Re: [docs] [PATCH] dev-manual: correct which package variables support which backends

On Fri, 12 Jun 2026, Quentin Schulz wrote:

> Hi Robert,
>
> On 6/12/26 1:57 PM, Robert P. J. Day wrote:
> > On Fri, 12 Jun 2026, Quentin Schulz wrote:
> >
> > > Hi Robert,
> > >
> > > On 6/12/26 1:33 PM, Robert P. J. Day via lists.yoctoproject.org wrote:
> > > >
> > > > -The following list introduces variables you can use to prevent packages
> > > > -from being installed into your image. Each of these variables only
> > > > works
> > > > -with IPK and RPM package types, not for Debian packages.
> > > > -Also, you can use these variables from your ``local.conf`` file
> > > > -or attach them to a specific image recipe by using a recipe name
> > > > -override. For more detail on the variables, see the descriptions in the
> > > > -Yocto Project Reference Manual's glossary chapter.
> > > > +There are three variables you can use to avoid installing particular
> > > > +packages into the final image -- you can either set these variables
> > > > +appropriately in your ``local.conf`` file, or attach them to a specific
> > > > +image recipe by using a recipe name override.
> > > >
> > >
> > > What do you mean by "recipe name override"?
> >
> >    that phrasing was in the original explanation -- one can set, say,
>
> Not verbatim, and it matters here.
>
> > PACKAGE_EXCLUDE either globally in local.conf:
> >
> >    PACKAGE_EXCLUDE = "minicom"
> >
> > or attach the exclusion to a specific image by using what the variable
>
> ^^^^ here it says "to a specific image" and this patch here says "to a
> specific image recipe".
>
> If you have a recipe name override in an image recipe, it either doesn't work
> or is useless:
>
> my-image.bb:
>
> BAD_RECOMMENDATIONS:pn-my-image = "test"
>
> is unnecessary complexity for what is simply achieved the same with
> BAD_RECOMMENDATIONS = "test".
>
> The phrasing could hint at:
>
> my-image.bb:
>
> BAD_RECOMMENDATIONS:pn-some-package-recipe = "test"
>
> But this doesn't work, because a recipe (including an image recipe) variable
> scope is specific to the recipe and cannot impact another recipe, thus this is
> a no-op.
>
> > glossary describes as a "recipe name override":
> >
> > https://docs.yoctoproject.org/ref-manual/variables.html#term-PACKAGE_EXCLUDE
> >
> >    PACKAGE_EXCLUDE:pn-<target image> = "minicom"
> >
> > so the phrase "recipe name override" comes from the glossary ...
> > should it be called something else?
> >
>
> That's ok, it's just combined with the earlier part of the sentence which is
> confusing or misleading (so the other part of the sentence needs to be fixed).

  i think that entire section needs to be reworked to explain all of
that *properly*, such as you might find those exclusion variables used
in your local.conf, or an image file, or a class file, and so on.

  i will ponder ... for now, i'll just send in a patch that corrects
the claims in the variable glossary, just so *that* stuff is correct.

rday