1Release 3.4 (honister)
2======================
3
4This section provides migration information for moving to the Yocto
5Project 3.4 Release (codename "honister") from the prior release.
6
7Override syntax changes
8-----------------------
9
10In this release, the ``:`` character replaces the use of ``_`` to
11refer to an override, most commonly when making a conditional assignment
12of a variable. This means that an entry like::
13
14   SRC_URI_qemux86 = "file://somefile"
15
16now becomes::
17
18   SRC_URI:qemux86 = "file://somefile"
19
20since ``qemux86`` is an override. This applies to any use of override
21syntax, so the following::
22
23   SRC_URI_append = " file://somefile"
24   SRC_URI_append_qemux86 = " file://somefile2"
25   SRC_URI_remove_qemux86-64 = " file://somefile3"
26   SRC_URI_prepend_qemuarm = "file://somefile4 "
27   FILES_${PN}-ptest = "${bindir}/xyz"
28   IMAGE_CMD_tar = "tar"
29   BASE_LIB_tune-cortexa76 = "lib"
30   SRCREV_pn-bash = "abc"
31   BB_TASK_NICE_LEVEL_task-testimage = '0'
32
33would now become::
34
35   SRC_URI:append = " file://somefile"
36   SRC_URI:append:qemux86 = " file://somefile2"
37   SRC_URI:remove:qemux86-64 = " file://somefile3"
38   SRC_URI:prepend:qemuarm = "file://somefile4 "
39   FILES:${PN}-ptest = "${bindir}/xyz"
40   IMAGE_CMD:tar = "tar"
41   BASE_LIB:tune-cortexa76 = "lib"
42   SRCREV:pn-bash = "abc"
43   BB_TASK_NICE_LEVEL:task-testimage = '0'
44
45This also applies to
46:ref:`variable queries to the datastore <bitbake:bitbake-user-manual/bitbake-user-manual-metadata:functions for accessing datastore variables>`,
47for example using ``getVar`` and similar so ``d.getVar("RDEPENDS_${PN}")``
48becomes ``d.getVar("RDEPENDS:${PN}")``.
49
50Whilst some of these are fairly obvious such as :term:`MACHINE` and :term:`DISTRO`
51overrides, some are less obvious, for example the packaging variables such as
52:term:`RDEPENDS`, :term:`FILES` and so on taking package names (e.g. ``${PN}``,
53``${PN}-ptest``) as overrides. These overrides are not always in
54:term:`OVERRIDES` but applied conditionally in specific contexts
55such as packaging. ``task-<taskname>`` is another context specific override, the
56context being specific tasks in that case. Tune overrides are another special
57case where some code does use them as overrides but some does not. We plan to try
58and make the tune code use overrides more consistently in the future.
59
60There are some variables which do not use override syntax which include the
61suffix to variables in ``layer.conf`` files such as :term:`BBFILE_PATTERN`,
62:term:`SRCREV`\ ``_xxx`` where ``xxx`` is a name from :term:`SRC_URI` and
63:term:`PREFERRED_VERSION`\ ``_xxx``. In particular, ``layer.conf`` suffixes
64may be the same as a :term:`DISTRO` override causing some confusion. We do
65plan to try and improve consistency as these issues are identified.
66
67To help with migration of layers, a script has been provided in OE-Core.
68Once configured with the overrides used by a layer, this can be run as::
69
70   <oe-core>/scripts/contrib/convert-overrides.py <layerdir>
71
72.. note::
73
74   Please read the notes in the script as it isn't entirely automatic and it isn't
75   expected to handle every case. In particular, it needs to be told which overrides
76   the layer uses (usually machine and distro names/overrides) and the result should
77   be carefully checked since it can be a little enthusiastic and will convert
78   references to ``_append``, ``_remove`` and ``_prepend`` in function and variable
79   names.
80
81For reference, this conversion is important as it allows BitBake to more reliably
82determine what is an override and what is not, as underscores are also used in
83variable names without intending to be overrides. This should allow us to proceed
84with other syntax improvements and simplifications for usability. It also means
85BitBake no longer has to guess and maintain large lookup lists just in case
86e.g. ``functionname`` in ``my_functionname`` is an override, and thus should improve
87efficiency.
88
89
90New host dependencies
91---------------------
92
93The ``lz4c``, ``pzstd`` and ``zstd`` commands are now required to be
94installed on the build host to support LZ4 and Zstandard compression
95functionality. These are typically provided by ``lz4`` and ``zstd``
96packages in most Linux distributions. Alternatively they are available
97as part of ``buildtools-tarball`` if your distribution does not provide
98them. For more information see
99:ref:`ref-manual/system-requirements:required packages for the build host`.
100
101
102Removed recipes
103---------------
104
105The following recipes have been removed in this release:
106
107- ``assimp``: problematic from a licensing perspective and no longer
108  needed by anything else
109- ``clutter-1.0``: legacy component moved to meta-gnome
110- ``clutter-gst-3.0``: legacy component moved to meta-gnome
111- ``clutter-gtk-1.0``: legacy component moved to meta-gnome
112- ``cogl-1.0``: legacy component moved to meta-gnome
113- ``core-image-clutter``: removed along with clutter
114- ``linux-yocto``: removed version 5.4 recipes (5.14 and 5.10 still
115  provided)
116- ``mklibs-native``: not actively tested and upstream mklibs still
117  requires Python 2
118- ``mx-1.0``: obsolete (last release 2012) and isn't used by anything in
119  any known layer
120- ``packagegroup-core-clutter``: removed along with clutter
121
122
123Removed classes
124---------------
125
126- ``clutter``: moved to meta-gnome along with clutter itself
127- ``image-mklibs``: not actively tested and upstream mklibs still
128  requires Python 2
129- ``meta``: no longer useful. Recipes that need to skip installing
130  packages should inherit ``nopackages`` instead.
131
132
133Prelinking disabled by default
134------------------------------
135
136Recent tests have shown that prelinking works only when PIE is not
137enabled (see `here <https://rlbl.me/prelink-1>`__ and `here <https://rlbl.me/prelink-2>`__),
138and as PIE is both a desirable security feature, and the only
139configuration provided and tested by the Yocto Project, there is
140simply no sense in continuing to enable prelink.
141
142There's also a concern that no one is maintaining the code, and there
143are open bugs (including `this serious one <https://bugzilla.yoctoproject.org/show_bug.cgi?id=14429>`__).
144Given that prelink does intricate address arithmetic and rewriting
145of binaries the best option is to disable the feature. It is recommended
146that you consider disabling this feature in your own configuration if
147it is currently enabled.
148
149
150Virtual runtime provides
151------------------------
152
153Recipes shouldn't use the ``virtual/`` string in :term:`RPROVIDES` and
154:term:`RDEPENDS` - it is confusing because ``virtual/`` has no special
155meaning in :term:`RPROVIDES` and :term:`RDEPENDS` (unlike in the
156corresponding build-time :term:`PROVIDES` and :term:`DEPENDS`).
157
158
159Tune files moved to architecture-specific directories
160-----------------------------------------------------
161
162The tune files found in ``conf/machine/include`` have now been moved
163into their respective architecture name directories under that same
164location; e.g. x86 tune files have moved into an ``x86`` subdirectory,
165MIPS tune files have moved into a ``mips`` subdirectory, etc.
166The ARM tunes have an extra level (``armv8a``, ``armv8m``, etc.) and
167some have been renamed to make them uniform with the rest of the tunes.
168See `this commit <http://git.yoctoproject.org/cgit/cgit.cgi/poky/commit/?id=1d381f21f5f13aa0c4e1a45683ed656ebeedd37d>`__
169for reference.
170
171If you have any references to tune files (e.g. in custom machine
172configuration files) they will need to be updated.
173
174
175Extensible SDK host extension
176-----------------------------
177
178For a normal SDK, some layers append to :term:`TOOLCHAIN_HOST_TASK`
179unconditionally which is fine, until the eSDK tries to override the
180variable to its own values. Instead of installing packages specified
181in this variable it uses native recipes instead - a very different
182approach. This has led to confusing errors when binaries are added
183to the SDK but not relocated.
184
185To avoid these issues, a new :term:`TOOLCHAIN_HOST_TASK_ESDK` variable has
186been created. If you wish to extend what is installed in the host
187portion of the eSDK then you will now need to set this variable.
188
189
190Package/recipe splitting
191------------------------
192
193- ``perl-cross`` has been split out from the main ``perl`` recipe to
194  its own ``perlcross`` recipe for maintenance reasons. If you have
195  bbappends for the perl recipe then these may need extending.
196
197- The ``wayland`` recipe now packages its binaries in a
198  ``wayland-tools`` package rather than putting them into
199  ``wayland-dev``.
200
201- Xwayland has been split out of the xserver-xorg tree and thus is now
202  in its own ``xwayland`` recipe. If you need Xwayland in your image
203  then you may now need to add it explicitly.
204
205- The ``rpm`` package no longer has ``rpm-build`` in its :term:`RRECOMMENDS`;
206  if by chance  you still need rpm package building functionality in
207  your image and you have not already done so then you should add
208  ``rpm-build`` to your image explicitly.
209
210- The Python ``statistics`` standard module is now packaged in its own
211  ``python3-statistics`` package instead of ``python3-misc`` as
212  previously.
213
214
215Image / SDK generation changes
216------------------------------
217
218- Recursive dependencies on the ``do_build`` task are now disabled when
219  building SDKs. These are generally not needed; in the unlikely event
220  that you do encounter problems then it will probably be as a result of
221  missing explicit dependencies that need to be added.
222
223- Errors during "complementary" package installation (e.g. for ``*-dbg``
224  and ``*-dev`` packages) during image construction are no longer
225  ignored. Historically some of these packages had installation problems,
226  that is no longer the case. In the unlikely event that you see errors
227  as a result, you will need to fix the installation/packaging issues.
228
229- When building an image, only packages that will be used in building
230  the image (i.e. the first entry in :term:`PACKAGE_CLASSES`) will be
231  produced if multiple package types are enabled (which is not a typical
232  configuration). If in your CI system you need to have the original
233  behaviour, use ``bitbake --runall build <target>``.
234
235- The ``-lic`` package is no longer automatically added to
236  :term:`RRECOMMENDS` for every other package when
237  :term:`LICENSE_CREATE_PACKAGE` is set to "1". If you wish all license
238  packages to be installed corresponding to packages in your image, then
239  you should instead add the new ``lic-pkgs`` feature to
240  :term:`IMAGE_FEATURES`.
241
242
243Miscellaneous
244-------------
245
246- Certificates are now properly checked when bitbake fetches sources
247  over HTTPS. If you receive errors as a result for your custom recipes,
248  you will need to use a mirror or address the issue with the operators
249  of the server in question.
250
251- ``avahi`` has had its GTK+ support disabled by default. If you wish to
252  re-enable it, set ``AVAHI_GTK = "gtk3"`` in a bbappend for the
253  ``avahi`` recipe or in your custom distro configuration file.
254
255- Setting the ``BUILD_REPRODUCIBLE_BINARIES`` variable to "0" no longer
256  uses a strangely old fallback date of April 2011, it instead disables
257  building reproducible binaries as you would logically expect.
258
259- Setting noexec/nostamp/fakeroot varflags to any value besides "1" will
260  now trigger a warning. These should be either set to "1" to enable, or
261  not set at all to disable.
262
263- The previously deprecated ``COMPRESS_CMD`` and
264  ``CVE_CHECK_CVE_WHITELIST`` variables have been removed. Use
265  ``CONVERSION_CMD`` and :term:`CVE_CHECK_WHITELIST` respectively
266  instead.
267
268- The obsolete ``oe_machinstall`` function previously provided in the
269  :ref:`utils <ref-classes-utils>` class has been removed. For
270  machine-specific installation it is recommended that you use the
271  built-in override support in the fetcher or overrides in general
272  instead.
273