Re: [docs] [PATCH v2 3/5] doc: bitbake-user-manual-ref-variables: expand and reorganize BBMASK explanations

["Antonin Godard" <antonin.godard@bootlin.com>]

Hi,

On Tue Feb 17, 2026 at 12:52 PM CET, Quentin Schulz wrote:
> Hi Antonin,
>
> On 2/17/26 11:18 AM, Antonin Godard wrote:
>> Hi,
>> 
>> On Mon Feb 16, 2026 at 11:36 AM CET, Quentin Schulz via lists.yoctoproject.org wrote:
>>> From: Quentin Schulz <quentin.schulz@cherry.de>
>>>
>>> The documentation doesn't explain the side-effect of putting a leading
>>> slash, only the trailing slash.
>>>
>>> The leading slash is not for making the regular expression match an
>>> absolute path, but to force the match on the directory or file that
>>> exactly starts (and ends if there is a trailing slash) with the
>>> specified string. So let's explain that.
>>>
>>> This also explains that this doesn't prevent more than the intended path
>>> to be caught, specifically because it is NOT a regular expression
>>> matching an absolute path.
>>>
>>> Because any pattern not starting with a ^ character can match multiple
>>> directories from multiple directories, let's make the usage of
>>> BBFILE_PATTERN_my-layer the recommended one. Keep the rest as hints at
>>> what can happen when not using but reiterate what users should be using.
>>>
>>> Reported-by: Robert P. J. Day <rpjday@crashcourse.ca>
>>> Signed-off-by: Quentin Schulz <quentin.schulz@cherry.de>
>>> ---
>>>   .../bitbake-user-manual-ref-variables.rst          | 87 +++++++++++++++++++---
>>>   1 file changed, 78 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)
>>>
>>> diff --git a/doc/bitbake-user-manual/bitbake-user-manual-ref-variables.rst b/doc/bitbake-user-manual/bitbake-user-manual-ref-variables.rst
>>> index f20a9012c..06e1112b5 100644
>>> --- a/doc/bitbake-user-manual/bitbake-user-manual-ref-variables.rst
>>> +++ b/doc/bitbake-user-manual/bitbake-user-manual-ref-variables.rst
>>> @@ -1052,24 +1052,93 @@ overview of their function and contents.
>>>   
>>>         The following example uses a complete regular expression to tell
>>>         BitBake to ignore all recipe and recipe append files in
>>> -      ``meta-ti/recipes-misc/`` directories (and their subdirectories)::
>>> +      ``recipes-bsp`` directory (recursively) of ``meta-ti``::
>>>   
>>> -         BBMASK = "/meta-ti/recipes-misc/"
>>> +         BBMASK = "${BBFILE_PATTERN_meta-ti}/recipes-bsp/"
>>>   
>>>         If you want to mask out multiple directories or recipes, you can
>>>         specify multiple regular expression fragments. This next example
>>>         masks out multiple directories and individual recipes::
>>>   
>>> -         BBMASK += "/meta-ti/recipes-ti/packagegroup/"
>>> -         BBMASK += "/meta-oe/recipes-support/"
>>> -         BBMASK += "/meta-foo/.*/openldap"
>>> -         BBMASK += "opencv.*\.bbappend"
>>> -         BBMASK += "lzma"
>>> +         BBMASK += "${BBFILE_PATTERN_meta-ti}/recipes-graphics/libgal/"
>>> +         BBMASK += "${BBFILE_PATTERN_openembedded-layer}/recipes-support/"
>>> +         BBMASK += "${BBFILE_PATTERN_openembedded-layer}/.*/openldap"
>>> +         BBMASK += "${BBFILE_PATTERN_meta-ti}/.*/optee.*\.bbappend"
>>> +
>>> +      This masks the ``recipes-graphics/libgal/`` from ``meta-ti``, everything
>>> +      under ``recipes-support`` in ``meta-oe``, every directory or file whose
>>> +      name starts with ``openldap`` in ``meta-oe`` at any directory depth > 1
>>> +      (e.g. in ``meta-oe``, ``recipes-foo/openldap-stuff/`` or
>>> +      ``recipes-bar/baz/openldap_0.1.bb`` but not ``openldap/``), every append
>>> +      file in ``meta-ti`` at any directory depth > 1 (e.g.
>> 
>> s/every append file/every append file starting with ``optee``/ ?
>> 
>
> I'm going for:
>
> every append file whose name starts with ``optee`` in
>
> does that work for you?

Works for me!

>>> +      ``optee/optee-examples_%.bbappend`` and
>>> +      ``recipes-security/optee/optee-client_%.bbappend``).
>>>   
>>>         .. note::
>>>   
>>> -         When specifying a directory name, use the trailing slash character
>>> -         to ensure you match just that directory name.
>>> +         Because these are complete regular expressions, if you want to match a
>>> +         directory and not a file, you must end the expression with a trailing
>>> +         slash. That is::
>>> +
>>> +            BBMASK += "${BBFILE_PATTERN_meta-ti}/recipes-graphics/libgal/"
>>> +
>>> +         Will match anything under ``recipes-graphics/ligbal/`` directory of
>>> +         ``meta-ti``. And::
>>> +
>>> +            BBMASK += "${BBFILE_PATTERN_meta-ti}/recipes-graphics/libgal"
>>> +
>>> +         Will match in ``meta-ti`` any file prefixed with ``libgal`` in
>>> +         ``recipes-graphics/`` and any directory (recursively; and its
>>> +         recipes and recipe append files regardless how they are named) prefixed
>>> +         with ``libgal`` in ``recipes-graphics/``. That is, provided your layers
>>> +         are available at ``/build/layers/``, it'll match::
>> 
>> s/build/builds/
>> 
>
> Mmmm.. Now to come to think of it, should I use
>
> /bitbake-builds/poky-master-poky-distro_poky-machine_qemux86-64/layers/

I think the default name should be "poky-master" now (doc needs an update).

> instead? It would match the instructions in 
> doc/bitbake-user-manual/bitbake-user-manual-environment-setup.rst (but 
> it'll make for very long lines :/).

So /bitbake-builds/poky-master/layers/ is reasonable I think

Antonin