Agreed with Rudolf.

If the layer maintainer didn't bother to do at least do one build with new release and adjust LAYERSERIES_COMPAT, then I don't consider that layer well maintained (it could be someone else who uses the layer, tests it with new release and sends PR to adjust LAYERSERIES_COMPAT).

Recently I've also seen this:
LAYERSERIES_COMPAT_phytec = "${LAYERSERIES_COMPAT_core}"

which is also bad as it completely disables the check (seen in https://git.phytec.de/meta-phytec/tree/conf/layer.conf#n14).

On Thu, Dec 1, 2022 at 7:06 AM Rudolf J Streif <rudolf.streif@...> wrote:

On Wed, Nov 30, 2022, 20:27 Zoran <zoran.stojsavljevic@...> wrote:

Hello to Yocto community,

As I am much more passive yocto wise these few years ( working on
Android build systems and around, this is also a nightmare, I should
say ;-) ), I have one Yocto question which I never really understood.

I will ask it by example. I have one layer for the CAN tools and apps
which I have created 4 years ago:
https://github.com/ZoranStojsavljevic/meta-socketcan

In there, in conf/layer.conf:
https://github.com/ZoranStojsavljevic/meta-socketcan/blob/master/conf/layer.conf

I have the following line (layers' compatibility):
LAYERSERIES_COMPAT_meta-socketcan = "sumo thud warrior zeus dunfell
gatesgarth hardknott honister kirkstone"

I do not understand why we need to explicitly name releases for such
simple generic layers?!

To me this indicates that the maintainer of the layer has tested the compatibility of his layer with all of these releases of the Yocto Project.

A maintainer of a layer should make a deliberate decision of adding a release or dropping one from the compatibility list. It should be an attestation that the layer's compatibility with the releases in the list is actually maintained and tested.

There have been changes to the syntax to conditional variables. Your layer might well be compatible with all of the releases and it's great if you tested it. But it's not a given.

Instead, for a virtual example:
LAYERSERIES_COMPAT_meta-socketcan = "${AUTOLAYER x}"

So all the layers might be included (or for at least lets say x = 4
latest releases, where x = 0 would be include all)? I do understand
that complex layers could NOT have such a definition (because of the
dependencies), but for the generic layers (as such presented), this
would be beneficial.

I never cared for ${AUTOREV}, which is similar, in the first place for the very reason that it creates inconsistent behavior. This would do the same thing. What would the last 4 releases even mean? What is the reference and where is it obtained from?

Thank you for the answers,
Zee

_______

Best,
:rjs