Wiki code for Software build engine policy

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1: {{{
2: 
3: OpenSolaris Freeware Consolidation
4: REQUIREMENTS FOR SFW USE OF SOFTWARE BUILD ENGINES
5: 7 August 2007
6: 
7: 1.  Summary
8: 
9:     The SFW consolidation is willing to support a variety of build
10:     approaches on a per-component basis.  This document includes
11:     requirements for the use of any high-level build tool, such as the
12:     pkgbuild utility.
13: 
14: 2.  Discussion
15: 
16:     The OpenSolaris Freeware Consolidation (SFW) has historically
17:     allowed components to construct themselves in whatever manner is
18:     most appropriate to emit the binary and supporting artifacts needed.
19:     In practice, this policy has resulted primarily in components being
20:     built via one of two ways:
21: 
22:     - Makefile-driven build utilizing the component’s build system
23: 
24:     - Makefile-driven build with a build crafted by the component’s SFW
25:       maintainer
26: 
27:     These schemes are constructed around make(1)’s capabilities, plus
28:     the adoption of one or more conventions around Makefiles to state
29:     dependencies, invoke compilers and other tools, and to assemble
30:     packages.
31: 
32:     A higher level approach is to use a software build engine, which
33:     takes a more abstract build description and emits the output
34:     component’s artifacts in the form of a package (or other assembly of
35:     binaries).  An example of a software build engine relevant to
36:     OpenSolaris is the pkgbuild utility [1], as used in the JDS
37:     Consolidation [2].
38: 
39:     The SFW C-team supports the utilization of software build engines in
40:     its Consolidation’s build process.  The following requirements, in
41:     the form used for other OpenSolaris requirements documents [3], outline the
42:     implementation constraints on the use of such tools.
43: 
44: 2.1  Requirements
45: 
46:     The intention of the requirements is that the SFW consolidation’s
47:     build process be a predictable and convenient means of
48:     reproducibly producing software.  
49: 
50: 2.1.1  Consolidation-wide requirements
51: 
52:     "Essential" requirements.
53: 
54:     E0.  Non-root build.
55: 
56:     SFW has historically permitted builds without special privilege.
57:     Requiring special privilege to build has been found to discourage
58:     participation in a consolidation’s evolution.
59: 
60:     E1.  Reproducibility and source availability.
61: 
62:     As a consolidation publishing components used by other
63:     consolidations, SFW can get requests to redeliver these components.
64:     These requests can be satisfied if the consolidation can rebuild
65:     each component from a known set of sources.  That is, a method for
66:     guaranteeing that the source for the component is available over the
67:     delivery lifetime of the component.  (This requirement can be
68:     interpreted as a constraint on engine-driven automated source
69:     downloads.)
70: 
71:     E2.  Simultaneous builds on a single system
72: 
73:     Organizations contributing to SFW have had a set of supported build
74:     configurations, ranging from a single workstation to a shared build
75:     server.  In each of these cases, it is expected that the build
76:     system’s installed configuration will not be changed as a result of
77:     the build process.
78: 
79:     This requirement implies that package modifying operations
80:     (installations, upgrades, and deletions) on the default path are
81:     disallowed without a waiver.  C-team approval will be required for a
82:     waiver of the "no package modifications"; any such operations
83:     executed during a build must be reversible.  (Since SFW builds will
84:     continue to take place on shared systems, such operations may also
85:     involve awareness of other consuming builds.)
86: 
87:     It is permissible to construct a special environment to permit
88:     simultaneous builds, as long as this construction can be carried out
89:     without manual intervention.  Such environments should be capable of
90:     being cleaned automatically by the build process.  Numerous options
91:     are available on OpenSolaris-based systems for the construction of
92:     isolated environments.
93: 
94:     E3.  Package auditing.
95: 
96:     It must be possible to audit, as a part of the build process, the
97:     changes made to a package between build invocations.  That is, a
98:     byproduct of the build should be an inventory of the changes in
99:     contents and metadata associated with a package, such that
100:     inventories of a package produced at distinct times can be compared.
101:     The primary purpose of auditing is to eliminate basic packaging
102:     errors, such as conflicting file membership or permissions.  Audited
103:     packages reduce C-team costs for interaction with distributions.
104: 
105:     E4.  Inter-component dependency.
106: 
107:     Build-time inter-component dependencies will be resolved via
108:     Makefiles and advertised installation.  That is, a component,
109:     regardless of its build method, must have a means of identifying its
110:     availability in a build-specific location if it is required by
111:     another component later in the build.  The build dependency will be
112:     handled via one or more Makefile statements.
113: 
114:     This requirement can be satisfied via use of a single proto area,
115:     but other approaches are permissible.  In principle, this
116:     requirement can be handled with a naming convention.
117: 
118:     "Conditional" requirements.
119: 
120:     C5.  Disconnected operation.
121: 
122:     It is strongly desired that it be possible to build the
123:     consolidation without network access.  Lack of disconnected
124:     operation will discourage potential contributors.
125: 
126:     There are no optional requirements in this section.
127: 
128: 2.1.2  Consolidation-wide non-requirements
129: 
130:     Satisfaction of E0 and E2 via a consolidation specific setuid tool
131:     is permissible.
132: 
133:     With E3 "Package auditing" and E4 "Inter-component dependency"
134:     satisfied, it is not necessary for an isolated component to install
135:     in the proto area.
136: 
137: 2.1.3  Per-component build requirements
138: 
139:     "Essential requirements"
140: 
141:     E6.  Documentation of native component build capability.
142: 
143:     For a small class of components, a "native" build is necessary, so
144:     that a component capable of running on the build system can
145:     construct other artifacts during the build process.  It is important
146:     for a software build engine to document clearly whether it is
147:     or is not capable of constructing native components, as well as the
148:     target components.
149: 
150:     There are no conditional or optional requirements in this section.
151: 
152: 2.1.4  Software build engine requirements
153: 
154:     "Essential requirements"
155: 
156:     E7.  Open source
157: 
158:     Any software build engine used in SFW must be available under an
159:     OSI-approved license.
160: 
161:     "Conditional requirements"
162: 
163:     C8.  Engine-description versioning
164: 
165:     It is expected that a software build engine will have a statement of
166:     versioning such that build descriptions identify the minimal version
167:     of the engine required for their interpretation.
168: 
169:     C8.  OpenSolaris delivery
170: 
171:     It is strongly desired that any software build engine used in SFW
172:     ship in one of the OpenSolaris Consolidations.  It is not necessary
173:     that the engine be delivered by the SFW Consolidation.
174: 
175:     There no optional requirements in this section.
176: 
177: 3.  References
178: 
179: [1] L. Peter, pkgbuild, http://pkgbuild.sf.net
180: 
181: [2] JDS Consolidation, http://opensolaris.org/os/project/jds/
182: 
183: [3] IEEE Std 830-1998, "IEEE Recommended Practice for Software Requirements Specifications", 1998.
184: 
185: }}}
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