
> +         ssh-server-openssh \
> +         debug-tweaks \
> +      "
> +
> +      # Remote debugging needs the gdbserver on the target device
> +      IMAGE_INSTALL:append = " gdbserver"
> +
> +   Assuming the development environment is set up correctly and a workspace has been created
> +   for the recipe using ``devtool modify recipe``, the following command can create the
> +   SDK and the configuration for VSCode in the recipe workspace::
> +
> +      $ devtool ide recipe core-image-minimal --target root@192.168.7.2
> +
> +   The command requires an image recipe that is used to create the SDK.
> +   This firmware image should also be installed on the target device.
> +   It is possible to pass multiple package recipes.
> +   ``devtool ide`` tries to create an IDE configuration for all package recipes.
> +
> +   Exactly what this command does depends on the recipe respectively on the build tool used by
> +   the recipe. The basic idea is to configure the IDE so that it calls the build tool exactly
> +   as ``bitbake`` does.

s/``bitbake``/BitBake/

We are talking about the tool in general, not the particular executable 
for the command line.

> +
> +   For example, a CMake preset is created for a recipe that inherits :ref:`ref-classes-cmake`.
> +   In the case of VSCode, CMake presets are supported by the CMake Tools plugin.
> +   This is an example of how the build configuration used by ``bitbake`` is exported to an IDE

BitBake

> +   configuration that gives exactly the same build results.
> +
> +   Support for remote debugging with seamless integration into the IDE is important for a cross-SDK.
> +   ``devtool ide`` automatically generates the necessary helper scripts for deploying the compiled
> +   artifacts to the target device as well as the necessary configuration for the debugger and the IDE.
> +
> +   .. note::
> +
> +      To ensure that the debug symbols on the build machine match the binaries running on the target device,
> +      it is essential that the image built by ``devtool ide`` is running on the target device.
> +
> +   ``devtool ide`` aims to support multiple programming languages and multiple IDEs natively.
> +   Native means that the IDE is configured to call the build tool (e.g. CMake or Meson) directly.
s/Native/Natively/
> +   This has several advantages. First of all, it is much faster than ``devtool build``, for example.
> +   But it also allows to use the very good integration of tools like CMake or GDB directly with VSCode or other IDEs.
> +   However, supporting many programming languages and multiple IDEs is quite an elaborate and constantly evolving thing.
> +   To handle combinations that are not natively supported, ``devtool ide`` creates a configuration that falls back
> +   to ``devtool build`` and ``devtool deploy-target`` if there is no native support available.
> +
> +   The default IDE is VSCode. Some hints about using VSCode:
> +
> +   - To work with CMake press ``Ctrl + Shift + p``, type ``cmake``.
> +     This will show some possible commands like selecting a CMake preset, compiling or running CTest.
> +     Cross-compiled unit tests are executed transparently with qemu-user.

``qemu-user``

> +
> +   - To work with Meson press ``Ctrl + Shift + p``, type ``meson``.
> +     This will show some possible commands like compiling or executing the unit tests.
> +
> +   - For the deployment to the target device, just press ``Ctrl + Shift + p``, type ``task``.
> +     Select the ``install & deploy task``.
> +
> +   - For remote debugging, switch to the debugging view by pressing the "play" button with the ``bug icon`` on the left side.
> +     This will provide a green play button with a drop-down list where a debug configuration can be selected.
> +     After selecting one of the generated configurations, press the "play" button.
> +
> +     Starting a remote debugging sesssion automatically initiates the deployment to the target device.
s/sesssion/session/
> +     If this is not desired, the ``"dependsOn": ["install && deploy-target...]`` parameter of the tasks
> +     with ``"label": "gdbserver start...`` can be removed from the ``tasks.json`` file.
> +
> +   Additionally ``--ide=none`` is supported.
> +   With the none IDE parameter some generic configurations files like ``.gdbinit`` files and some helper scripts
> +   starting the gdbserver remotely on the target device as well as the gdb client on the host are generated.

s/the gdbserver/``gdbserver``/
s/gdb client/GDB client/

> +
> +#. *Shared sysroots mode*: Generate the IDE configuration for using a cross-toolchain as provided by
> +   ``bitbake meta-ide-support build-sysroots``.
> +
> +   For some special recipes and use cases a per-recipe sysroot based SDK is not suitable.
> +   Therefore ``devtool ide`` also supports setting up the shared sysroots environment and generating
> +   IDE configurations referring to the shared sysroots. Recipes leading to a shared sysroot
> +   are for example ``meta-ide-support`` or ``shared-sysroots``.
> +   Also passing ``none`` as a recipe name leads to a shared sysroot SDK::
> +
> +      $ devtool ide none core-image-minimal
> +
> +   For VSCode the cross-tool-chain is exposed as a CMake kit. CMake kits are defined in
> +   ``~/.local/share/CMakeTools/cmake-tools-kits.json``.
> +   The following example shows how the cross-toolchain can be selected in VSCode.
> +   Fist of all we create a CMake project and start VSCode::
> +
> +      mkdir kit-test
> +      echo "project(foo VERSION 1.0)" > kit-test/CMakeLists.txt
> +      code kit-test
> +
> +   If there is a CMake project in the workspace cross-compilation is supported:
> +
> +   - Press ``Ctrl + Shift + P``, type ``CMake: Scan for Kits``
> +   - Press ``Ctrl + Shift + P``, type ``CMake: Select a Kit``
> +
> +   For other IDEs than VSCode ``devtool ide none ...`` is just a simple wrapper for the
> +   setup of the extensible SDK as described in :ref:`setting_up_ext_sdk_in_build`.
> +
>   Use ``devtool upgrade`` to Create a Version of the Recipe that Supports a Newer Version of the Software
>   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


That was all.
Thanks for letting us know when your series gets merged (crossing fingers).

Thanks again!
Michael.

-- 
Michael Opdenacker, Bootlin
Embedded Linux and Kernel engineering
https://bootlin.com