Re: [PATCH v1 1/1] usertools: add DPDK build directory setup script

["Burakov, Anatoly" <anatoly.burakov@intel.com>]

On 9/6/2024 10:28 AM, Morten Brørup wrote:
>> From: fengchengwen [mailto:fengchengwen@huawei.com]
>> Sent: Friday, 6 September 2024 09.41
>>
>> On 2024/9/5 15:29, David Marchand wrote:
>>> On Wed, Sep 4, 2024 at 5:17 PM Anatoly Burakov
>>> <anatoly.burakov@intel.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Enter this script. It relies on Meson's introspection capabilities as well
>>>> as the dependency graphs generated by our build system to display all
>>>> available components, and handle any dependencies for them automatically,
>>>> while also not forcing user to remember any command-line options and lists
>>>> of drivers, and instead relying on interactive TUI to display list of
>>>> available options. It can also produce builds that are as minimal as
>>>> possible (including cutting down libraries being built) by utilizing the
>>>> fact that our dependency graphs report which dependency is mandatory and
>>>> which one is optional.
>>>>
>>>> Because it is not meant to replace native Meson build configuration but
>>>> is rather targeted at users who are not intimately familiar wtih DPDK's
>>>> build system, it is run in interactive mode by default. However, it is
>>>> also possible to run it without interaction, in which case it will pass
>>>> all its parameters to Meson directly, with added benefit of dependency
>>>> tracking and producing minimal builds if desired.
>>>>
>>>> Signed-off-by: Anatoly Burakov <anatoly.burakov@intel.com>
>>>
>>> There is no documentation.
> 
> +1
> 
>>> And it is a devtools script and not a usertools, iow, no point in
>>> installing this along a built dpdk.
> 
> +1
> 
>>>
>>> I don't see a lot of value in such script.
>>
>> +1
>> I just run this script, and it provide UI just like Linux kernel "make
>> menuconfig",
>> but I think DPDK is not complicated enough to have to use such menuconfig.
>>
>>> In my opinion, people who really want to tune their dpdk build should
>>> enter the details carefully and understand the implications.
>>> But other than that, I have no strong objection.
> 
> I think this script is a good step on the roadmap towards making DPDK build time configuration more developer friendly.
> 
> The idea of making DPDK 100 % runtime configurable and 0 % build time configurable has failed.
> 
> DPDK should be buildable by distros with a lot of features and drivers enabled, and projects using it for special use cases should have the ability to build a purpose-specific variant. Just like the kernel.
> 

Well, technically, this doesn't enable this use case any more than it is 
already enabled by Meson, it's just a more friendly frontend for doing 
that sort of thing. menuconfig is a good analogy, although the script is 
way more limited in scope than menuconfig, and doesn't cover nearly as 
many DPDK options as a proper menuconfig-like script would, as for 
example it doesn't cover things like CPU instruction sets or other 
build-time configuration that we have in Meson. (I did have this in my 
internal prototype, but I decided to remove this feature because the 
script was getting positively giant, it's pushing 800 lines as it is)

Still, I think it'll be easier to use for people unfamiliar with DPDK 
(or people who don't like typing a lot, of which I am one).

-- 
Thanks,
Anatoly