OLD | NEW |
1 # The MB (Meta-Build wrapper) design spec | 1 # The MB (Meta-Build wrapper) design spec |
2 | 2 |
3 [TOC] | 3 [TOC] |
4 | 4 |
5 ## Intro | 5 ## Intro |
6 | 6 |
7 MB is intended to address two major aspects of the GYP -> GN transition | 7 MB is intended to address two major aspects of the GYP -> GN transition |
8 for Chromium: | 8 for Chromium: |
9 | 9 |
10 1. "bot toggling" - make it so that we can easily flip a given bot | 10 1. "bot toggling" - make it so that we can easily flip a given bot |
11 back and forth between GN and GYP. | 11 back and forth between GN and GYP. |
12 | 12 |
13 2. "bot configuration" - provide a single source of truth for all of | 13 2. "bot configuration" - provide a single source of truth for all of |
14 the different configurations (os/arch/`gyp_define` combinations) of | 14 the different configurations (os/arch/`gyp_define` combinations) of |
15 Chromium that are supported. | 15 Chromium that are supported. |
16 | 16 |
17 MB must handle at least the `gen` and `analyze` steps on the bots, i.e., | 17 MB must handle at least the `gen` and `analyze` steps on the bots, i.e., |
18 we need to wrap both the `gyp_chromium` invocation to generate the | 18 we need to wrap both the `gyp_chromium` invocation to generate the |
19 Ninja files, and the `analyze` step that takes a list of modified files | 19 Ninja files, and the `analyze` step that takes a list of modified files |
20 and a list of targets to build and returns which targets are affected by | 20 and a list of targets to build and returns which targets are affected by |
21 the files. | 21 the files. |
22 | 22 |
23 For more information on how to actually use MB, see | |
24 [the user guide](user_guide.md). | |
25 | |
26 ## Design | 23 ## Design |
27 | 24 |
28 MB is intended to be as simple as possible, and to defer as much work as | 25 MB is intended to be as simple as possible, and to defer as much work as |
29 possible to GN or GYP. It should live as a very simple Python wrapper | 26 possible to GN or GYP. It should live as a very simple Python wrapper |
30 that offers little in the way of surprises. | 27 that offers little in the way of surprises. |
31 | 28 |
32 ### Command line | 29 ### Command line |
33 | 30 |
34 It is structured as a single binary that supports a list of subcommands: | 31 It is structured as a single binary that supports a list of subcommands: |
35 | 32 |
(...skipping 82 matching lines...) Expand 10 before | Expand all | Expand 10 after Loading... |
118 | 115 |
119 Instead, we have one config per unique combination of flags only. | 116 Instead, we have one config per unique combination of flags only. |
120 | 117 |
121 In other words, rather than having `linux_rel_bot`, `win_rel_bot`, and | 118 In other words, rather than having `linux_rel_bot`, `win_rel_bot`, and |
122 `mac_rel_bot`, we just have `rel_bot`. | 119 `mac_rel_bot`, we just have `rel_bot`. |
123 | 120 |
124 This design allows us to determine easily all of the different sets | 121 This design allows us to determine easily all of the different sets |
125 of flags that we need to support, but *not* which flags are used on which | 122 of flags that we need to support, but *not* which flags are used on which |
126 host/target combinations. | 123 host/target combinations. |
127 | 124 |
128 It may be that we should really track the latter. Doing so is just a | 125 It may be that we should really track the latter. Doing so is just a |
129 config file change, however. | 126 config file change, however. |
130 | 127 |
131 ### Non-goals | 128 ### Non-goals |
132 | 129 |
133 * MB is not intended to replace direct invocation of GN or GYP for | 130 * MB is not intended to replace direct invocation of GN or GYP for |
134 complicated build scenarios (aka ChromeOS), where multiple flags need | 131 complicated build scenarios (aka ChromeOS), where multiple flags need |
135 to be set to user-defined paths for specific toolchains (e.g., where | 132 to be set to user-defined paths for specific toolchains (e.g., where |
136 ChromeOS needs to specify specific board types and compilers). | 133 ChromeOS needs to specify specific board types and compilers). |
137 | 134 |
138 * MB is not intended at this time to be something developers use frequently, | 135 * MB is not intended at this time to be something developers use frequently, |
139 or to add a lot of features to. We hope to be able to get rid of it once | 136 or to add a lot of features to. We hope to be able to get rid of it once |
140 the GYP->GN migration is done, and so we should not add things for | 137 the GYP->GN migration is done, and so we should not add things for |
141 developers that can't easily be added to GN itself. | 138 developers that can't easily be added to GN itself. |
142 | 139 |
143 * MB is not intended to replace the | 140 * MB is not intended to replace the |
144 [CR tool](https://code.google.com/p/chromium/wiki/CRUserManual). Not | 141 [CR tool](https://code.google.com/p/chromium/wiki/CRUserManual). Not |
145 only is it only intended to replace the gyp\_chromium part of `'gclient | 142 only is it only intended to replace the gyp\_chromium part of `'gclient |
146 runhooks'`, it is not really meant as a developer-facing tool. | 143 runhooks'`, it is not really meant as a developer-facing tool. |
147 | 144 |
148 ### Open issues | 145 ### Open issues |
149 | 146 |
150 * Some common flags (goma\_dir being the obvious one) may need to be | 147 * Some common flags (goma\_dir being the obvious one) may need to be |
151 specified via the user, and it's unclear how to integrate this with | 148 specified via the user, and it's unclear how to integrate this with |
152 the concept of build\_configs. | 149 the concept of build\_configs. |
153 | 150 |
154 Right now, MB has hard-coded support for a few flags (i.e., you can | 151 Right now, MB has hard-coded support for a few flags (i.e., you can |
155 pass the --goma-dir flag, and it will know to expand "${goma\_dir}" in | 152 pass the --goma-dir flag, and it will know to expand "${goma\_dir}" in |
156 the string before calling out to the tool. We may want to generalize | 153 the string before calling out to the tool. We may want to generalize |
157 this to a common key/value approach (perhaps then meeting the | 154 this to a common key/value approach (perhaps then meeting the |
158 ChromeOS non-goal, above), or we may want to keep this very strictly | 155 ChromeOS non-goal, above), or we may want to keep this very strictly |
159 limited for simplicity. | 156 limited for simplicity. |
OLD | NEW |