Re: [docs] Description of BBPATH in BB user manual seems ... wrong

["Robert P. J. Day" <rpjday@crashcourse.ca>]

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On Tue, 16 Mar 2021, Quentin Schulz wrote:

> On Mon, Mar 15, 2021 at 04:19:02PM -0400, Robert P. J. Day wrote:
> > On Mon, 15 Mar 2021, Quentin Schulz wrote:
> >
> > > Hi Robert,
> > >
> > > On Mon, Mar 15, 2021 at 09:05:53AM -0400, Robert P. J. Day wrote:
> > > >
> > > >   Section 3.4.1 of BB manual:
> > > >
> > > > https://docs.yoctoproject.org/bitbake/bitbake-user-manual/bitbake-user-manual-metadata.html#locating-include-and-class-files
> > > >
> > > > "BitBake uses the BBPATH variable to locate needed include and class
> > > > files. Additionally, BitBake searches the current directory for
> > > > include and require directives.
> > > >
> > > > ... snip ..
> > > >
> > > > "In order for include and class files to be found by BitBake, they
> > > > need to be located in a “classes” subdirectory that can be found in
> > > > BBPATH."
> > > >
> > > >   first, is BBPATH not used for finding conf files as well? and the
> > >
> > > Yes it is.
> > >
> > > > wording of that second paragraph suggests that include files need to
> > > > be in a classes subdirectory to be found, which i'm pretty sure isn't
> > > > true.
> > > >
> > >
> > > I think what was meant by "include" files are conf files.... which
> > > (probably) technically are include files to Yocto PoV.
> > >
> > > Not entirely sure but I think Yocto includes all appropriate conf files
> > > to create the "base" "environment" of all recipes.
> > >
> > > basically, stuff on top of bitbake.conf and what is the environment
> > > being reset to between tasks/recipes.
> > >
> > > Those are guesses though.
> >
> >   well, i think that wording in the BB user manual is at least a
> > little misleading, but if others think it's sufficiently clear, i'll
> > shut up about it.
> >
>
> I agree with you. Don't know how to reword though.
>
> Something like what's in YP docs for example:
> https://docs.yoctoproject.org/ref-manual/variables.html#term-BBPATH
>
> Where include files are replaced by configuration files. I guess we
> could explicit BBPATH represents the parent directory of classes/
> and conf/ directories where bbclasses and configuration files such
> as machine, distro, layer configuration files are.
>
> My 2¢ on this :)

  i'll give it some thought. in my experience, ambiguity like this is
generally the result of not having laid the groundwork properly. after
i went back and reviewed the early stuff, i've concluded that section
1.3, "Concepts":

https://docs.yoctoproject.org/bitbake/bitbake-user-manual/bitbake-user-manual-intro.html#concepts

could be reworded. really, that entire section could be rewritten as
"Files", or at least there should be a section entitled "Files" that
describes (with actual examples) the various file types and their
relationships before going any further.

  anyway, i will ponder ...

rday