Contents: Inheritance, inclusion and overrides nologread.dist How to use the override/class system Inheriting and including other variables Syntax for overriding variables and functions System Developer Notes outline of ovgen operation

Overlay generation refers to the process of converting overlay files into a test variable script. This allows for board files and base test scripts to override functions and variables in the base fuego system with customized versions. This implements a weak form of an object-orientated programming.

At run time, the base test script is sourced. This in turn sources the fuego test system. During that 'source' operation, environment variables (NODE_NAME and DISTRIB) are used to select the .board and .dist files for the target. These files, in turn, can inherit and include definitions of variables and functions from other files (called "overlay" or "class" files).

The program ovgen.py is called to read the .board and .dist files, and to combine the information in these with the overlay files, and finally to also add information from the testplans and test spec files, to create a single unified 'prolog' script. This script is called the "test variables file" and is sourced into the running script, to provide final definitions for functions and variables used during test execution.

The call to ovgen.py looks like this:

• $OF_OVGEN $OF_CLASSDIR_ARGS $OF_OVFILES_ARGS $OF_TESTPLAN_ARGS $OF_SPECDIR_ARGS $OF_OUTPUT_FILE_ARGS

Which expands to something like:

 /fuego-core/engine/scripts/ovgen/ovgen.py \
   --classdir /fuego-core/engine/overlays//base \
   --ovfiles /fuego-core/engine/overlays//distribs/nologger.dist \
             /fuego-core/engine/overlays//boards/qemu-arm.board \
   --testplan /fuego-core/engine/overlays//testplans/testplan_default.json \
   --output /fuego-rw/work/qemu-test-arm_prolog.sh

This says to take the 2 ovfiles mentioned: nologger.dist and qemu-arm.board, and process them using the indicated classdir, testplan and specdir, to product the output qemu-test-arm_prolog.sh.

The result will be a single file containing all the functions and variables defined in the combined files, taking into account any overrides encountered.

The classdir defines where base 'fuegoclass' files are located, which can be included or inherited into the environment space.

The testplan and specdir are used to augment the environment space with variables for the indicated testplan.

Inheritance, inclusion and overrides [edit section]

The system implements a weak form of object-oriented behavior (specifically function and variable polymorphism), by allowing functions and variables from the base Fuego system to be overridden during execution of the program.

A 'class' file has the same syntax as a shell script, but the extension ".fuegoclass'. To include the material from a class file into another file, you use either the 'inherit' keyword or the 'include' keyword.

If you 'inherit' a class file, then the variables and functions in the file may be overridden by local definitions in your shell script.

The functions which are intended to be overridable start with the prefix ov_ (usually), and reside in the 'class' files in the classdir. Variables can also be overridden. These have no special identifying prefix.

If you 'include' a class file, then the variables and functions in that file may NOT be overridden by local definitions in your shell script.

It is presumed that these overrides will be specified is in the .board and .dist files.

nologread.dist [edit section]

One example of an override is provided in the system already, in the form of nologread.dist. Every target node defined in the system (in the Jenkins interface) defines both a board file and a dist file. These are intended to define parameters and functions for accessing the board, and for executing certain functions based on the type of distribution on the board (e.g. poky vs debian).

The base.dist file is the default .dist file used by targets, and it does not override any functions or variables provided by the fuego system. It merely inherits all pre-defined functions from base-distrib.fuegoclass.

However, the nologger.dist file is intended for use when there is no command 'logread' provided on the target. It uses 'cat' instead to retrieve the log information during the test. It inherits the pre-defined functions from base-distrib.fuegoclass, but then overrides the function ov_rootfs_logread.

Here is a list of overridable functions: From base-board.fuegoclass:

• ov_transport_get
• ov_transport_put
• ov_transport_cmd

From base-distrib.fuegoclass:

• ov_get_firmware
• ov_rootfs_reboot
• ov_rootfs_state
• ov_logger
• ov_rootfs_sync
• ov_rootfs_drop_caches
• ov_rootfs_oom
• ov_rootfs_kill
• ov_rootfs_logread

From base-funcs.fuegoclass:

• default_target_route_setup

The following variables can be overriden:

From base-params.fuegoclass:

• DEVICE
• PATH
• SSH
• SCP

How to use the override/class system [edit section]

Board and distribution files are referenced in the Jenkins definition for a test node (target). These files are interpreted by Fuego as overlay files, which can use values and functions from other files (fuegoclass files), and override them if necessary for a particular board.

Inheriting and including other variables [edit section]

An overlay file (board or distribution file) defined variables and functions from other base class files in the system using the 'inherit' and 'include' directives.

The inherit directive is used to read items from a fuegoclass file that can be overridden.

Items that are read from a fuegoclass file using the 'include' directive cannot be overridden in the overlay file.

For example, a board file usually uses the following directives:

• inherit "base-board"
• include "base-params"

This means that the functions and variables declared in the base-board.fuegoclass file can be overridden in the board file. However, the functions and variables declared in the base-params.fuegoclass file can not be overridden in the board file.

Syntax for overriding variables and functions [edit section]

To override a variable that is defined in another file, you re-declare the variable in the board or distrib file using the normal syntax (NAME="value"), but put an "override" prefix on the line, like so:

override NAME="value"

To override a function, use the syntax as follows:

override-func func_name() {
    function commands...
}

The syntax must be precise, including the number of spaces in the first line and the brace placement (on same line as function name for the opening brace, and at the first of the line for the closing brace)

System Developer Notes [edit section]

outline of ovgen operation [edit section]

Here is an outline of ovgen operation:

• run
  • parse command line arguments
  • parse test specs, if specdir is specified on command line
  • parse test plans, if testplan is specified on command line
  • parse all the base fuegoclass files (from classdir directory)
  • parse classes out of the override file
    • this processes inherited values and overrides during the parse
  • generate the prolog (test variable script) from the data read

Note: testplans and testspecs are simple maps internally (in ovgen.py). However, parseBaseDir() and parseOverrideFile() return class objects that are put in a list.

For additional developer notes on the overlay system, see ovgen feature notes